Gate and Key
There is no darkness without light. No light without Darkness...only fools say this. Darkness can exist without light, but light can't do the same. Darkness is but the absence of light and where there is no light, the only thing that exists is darkness. Even if the world became so bright that everything was engulfed with light; even if good deeds were the only things ever to come out of humanity, darkness will never leave. For darkness comes with a thought, and to think, is to have an existence. For as long as there is existence, there will be darkness. And from the Darkness is where evil shall come.
Long ago a beast walked the earth, bringing death and decay wherever it went. Long, black hair ran down the spiny back if the beast. Its pale hands wielded sharp fingernails said to peel the very soul away from the body. Its face was faceless, covered by the veil of mystery and unknown. Who knows what lied beneath its smoky haze. This monster was the son of Darkness, the brother of Shadows, the keeper of Despair. From it, the creatures of the night sprung forth, emerging one by one from the shadow of their master. The villages of the world quickly fell to its destruction, slaughtered by the creatures; but this, this was a merciful death at the time. Others who encountered the Beast face to face were not so fortunate. Their souls were ripped away from their bodies, turning them into servants of the Beast. They were enslaved forever, enduring the pain of losing their humanity, for once they were turned, they could no longer be called human. These people were called the Betsalelvutzah, the group of shadows that stalked the earth. A name is a powerful thing. It gives identity to an object, justifying that it exists in the world. The beast had a name, Umbralum, spoken by few from fear their souls would seep out from their mouths if they did. Everyone called the beast by the name of Shade. And so Umbralum, Shade was born into the hearts of men, never to leave again.
As night conquered day and the stars retreated from the heavens, two families rose up to defend the last of humanity. Their branches trace back to the very origins of mankind, to the first man, the first woman, the first children. Through this lineage a power was passed on to them, one able to stop Shade and seal him away. They were the shimmering light in the darkness: The Maoru family and the Liora family. After decades of constant war with Shade, the families dwindled down to but a few members. In the Maoru family, there remained Farcus and Thalia, their son Kasem, and their maidservant Geneveva. In the Liora family there remained Garus and Kana, their daughter Lily, and their manservant Bertholomu.
Together the remaining family fought endlessly, repelling all creatures and making their way to Shade. With the Liora family was the Power of the Gate. The Gate gave birth to the world; from it all things came forth. It opened itself and life came bursting out from its doors. The trees came forth, the animals came forth, the sea came forth, the light came forth, and so the darkness came forth. But from where all things came to be, they too can return. With the power of the Gate, Garus and Kana fought to return Shade to where it once came, back into the Gate and seal it there forever. And when there is a Gate, there must also be a Key.
The Maoru Family wielded the power of the Key, able to reveal all that is behind locked doors and to keep all things locked from ever becoming free. With the key came the greatest power of all: thought. From the thought came the key's design: an ever-changing design that reflected upon the desires of the key holder. For it was from thought that evil manifested from the shadows, and it is thought that will bring evil to the light. The final push had come. The Maorus and the Lioras stood before the entrance to Shade's domain. Barren trees were lined up all around them; pale and skinny, all crooked and pointing away from where Shade rested. They were rooted to the ground, unable to escape from their horrible fate. Over the years they tried to survive, all reaching for the last glimmer of light, until that too, was taken from them. Now they sit there, lifeless, as a black haze seeped through the cracks in their trunks and onto the ground. Garus and Farcus took the lead, wading through the thick smog; Kana and Thalia followed behind holding their children while Bertholomu and Geneveva took the rear. Garus tapped Farcus on the shoulder.
"The time has come Farcus, we are at the end of the world. If we walk this path Shade should be just ahead."
"Do not be afraid to say its real name Garus. Umbralum will feed on our fear and overwhelm us before we even reach it. Strengthen your mind, steel your heart, and move with courage."
Farcus turned around and faced his wife.
"It's time to stop playing the helpless wife my dear. Give Kasem to Geneveva and join us."
Garus turned around and faced his wife.
"You too Kana, let's do this like the old days."
Thalia and Kana looked at each other, then at their child. Both of them knew that this was probably the last time they can ever see their faces again. They nuzzled them to their bosoms as tears ran down their cheeks. It was a heartbreaking feeling to be leaving their children, but the thought that their child would never feel the warmth of their mother was even more excruciating. There they sat, trying as hard as they could to savor the moment, hoping that their children would somehow remember the love that was pouring into them. But now, the time had come for mother and child to part ways. Thalia kissed Kasem on the forehead and gave him a blessing.
"Be strong Kasem. Grow up to be a man with heart. Always love the ones close to you, and give love to those that surround you. When the world tries to crush you, embrace it, endure it, and show the world the wonders that kindness can bring. If the dark surrounds you, know that I am here with you. Even if you get consumed, even if I am no longer anymore, not even Time can take away my love for you. Show the world the power of light. Show the world that you are my son. I love you Kasem. Be safe now."
Kana kissed Lily on the forehead and gave her a blessing.
"My dear, sweet Lily, have strength in yourself. Though this world will batter your body, it can never damage your soul. Grow up to be a woman with passion. Follow your heart and do not stray from the path of light. Don't worry about where life will take you because love, friendship, and kindness will make their way to you. Nurture those that come to you, cherish those close to you, and become the miracle of the world. You will be the flower that blossoms in the dark, when nobody can see or hear where they are, be the scent that guides their way. Go with the breath of life and guide the weary to the light. Always know that mother is with you my Lily. I love you. Goodbye darling."
Both of them kissed their child on the cheeks and walked towards their servants. Thalia stared at Geneveva for a moment. It was like time itself had stopped just for the two of them. Tears started to form around the corners of both their eyes and Thalia handed Kasem over to her.
"Take good care of him Geneveva."
"Yes Madam."
"Make sure you feed him well okay?"
"Yes Madam."
As Thalia instructed Geneveva on what to do, the tears could no longer be held back. It swept down their cheeks because they knew that this was their final goodbye.
"Always keep your eyes on him and don't let him stray too far from you."
"Yes Madam."
"And make sure he stays away from girls okay?"
"Yes….Madam….be safe okay?"
"I will, you too Geneveva."
Kana gave Lily to Bertholomu as well and caressed her face.
"Take good care of her Bertholomu."
"Yes M'lady."
"She will need a wonderful father in the future and I know you can fulfill that role to the fullest."
"Yes M'lady."
Bertholomu and Kana both wiped the tears from the corner of their eyes away.
"Protect her with your life and make sure the boys keep their hands off of her!"
"Of course M'lady. Be safe now Lady Kana."
"You too Bertholomu."
The wives waded their way through the smog and joined up with their husbands. Kana had a thin, delicate structure and long, brown hair and eyes that were accompanied by a tiny mole under her right eye. Thalia had a thin structure as well with shorter, dark blue hair and eyes that had a deep- blue hue to it, like a sapphire refracting light.
Farcus, who was tall and medium-built, held in his hand a small keychain that had a green orb attached to it. He spun the keychain around his finger and out came a swirl of blue and green light, circling around him and engulfing his entire body. A single thought rang through his head: Protect Humanity. The lights immediately centered around the keychain and began forming something in the light. They began bouncing off one another with a beautiful clang, creating even more colors. Each time it bounced off from one another, a little part of the key was created, manifested from light and thought. Farcus thrusted his hand that had the keychain into the air and the light scattered from the orb. There it was, the key, in the shape of an elegant sword. The crevaces overlapped each other in a zig-zag formation. At the base of the sword laid the green orb, shining ever so brightly and showing its appreciation to the new creation. Lines of blue, green, white, and yellow intertwined together to make the weapon that would save the world.
Garus, who was smaller in stature, closed his eyes and clapped his hands together; a small white light appeared between his hands and continued to grow larger. Light broke out between the cracks of his fingers like a new day breaking the horizon. He opened his eyes and snapped his hands apart. A gate emerged from the light; two doors clasped together with a simple design floated in mid-air before him. Garus crouched down on one knee, held his hand to his chest, and muttered something under his breath. Looking up at the gate, he lunged towards it with all his might. With one hand he broke open the gate and entered into the realm of creation. After a moment, he appeared from the other side of the gate weilding a spear and riding a gigantic beast covered in white hair. With a humble and gentle face, the beast resembled that of an albino gorilla that was cladded with golden armor from head to toe.
Thalia and Kana put their hands together and muttered a prayer. The sky above them parted their clouds and a beam of light shot down from the heavens on top of them. The black smog was immediately swept away and both of them were encased in white garment. For a moment it appeared as if they had flapping wings and a halo on top of their head, but it was the light that created this illusion. In the hands of Thalia was a large lance embroidered with red and gold design. At the base of the lance was crest that had the design of a bird soaring over mountains. In Kana's was a bow made of light and on her back was a quiver that held no arrows. As the families took up arms, they look towards Umbralum's domain, towards the final hour. Without looking back they all rushed into the darkness; the final battle for humanity was about to begin.
"Let's Go."
