Live by thy Blade
By: Brett Light
1/5/04
Chapter 1: Reverence and Corruption
As I sat there in that old, abandoned church; a lot of thoughts ran through my head. Thoughts of my past, the present, and all of my possible futures were abundant; an expectable standard for a soldier on such a dangerous mission. The more I sat there, though, the more I began to doubt my cause.
I'd been sent to this place, these ruins of an old world; with one purpose: To destroy the one they call Sol. At first, my personal animosities towards him caused me to jump at a chance for revenge, but as time went on, I began to wonder: Why would he have to die? What was the purpose?
Sol always seemed to know something extra: Something the rest of the world didn't. He was something of an enlightened person, in my opinion. Therefore, I figured the information we could gather from his capture would be infinitely more valuable than his corpse. I sat and wondered why my superiors would give me such an order. It seemed they simply wanted to eliminate him for no reason. Unless.
"Unless he knows something they don't want people to know." I said to myself. Soon afterwards, I chuckled, realizing how stupid the thought had been.
"That's silly." I said to the darkness. "Why would they do something like that?"
"I don't know." said a gruff voice from behind me. "Why would they? And what exactly are they doing, anyway?" I started; turning around slowly, shocked to find that I was not alone.
There stood Sol, wrapped in a tattered brown cloak, smiling widely; carrying a maniacal glint in his eye quite unlike anything I'd ever seen. I cleared my throat to speak, but he cut me off before I even has a chance.
"In case you're wondering.I was here before you." He said, his smile growing ever wider. "You're far too easy to sneak up on. Now.what do you want?"
"I..uhh.I.." I was stammering, unable to think. Soon, he cut me off again.
"Let me guess." he said. "The Knight of God, riding in on his white horse to slay the corrupted demon, right?" The smile on his face seemed to tell me he knew of my arrival in advance. I nodded, causing him to smirk.
"What, might I ask, would you do that for?" he asked scathingly.
"I've come to bring you to justice!" I replied boldly. He began to laugh openly.
"Justice!?" he scoffed. "You seem to forget your own cause! There is no justice in death, no matter how noble. You've been blinded by your "justice" you fool!" he stamped his foot loudly, as if he were trying to intimidate me.
"You're not one to speak of justice! You know no justice, you demon!" I shouted back, becoming angrier by the second. Sol scoffed again.
"I know no justice for there is no justice! All there is in this world is power. Those who have power; and those who don't. The users and the used. Power is the one constant." He said.
"I..I don't understand." I said. I was so confused. Was this man sitting here and telling me that everything I believed in is a lie?
"You don't understand? What's so difficult?" he asked. "The only justice in this world is determined by those with power! No real justice will ever be served. To hell with it, I say! To hell with it all!"
"No." I said. "You're wrong. No matter what, the world needs justice."
"Then why don't you do the world some justice and get out of my face?" Sol asked. That was it for me. I snapped, gripping the hilt of my sword.
"Enough of this!" I shouted. "I came to put a stop to you, and I'm not leaving until I do. Simple as that!" I straightened up, unsheathing my blade. Sol chuckled.
"So this is what you want then, fool? Fine by me. Show me the power of "justice!"
Sol tossed his cloak aside, letting his long hair fly out behind him as he drew his sword. I held my blade to my side as I charged straight for him. I threw out a slash of my blade, but he dodged deftly to the side and delivered a powerful kick to my head. I stumbled around, pained and disoriented, trying to find my feet. He walked forward, laughing again as I leaned on my sword.
"Aw.done already? I was just getting warmed up!" he said. He raised his blade to strike the final blow. I knew I stood no chance of defeating him.but I had to try.
"Goodbye." Sol said, swinging his blade downward. My life seemed to flash before my eyes, before I snapped out of my stupor.
"No!" I shouted, swinging my sword upward to meet his. The contact stunned him a bit, and knocked him back. He chuckled.
"You've got spunk, kid.I'll give you that. That even hurt a little." I smiled. "Well, there's plenty more where that came from!" I said. In one smooth motion, I'd swept him off his feet, up into the air. I leaped upwards to follow him. We clashed blades in midair, neither one of us giving in. Soon, though, I saw my opening. I planted my foot in his chest and pushed off; launching myself further in the air. I then brought the hilt of my sword down on his head, knocking him silly. Dazed, Sol dropped to the ground in a heap. I fell near him, and walked over to the pile that was his body.
"Give up yet?" I asked, pointing my sword at him. He smirked.
"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?!" he said. Suddenly, he leapt up. Sticking his blade into the ground, he muttered some phrase of the occult. Instantly, a pillar of flames shot from the ground, flying towards me. It was a flashy trick, but I wasn't phased. I was going to end this now. I leapt over the flames, and lunged at him, aiming a heavy slash at his chest. I laughed to myself. 'It's over! I win!' I thought. But it turns out he had one last surprise for me.
Before my slash could land, he reached out with one hand and grabbed me by the neck. He swung me around, causing me to lose my sword. It landed on the ground with a dull clank. My head was spinning.I needed air. It was all over.but then Sol spoke.
"You're pretty tough, kid.but you're still hardheaded. Maybe you'll be able to beat me someday." He said. As he held onto me with one hand, his other fist seemed to explode with flames. I struggled to get free, but to no avail. He delivered the flaming punch, launching me across the room; leaving a wall of fire in my wake. As I lied there, scorched and bleeding, Sol turned to leave. I sat up, trying to master myself.
"Wait! I'm not done with you yet!" I shouted. He looked back.
"Someday, you'll see what's really going on. When you do, you'll realize that either of us dying here would be a waste. But don't worry.someday, you'll have another chance. You can take my word for it." He said, as he turned and walked away through the flames. I sat there for a minute, thinking about Sol. For now, at least; I resolved not to kill him. It seemed like he knew something I didn't again. I picked myself up, and grabbed my sword from the ground. Holding the shimmering blade in my hand, I looked into the flames; thinking about what he'd said to me.
"I'm going to hold you to that." I said.
(End Chapter 1)
Chapter 1: Reverence and Corruption
As I sat there in that old, abandoned church; a lot of thoughts ran through my head. Thoughts of my past, the present, and all of my possible futures were abundant; an expectable standard for a soldier on such a dangerous mission. The more I sat there, though, the more I began to doubt my cause.
I'd been sent to this place, these ruins of an old world; with one purpose: To destroy the one they call Sol. At first, my personal animosities towards him caused me to jump at a chance for revenge, but as time went on, I began to wonder: Why would he have to die? What was the purpose?
Sol always seemed to know something extra: Something the rest of the world didn't. He was something of an enlightened person, in my opinion. Therefore, I figured the information we could gather from his capture would be infinitely more valuable than his corpse. I sat and wondered why my superiors would give me such an order. It seemed they simply wanted to eliminate him for no reason. Unless.
"Unless he knows something they don't want people to know." I said to myself. Soon afterwards, I chuckled, realizing how stupid the thought had been.
"That's silly." I said to the darkness. "Why would they do something like that?"
"I don't know." said a gruff voice from behind me. "Why would they? And what exactly are they doing, anyway?" I started; turning around slowly, shocked to find that I was not alone.
There stood Sol, wrapped in a tattered brown cloak, smiling widely; carrying a maniacal glint in his eye quite unlike anything I'd ever seen. I cleared my throat to speak, but he cut me off before I even has a chance.
"In case you're wondering.I was here before you." He said, his smile growing ever wider. "You're far too easy to sneak up on. Now.what do you want?"
"I..uhh.I.." I was stammering, unable to think. Soon, he cut me off again.
"Let me guess." he said. "The Knight of God, riding in on his white horse to slay the corrupted demon, right?" The smile on his face seemed to tell me he knew of my arrival in advance. I nodded, causing him to smirk.
"What, might I ask, would you do that for?" he asked scathingly.
"I've come to bring you to justice!" I replied boldly. He began to laugh openly.
"Justice!?" he scoffed. "You seem to forget your own cause! There is no justice in death, no matter how noble. You've been blinded by your "justice" you fool!" he stamped his foot loudly, as if he were trying to intimidate me.
"You're not one to speak of justice! You know no justice, you demon!" I shouted back, becoming angrier by the second. Sol scoffed again.
"I know no justice for there is no justice! All there is in this world is power. Those who have power; and those who don't. The users and the used. Power is the one constant." He said.
"I..I don't understand." I said. I was so confused. Was this man sitting here and telling me that everything I believed in is a lie?
"You don't understand? What's so difficult?" he asked. "The only justice in this world is determined by those with power! No real justice will ever be served. To hell with it, I say! To hell with it all!"
"No." I said. "You're wrong. No matter what, the world needs justice."
"Then why don't you do the world some justice and get out of my face?" Sol asked. That was it for me. I snapped, gripping the hilt of my sword.
"Enough of this!" I shouted. "I came to put a stop to you, and I'm not leaving until I do. Simple as that!" I straightened up, unsheathing my blade. Sol chuckled.
"So this is what you want then, fool? Fine by me. Show me the power of "justice!"
Sol tossed his cloak aside, letting his long hair fly out behind him as he drew his sword. I held my blade to my side as I charged straight for him. I threw out a slash of my blade, but he dodged deftly to the side and delivered a powerful kick to my head. I stumbled around, pained and disoriented, trying to find my feet. He walked forward, laughing again as I leaned on my sword.
"Aw.done already? I was just getting warmed up!" he said. He raised his blade to strike the final blow. I knew I stood no chance of defeating him.but I had to try.
"Goodbye." Sol said, swinging his blade downward. My life seemed to flash before my eyes, before I snapped out of my stupor.
"No!" I shouted, swinging my sword upward to meet his. The contact stunned him a bit, and knocked him back. He chuckled.
"You've got spunk, kid.I'll give you that. That even hurt a little." I smiled. "Well, there's plenty more where that came from!" I said. In one smooth motion, I'd swept him off his feet, up into the air. I leaped upwards to follow him. We clashed blades in midair, neither one of us giving in. Soon, though, I saw my opening. I planted my foot in his chest and pushed off; launching myself further in the air. I then brought the hilt of my sword down on his head, knocking him silly. Dazed, Sol dropped to the ground in a heap. I fell near him, and walked over to the pile that was his body.
"Give up yet?" I asked, pointing my sword at him. He smirked.
"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?!" he said. Suddenly, he leapt up. Sticking his blade into the ground, he muttered some phrase of the occult. Instantly, a pillar of flames shot from the ground, flying towards me. It was a flashy trick, but I wasn't phased. I was going to end this now. I leapt over the flames, and lunged at him, aiming a heavy slash at his chest. I laughed to myself. 'It's over! I win!' I thought. But it turns out he had one last surprise for me.
Before my slash could land, he reached out with one hand and grabbed me by the neck. He swung me around, causing me to lose my sword. It landed on the ground with a dull clank. My head was spinning.I needed air. It was all over.but then Sol spoke.
"You're pretty tough, kid.but you're still hardheaded. Maybe you'll be able to beat me someday." He said. As he held onto me with one hand, his other fist seemed to explode with flames. I struggled to get free, but to no avail. He delivered the flaming punch, launching me across the room; leaving a wall of fire in my wake. As I lied there, scorched and bleeding, Sol turned to leave. I sat up, trying to master myself.
"Wait! I'm not done with you yet!" I shouted. He looked back.
"Someday, you'll see what's really going on. When you do, you'll realize that either of us dying here would be a waste. But don't worry.someday, you'll have another chance. You can take my word for it." He said, as he turned and walked away through the flames. I sat there for a minute, thinking about Sol. For now, at least; I resolved not to kill him. It seemed like he knew something I didn't again. I picked myself up, and grabbed my sword from the ground. Holding the shimmering blade in my hand, I looked into the flames; thinking about what he'd said to me.
"I'm going to hold you to that." I said.
(End Chapter 1)