Soul Searching
Isabel Night
He's sitting on one of marble benches in the Castle Gardens, the same bench that we used to sit on and laugh. I know he can't see me; it's rare you see a spirit, unless he or she wants you to. My red hair ruffles in the wind; it is a wind that for the very sensitive can alert a person to the presence of a spirit. That is what I am, a spirit. Everyone says I should be in Heaven, but I cannot go to Heaven until the other eight armor bearers are safe. If I must watch them throughout eternity, then that is what I will do.
He's looking at the dark green trees, I still remember the times we meditated under them, they are beautiful all year long. He sighs and looks at me; I know he cannot see me, but he feels my presence, he knows that I am in the garden with him. "I'm surprised you don't hate us," he begins, "after what we did to you, bringing you back to Talpa against your will…"
Sprits can speak, but many times, we don't need too. Sometimes, words aren't needed for a Spirit to get his or her point across. I do not answer, but he continues to speak, "I guess you were the strongest out of all of us. If you weren't as strong as you were, then maybe you never would have done what you did."
He sighs; I have this strange feeling that he is ready to let bring some of his personal feelings out of the dark and into the light, "I guess I was weak from the beginning. I was young and lonely. My bastard father… left my mother, my sisters, and me when I was little. My mother raised me as best she could, but deep down inside, I still carry my hatred for him."
His hand is balling into a fist; I knew he hated his father for leaving his family, but I never knew how much it bothered him.
"When I was little," he continued, "I made a promise to myself. I promised that I would always be there for my family, especially when I had children. Even now, I failed to keep that promise."
I was startled; I have never heard Dais talk like that before.
"When Talpa came, he offered me many things: power, wealth, and immortality. I was already supporting my family by renting out my services as a hired assassin. I was young, and worst of all, unmarried. When that blasted floating head came, offering me his devil's bargain, he promised to give me the one thing I always wanted: a family."
I listen patiently; I know he has more to tell.
"Talpa kept his promise," he sighed, "I did have a family, you, Sekhmet, and Cale. I promised to keep all three off you close to my heart."
He turns his head away from me, I know that he is feeling a deep, emotional pain, "but I took all of you for granted. I thought that nothing would ever break us apart, and I was foolish to believe that lie."
Dais continues to look away from me, but I know he'll finish telling me his story in his own good time.
"Then that blasted monk took you away from us. He tore you from us as if what we had meant nothing. When we kidnapped you and brought you back to the castle, I feared I had lost you."
Dais blinks his eye; I'm not sure, but I think I see tears forming in his eye. "When I saw you as the new monk, I was enraged, not only at the Ancient One, but at myself. I hated myself because I failed to keep the promise I made four centuries ago. I had to do everything in my power to get you back. But it never happened, because you died freeing Kayura and all of us from our inner evil."
Dais looks at the sky, and then turns towards my direction. "If there's one place I love in the Mortal Realm, it would be on the beach watching the sun set. It's the most serene place that I have ever been to; it helps me keep my sanity, and helps me reflect on my past."
Dais sighs again as he stands up and looks at the small stream running through the garden. "I wish you knew how we felt about you; I wish you had known in the end how much you meant to us."
His thoughts are interrupted as two other figures walk out of the castle, "Dais," Cale calls out, "whom are you talking to?"
"Anubis," Dais replied.
Sekhmet looks around and sees no one. He cannot see me; I have made sure no one can see me. Then he looks at Dais and begins to shake his head, "it's getting late, you'd better come inside."
As all three walk into the castle, I watch them silently. I'm glad Dais told me these things; I'm sure he will now be able to move on with his life. Before I fade away, I send a gentle wind to surround my friends. As the wind blows their hair, Dais turns around and smiles at me. I smile back, and then fade away. All that is left of my presence is the sound of a monk's staff chiming in the breeze.
THE END
Isabel Night
He's sitting on one of marble benches in the Castle Gardens, the same bench that we used to sit on and laugh. I know he can't see me; it's rare you see a spirit, unless he or she wants you to. My red hair ruffles in the wind; it is a wind that for the very sensitive can alert a person to the presence of a spirit. That is what I am, a spirit. Everyone says I should be in Heaven, but I cannot go to Heaven until the other eight armor bearers are safe. If I must watch them throughout eternity, then that is what I will do.
He's looking at the dark green trees, I still remember the times we meditated under them, they are beautiful all year long. He sighs and looks at me; I know he cannot see me, but he feels my presence, he knows that I am in the garden with him. "I'm surprised you don't hate us," he begins, "after what we did to you, bringing you back to Talpa against your will…"
Sprits can speak, but many times, we don't need too. Sometimes, words aren't needed for a Spirit to get his or her point across. I do not answer, but he continues to speak, "I guess you were the strongest out of all of us. If you weren't as strong as you were, then maybe you never would have done what you did."
He sighs; I have this strange feeling that he is ready to let bring some of his personal feelings out of the dark and into the light, "I guess I was weak from the beginning. I was young and lonely. My bastard father… left my mother, my sisters, and me when I was little. My mother raised me as best she could, but deep down inside, I still carry my hatred for him."
His hand is balling into a fist; I knew he hated his father for leaving his family, but I never knew how much it bothered him.
"When I was little," he continued, "I made a promise to myself. I promised that I would always be there for my family, especially when I had children. Even now, I failed to keep that promise."
I was startled; I have never heard Dais talk like that before.
"When Talpa came, he offered me many things: power, wealth, and immortality. I was already supporting my family by renting out my services as a hired assassin. I was young, and worst of all, unmarried. When that blasted floating head came, offering me his devil's bargain, he promised to give me the one thing I always wanted: a family."
I listen patiently; I know he has more to tell.
"Talpa kept his promise," he sighed, "I did have a family, you, Sekhmet, and Cale. I promised to keep all three off you close to my heart."
He turns his head away from me, I know that he is feeling a deep, emotional pain, "but I took all of you for granted. I thought that nothing would ever break us apart, and I was foolish to believe that lie."
Dais continues to look away from me, but I know he'll finish telling me his story in his own good time.
"Then that blasted monk took you away from us. He tore you from us as if what we had meant nothing. When we kidnapped you and brought you back to the castle, I feared I had lost you."
Dais blinks his eye; I'm not sure, but I think I see tears forming in his eye. "When I saw you as the new monk, I was enraged, not only at the Ancient One, but at myself. I hated myself because I failed to keep the promise I made four centuries ago. I had to do everything in my power to get you back. But it never happened, because you died freeing Kayura and all of us from our inner evil."
Dais looks at the sky, and then turns towards my direction. "If there's one place I love in the Mortal Realm, it would be on the beach watching the sun set. It's the most serene place that I have ever been to; it helps me keep my sanity, and helps me reflect on my past."
Dais sighs again as he stands up and looks at the small stream running through the garden. "I wish you knew how we felt about you; I wish you had known in the end how much you meant to us."
His thoughts are interrupted as two other figures walk out of the castle, "Dais," Cale calls out, "whom are you talking to?"
"Anubis," Dais replied.
Sekhmet looks around and sees no one. He cannot see me; I have made sure no one can see me. Then he looks at Dais and begins to shake his head, "it's getting late, you'd better come inside."
As all three walk into the castle, I watch them silently. I'm glad Dais told me these things; I'm sure he will now be able to move on with his life. Before I fade away, I send a gentle wind to surround my friends. As the wind blows their hair, Dais turns around and smiles at me. I smile back, and then fade away. All that is left of my presence is the sound of a monk's staff chiming in the breeze.
THE END