Gazing out over the waters, a shadowed form sat atop a stable roof, his legs bent and body crouched low, a bucket of shifting liquid next to him. Snow littered itself across the grounds of Budehuc castle, and yet strangely the night sky was clear and crystal. His tattered wings were pulled close to his body for warmth and he shivered a bit as he pulled them closer, as if to ward of the chill that had settled into his bones. His very being.

How he hated Christmas. Well really this time of year in general. The holiday was known for two things in his mind.

The birth of Christ.

And his birthday. The birth of Landis, the Winghorder.

Or should he call it his death-day?

That thought at least made a mirthless smile curl his lips as his one good eye scanned the lake side, taking in every movement.

In the distance he could make out two figures, both crossing the snowy front and heading for the castle, both wrapped up tightly in scarves and thick woolly jackets. For a moment he contemplated flying overhead to shield them from the snow, before he shook the thought from his head.

The two wayward men were Jess and Lo Hak, the latter being the only… well, companion he had gotten close to in the last three years.

Had it really been so long?

No one, had been privy to his thoughts, not even Ayame or Yuber, despite their partners in crime relationship.

No, it was only through force, and persistence, and a sense of empathy that Lo Hak had been able to squirm his way into Landis's emotions, his past, or at least some of it, and his feelings.

To this day, Landis didn't know what to believe about the young man who had been brought here in some unthinkable way like so many other.

His emotions conflicted, one grateful for Lo Hak that he had been rescued from the darkened depths of a pit called hell, one envious, for the very same thing.

Emotions, were tiresome. Flexing his wings quickly before bringing them close again to stretch them, he glanced back at the pair and found they were just entering the doors, undoubtedly to join a party in progress somewhere.

Sighing at such a though he hunched down even lower to the roof and fell deep within his own thoughts, to a winter not so very long ago…

It was after the Dunan Unification War, how many years after, he couldn't care to remember. All he knew, was that she filled his world. They had met in some insignificant town that would be later wiped out by the aftermath of war. He had gotten into a bad bit of luck with a herd of wild animals in the surrounding areas, and had possessed no other option than to flee to the village for safety. Of course, no one ever really gave him a warm reception, his appearance was enough to wear out such a thing, and very quickly.

No one had even wanted to touch him, and as he lay there, his crumpled form in the town square, his eyes slipping shut and he remembered wondering if he was going to die there.

No such luck it seemed.

When he awoke, it was this time he was in a warm atmosphere. His body felt thick and heavy, his right eye was covered with bandages, and when he raised a hand to it, he found his entire body, really, had been covered in thick padded strips of linen. Had he really been that bad off? Perhaps the cold had waned away his pain, that and his adrenaline.

"Oh, you're awake." A soft voice commented, it was laced with a hint of fear, but despite that, the young woman came over, her footsteps soft and delicate against the wooden floorboards. He squinted with his left eye, trying to view the woman, who, to his annoyance, had come over on his right side, the side on which he was blind, and him being in such a fragile state, he was not able to shift to see her.

Pathetic.

"Don't try to move, you're in a very bad shape, and you might reopen the wounds!" She exclaimed as gentle, but firm hands steadied his shoulders. He tensed, and a scowl formed on his lips.

"Let go of me…" He snarled. "I don't need this ridiculous… smothering!" He fumbled for a word and found to his great embarrassment, he was unable to even push her hands away.

"Would you prefer I let the Grim Reaper carry you off like bread in a hand-basket?" The feminine voice asked in a sarcastic manner.

The idea of it all was so absurd, that he couldn't help but burst out laughing, something he regretted almost instantly as a fire shot through his chest, and yet he couldn't stop laughing, whether from the hysteria of his condition, or just because the statement had been just that ridiculous. Somehow, he opted for both.

When he had stopped laughing, tears crawled down his cheeks from the pain, and he settled onto the bed, noting the discomfort he felt in his wings, but not truly caring as the hands removed themselves from his shoulders.

"Your right eye… is ruined. I don't think you will ever be able to see out of it again." She explained softly while wringing out a towel of water.

"I don't care." He replied blithely. "I won't live much longer anyway, so whether I see fine or not is of no consequence." He declared blandly as he lifted his left hand and raised it to face the ceiling, staring through his fingers, his good eye narrowed slightly.

"You shouldn't say that." The calm voice replied and he blinked, he had expected either a 'Well that's good' or 'You shouldn't think that way!', the latter shrieked in a hysterical voice. But no, this… human, took it calmly and with grace.

"And why not?" He asked, tilting his head to try and get a proper look at her.

"Because then you'll be giving into the Grim Reaper. And there's nothing more he likes then that." She stated matter-of-fact and began to rinse his face with a soft white towel, that steadily grew more rust-colored red with every wipe.

"… Do you really believe in such a thing?" He whispered, feeling the warm atmosphere, and the comforting touch of her gesture lull him to sleep.

"Not really. But in times such as these, we must all believe in something, should we not? I do not believe in God, or if there is, he is truly cruel for the times we have had, and does not deserve to be worshipped. The Grim Reaper however," and here her voice took on a cruel tone. "is everywhere. He is in the eyes of those who lay as corpses on the ground, a sword or spear through their chest. He hovers over the villages, taking the lives of children because of famine, torture or raids. He lingers over those left behind, hoping for one of us to slit our throats in a suicidal killing." She whispered as the cloth was removed from his face, and the sounds of water began as she rinsed the towel.

"… Then how is the Grim Reaper any different from God…?" He whispered past numb lips. As the towel returned to wiped his cracked lips, the voice continued, in a much softer tone.

"Because I don't believe in God, to believe in him, is to hope. I have no hope, and therefore I believe in the Grim Reaper, because I must believe in him, because I believe in death."

"… You… are the most sensible human, I have ever met." Came a wheezy reply as he attempted to chuckle. "… And so, fair maiden… what is your name?"

"… Eleyna. Eleyna Nal." Was the quiet reply. "And you, winghorder?"

"Heh… Sid."

The season in which leaves turned dark and fell from the trees, came, and passed. And soon was followed by the season of snow. He remained in the village, much to the chagrin of the villagers and from day to day would torment the citizens, playfully of course. He would drop water on them, give them good scares during the day, and when night fell, he would fly off to a distant house on the outskirts of the village.

Eleyna lived alone, her father and brother had both died in the Dunan Unification war, and her mother two months later of a grieving heart. They had become… amiable. A relationship born of tough love, as they might say nowadays. As he spotted the candle in her windowsill, he angled his wings for a drop and swooped down towards her front porch, it was then to his grievance that she should open the door at that exact time causing him to barrel into her, and for the two of them to go flying into a pile of snow.

"Urhg! Sid!" Came the muffled yelp and he found himself bracing himself on his hands and knees, to find himself in an exceptionally incriminating position above her. Their eyes were level as his hands placed themselves on either side of her head, his knees straddled her hips and he found himself going unceremoniously red. Her golden curls splayed out over the virgin snow, and burned like fire in the light that spread out at them from the open door of the house. Her thin dress, colored a crimson red, much to his delight, seemed only to accent her curves and he found with amusement that her skin seemed to flush under these conditions as well.

"Sid… get off me…" She whispered, her emerald eyes narrowing with distaste. Pausing, the winghorder started to move to get up, before stopping, then returning to his previous position.

"No."

"No?" She asked incredulously. "Sid I order you to get off me!"

"I'm tired of denying it… when we both know…" He whispered leaning in a bit.

"Sid… don't-!" She protested, breaking off when his lips met hers in a soft kiss, what was a simple pressing of skin together, a chaste endearment, seemed so much more, and when he pulled away, both were breathless and hot in the faces.

"I… I never thought I would speak these words… least of all to… to…"

"To what…?" Eleyna demanded, trying to regain what dignity she could.

"To… a stubborn… arrogant… human female who can't even cook." He finished blandly and she gasped indignantly. About to burst into a round of protestation, Sid pulled one finger up to silence her lips and he smiled as he planted a kiss on the bridge of her nose.

"And for every flaw you have… I love you twice the more." He whispered, his lips moving down to press against hers again. For a moment she resisted, before hesitating, then finally relaxing, and submitting to his caress.

When he pulled back again, she gave an abashed mumble.

"I'm cold." With a chuckle, he picked her up, bridal style and flared his wings around them, encasing them both in a small cocoon of warmth.

"Alright." He said softly as he moved towards the house. "We'll continue this inside… though I guarantee, I don't think you'll notice the cold in a minute." Glaring at him, Eleyna scowled.

"Don't even think about it you perverted winghorde." She warned and he sighed.

"Can you blame me for trying?"

"Yes." And he burst out laughing as he kicked the door shut with his foot.

Morning light peeked through the window and for a moment Sid had to resist the urge to yank those curtains shut with a vicious growl. Sitting up, he shielded his eyes from the sunlight with his hand and glanced at the form next to him. A soft smile curved his lips, before he realized something.

It was the human holiday Christmas, today.

And he had forgotten.

Shit.

With sweat starting to bead on his forehead, he mulled over his problem intensely, he hadn't even realized the sun had risen a bit, or that Eleyna had awoken until she poked his shoulder and he yelped with a start.

"…Are you alright?" She demanded glancing at him suspiciously. He stared at her, before it dawned on him, and he suddenly grinned.

"Get dressed, warm clothes, but not heavy ones please." He requested of her as he began picking through the piles of cloth on the ground, trying to find his own garments. She blinked at him in confusion, but sighed and stepped off the bed to comply, trailing a bed sheet behind her as she did so.

"Now what?" She demanded, glancing around. A thick warm shawl was wrapped about her shoulders as puffs of cloudy air formed from her breath. Standing the porch, the cold had already started to sink in, and Sid grinned at her.

"This." He declared picking her up once again bridal style.

"Ah-! W-what?" She managed to squeak in surprise as she automatically wrapped her arms around his neck. "Sid-? W-what the-?"

"Hold on tight." He whispered to her and flared his wings.

"Oh dear lord…" She moaned and gave a shriek as he took off. Pumping his leathery wings to gain height, he quickly rose in the sky, feeling Eleyna shiver in his arms as he flew higher and higher. Tightening his hold on her, he watched the village become a distant speck, no bigger than the size of his hand before he deemed in right, and began to curve his wings to a level plain, and began to circle around in the sky, chuckling low and softly in his beloved's ear.

"You can open your eyes." He whispered.

"… don't wanna…" She mumbled, her grip on his neck threatening to tighten.

"Please, Eleyna?" He whispered and she stiffened, it had been the first time he had ever used the word 'please' with her.

"Oh… fine…" She conceded and cracked her eyes open, before they flew open of her own will. The ground was covered in the soft white blanket of snow for as far as the eye could see, the village was iced in it, and as morning rays bounced off their crystalline surfaces, it refracted into fiery lights of orange, yellow and gold.

"T-this is…" She whispered, breathless and Sid smiled.

"Merry Christmas, my love." He whispered kissing her cheek through her curtain of blonde curls.

"You…?" She managed aloud as she glanced back at him stunned.

"I…?" He repeated in a mocking fashion and she glared.

"I… thank you… Sid. Thank you, love." She whispered and hugged him tighter. "I am sorry… I have… nothing for you." She admitted with a flush and he smiled.

"Good, for one who has something, has something to lose. I need nothing else then you."

"Good, then that is all you will get." She teased and kissed him once.

They had settled down near an unexplored cave, both of them feeling a little more than a bit adventurous and daring. Sid, who had flown over this area so many times, had failed to notice this tiny, small cave, and since Eleyna had no recollection of it, together, they decided to explore it.

"I lied." Eleyna admitted as Sid fixed a torch for the dark walk into the cavern. Glancing up he blinked.

"Lied?" He repeated, confusion written across his face. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a single piece of cloth, and smiled.

"Here. I thought… you would look kind of… cute, with this on. Sort of like a pirate. Dashing and the like." She teased as she wrapped the band of black silk around his forehead, and covering his ruined eye. "And it's black, I would hate to ruin your image with a band of white cloth. You have such a stunning reputation." She deadpanned as she finished wrapping it around his face, blinking against the foreign feeling of something soft against his skin, he fingered the eye-patch gingerly and chuckled.

"Thank you?"

"Oh don't thank me. When we get home, I am going to chop off this mop of hair you have, since you no longer have the excuse of 'it hides my ruined eye!'." She said fingering a strand of pale dirty brown hair. He winced and sighed.

"I don't understand why you dislike my hair!"

"I dislike it because it has flees in it, I keep telling you if your hair were shorter…"

"But they're useful!" He protested. "What if I get stranded in the cold with no food?" He asked bearing a fang-filled grin to her shudder of disgust.

"In that case you're better of starving." She teased as he finally put a flint to the torch, in an explosion of fire, the cave seemed so much more bright.

"Haha, very funny." He deadpanned as he turned to the back of the cave. "Stay close, and watch your step." He warned as he started forward.

"You don't have to warn me you know." She declared easily as she followed him.

"Hm. Just thought I'd give you a heads-up." He commented as he glanced up at the stalactites that lined the cavern ceiling.

"How thoughtful." She declared sarcastically, but nonetheless enlaced her fingers into his own and kept close to his body.

They continued into the dark cave, it seemed to continuously head deeper and deeper into the bowels of the earth, and soon, even the torch couldn't keep back the shadows, which seemed to writhe with a life all their own.

"S-Sid? I think we should go back…" Eleyna finally spoke after an hour's worth of walking.

"W-why… scared?" Sid teased, his own voice cracking on the half attempted joke.

"Yes." She whispered and he tensed, it wasn't like her to admit something like that. But they got no more of a chance to argue as the ground suddenly leveled out, a single aperture in the ceiling hollowed out to allow light to filter into this dark cavern, and what it illuminated was something neither, given the chance, would have ever believed. A large and thick pillar of ivory stood 15 feet from the ground, with runic carvings and curves shaped into it's body. It stood in a circular pool of pure crimson liquid that frothed and bubbled, and approximately 5 feet from the end of the pool, was a golden ring etched into the floor. From the top of the pillar dribbled red liquid, as chains of pure platinum silver dangled overhead from the ceiling, directly over the pool.

"S-Sid… please, let's leave, that… it's, I'm just getting a bad feeling is all." Eleyna stammered out, and Sid hated to admit it, but he had to agree.

"Alright, let's get going-!"

Come…

A voice echoed off the cavern walls and shaking the floors. Catching Eleyna as she stumbled and dropping the torch in the process, Sid gaped wildly about.

"W-who are you? Show yourself!"

Return… to darkness…

"W-what are you talking about? Come out and show yourself!" Sid snarled as he drew his spear from his back, one hand holding Eleyna close to himself.

The shadows…

About to scream an insult, Sid held Eleyna a bit closer, when he heard it.

Growling, from all sides surrounding them, even behind. Whirling his spear with a panicked gesture, he pushed Eleyna to the floor as his spear rammed itself against the chest of a massive beast. It was large and black with silver metal haunches and claws. Teeth gleaming wetly in the darkness of the cavern, it easily matched Sid's size and tensed, ready for a pounce.

It looked like nothing he had ever seen before.

"S-Sid!" Ignoring the cry of terror, he brought the blade of his weapon across the creature's throat, and it vanished in a mist of darkened sand which dissolved into the air. Whirling, he caught another across the belly as it leapt at him by ducking, allowing it to soar overhead. As that too disappeared in a haze of dark sand, he promptly slashed another, before a fourth tackled him from behind, pinning him effectively to the ground.

"SID!" Eleyna screamed as she stumbled to her feet, running for him.

"G-get back! Eleyna, get back!" He snarled when the monster shifted one of it's paws to his arm. With a thick crack filling the air, he let out a barely strangled scream of agony as the creature rested on his broken arm.

"Get off him!" Eleyna screamed picking up Sid's spear and swinging it at the monster.

I have no use for you.

The chains which dangled above the pool danced into life, before immediately they lifted themselves, their jagged ends almost acting like heads, instantly they flew straight for the two mortals in the cavern, and as the dark beasts vanished, three chains, only three, shot through the damp air, and buried themselves in Eleyna's chest.

"N-no! ELEYNA!" Sid snarled moving forward, as the chains pulled themselves from her body, his eyes widened as he saw her crumple, saw her body fall to the earth, and widen further when the chains aimed for him.

With a strangled cry he skidded to a stop and threw up his good arm, immediately one chain buried itself deep within his skin, and he released a guttural cry of primal torment. As the other chain flew at his head, he barely managed to dodge his face out of the way in time, it instead clipped the side of his hair, and the side of the cloth, cutting away the dark fabric to let it flutter against the ground. The others wrapped themselves around his limbs, hoisting him into the air as they wound themselves around his wings.

"Get… OFF!" He screamed struggling against the chains.

Come… to the darkness of the shadows.

"I DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOUR STUPID SHADOWS! LET GO OF ME!" He screamed in defiance, before the chains whipped him forward, and plunged him into the depths of the crimson liquid. Loosing a single cry, a force slammed into his gut, forcing the air from his lungs, his breath left him, and he was forced to swallow the vile liquid of life, choking, his lungs protested and he gagged, his body shuddering as something similar to a burning poker was dragged across his forehead.

And as the waves of pain mounted in his body, they could not compare to the sudden flare of mind breaking spasm of torture in his right eye.

'S-somebody… oh God, help me please!' Sid whimpered, the pain that intense as he writhed uselessly against the chains that held him underwater. And as the darkness enclosed in on him, he had a feeling, that he would never be alone again… not matter how much he wanted to be.

You will be a satisfying vessel… a slave to the blood altar.

'F-fuck you… I am no one's slave…'

A slave to the blood altar… a vessel, of True Shadow.

When he next opened his eyes, his mind could not stand to comprehend what he saw.

"E-Eleyna?" He coughed, true to his vision, there she was. Bent over him, his head resting in her lap as she stroked his hair.

"Sid…" She whispered, voice aching with relief.

"I… I had this… nightmare." He whispered, his voice cracked, his throat raw from screaming, and as tears trickled from his good eye, he let it slip shut. "That… that you had died… and this… thing attacked me… oh god… the pain…" He moaned anew. "What's happening…? Eleyna… tell me please… will you tell me?"

"Y-yes… perhaps, but not now…" She mumbled, her voice trembling as she stroked his hair.

"It was… frightening… tell me it was a dream…"

"Oh Sid…" Eleyna whispered. "It… was no dream… the nightmare is real… I love you Sid, I love you so much…" She whispered, tears blurring her vision. Opening his eyes, Sid blinked at her.

"Eleyna…?"

Disgusting. The voice forced it's way into his thoughts and he froze. Kill her.

"N-no…" He whimpered and Eleyna cried even harder. It was now that he saw what his dazed vision had not let him, she was not there purely of choice, chains, while it lay all around his body, had chained her legs to the floor. Trapped.

Kill her, now.

"No, oh God no!" He cried as his hand reached for the spear, that the chains dragged within reach.

"Sid… I love you, I love you so much, please…"

As his body stood, he could do nothing but watch in terror as his hand raised his weapon.

KILL HER!

"ELEYNA!"

As he stumbled into the moonlight of the surface, he fell to his knees, cradling the fallen form of Eleyna to his chest, the black ruined cloth clutched in one hand, his spear, in the other. The tears had long dried, but the memories would remain. Whispering soft words of endearment in her ear, words that she could not hear any longer, he rocked back and forth, desperately in need of some sanity in this insane world.

You are mine…

'Shut up!' Sid thought as he gritted his teeth.

Fall… to me…

"I said shut up, I want nothing to do with you!"

You're will is weak, you will fall to my power…

"That… is where you are wrong. Eleyna… it has come to late for you…" Sid whispered, brushing aside one strand of her hair. "But I will not let it happen to anyone else… when I kill, let it be me that holds the blade, let me be the judge of who is to receive this judgment… you were right Eleyna… there is no God. Only the Grim Reaper. Let me… be his blade of death… and not this accursed… thing." He hissed.

You would deny me? Yourself? The ecstasy of blood-shed?

"Yeah. Suffer." He hissed as he stood. Picking up her body, he flew to the village.

Leaving her fallen form in the arms of the villagers who screamed at him, a demon, he ignored their cries and flew to the outskirts, to their home. He knew his appearance now. His ruined eye had been turned silver, a strange marking on his forehead, a symbol of sorts marred the skin, his wings were thicker, far more leathery then they had been before, and his hands, were talons, claws.

What had that altar done to him? Standing at the porch, he made a decision.

Sid, would die. Die with Eleyna. And so, granting her last wish, he took the dulled blade of his spear, and began to cut.

Soon enough, he was done and a pile of pale brown hair lay at his clawed feet. Wrapping the silken coverings around his face once more, he silently tossed the spear into the house, and with use of his flint, set the building afire.

What should his new name be?

Of course, he had wanted to take the name Sid Nal. After Eleyna, for her, he would have lived in a maternal household.

But she was gone.

And so was Sid.

Sid Nal eh…?

Sidnal…

How about…

Landis.

With a sigh he looked up at the sky once more, reveling in the clear night, and the cold that seemed to wash away his deep seeded hatred. Rustling beneath him told him that he had drifted off into his thoughts, and in the mean time, a couple had instigated themselves in the stables below. With a sigh, he stretched his wings, frowning at the cramps that shot through his body. Grabbing the bucket which lay at his feet, he peered over the edge, and smirked, before emptying the contents of dead fish, water and goop over the couple and taking off into the night cackling to the enraged screams of surprise and anger of the said couple.

And as he gazed out over the pristine waters of Budehuc castle, he saw the castle, illuminated from the inside, and covered in a blanket of softness. The moonlight refracted off the crystals into silvery streaks and a small smile curved his lips.

'Can you see what I see, Eleyna?'

"Merry Christmas, my love." He whispered.

Disclaimer: Sadness for Landis. :( I own the plot and Eleyna, everything else is sole property of Konami, I write with the sole intent of entertaining.

Author's notes: If you didn't get it, Sidnal, turned backwards, is Landis.
S-I-D-N-A-L
L-A-N-D-I-S
Basically this is based off of Suikoden RPG oh LJ, so if you're in there, you should understand the Lo Hak/Jess reference, totally ignoring those guys are from different Suikodens all together. XD;;
This is basically the summary of how Landis came to be, and no I don't know if Landis and Sid are the same person for sure, but they're both winghordes, look similar, and according to respective investigators of the game, they acted the same.
For the record any knowledge I have of Sid is speculation, I have never actually played Suikoden 2, only 3, 4 and tactics.
The True Shadow Rune was, although one I had been contemplating (along with True Death, True Destruction, True Chaos, etc…) probably the best one I liked, and was further solidified when I saw what another author did with Landis. I can't remember her alias, but I guess some credit is due towards her.
For more reference, you might want to look at my other semi-related story, The destiny of True Water. Both stories were designed to stand on their own.

Here's my Christmas special, happy holidays guys. :)