I LIVE! Once again, after a long silence, I coming bearing a one-shot about my favorite character, this time 1 of Shane Acker's short piece of art 9. This was written a while before the film was released, in response to the "Extended Winged Beast" clip.
9 is © to Shane Acker.
---
Coward
---
1 paused in his tracks to watch his kingdom burn. Its once-sturdy framework shuddered, the walls that once protected them all from the outside world now fell into cinder and dust. Flames rose high into the night, emanating a stark red glow. There would barely be an ashen skeleton remaining come sunrise.
His feelings were so muddled, he could not yet feel afraid. Instead, there was a pervading sense of guilt building within him. He had not fulfilled his duty to the others as their guardian. When they had needed his leadership the most, he'd been incapable of it. Because...
He had been fearful.
When the beast had struck, he hadn't had a plan to stop it. He could only quake in fear, as far from danger as he could get himself. He didn't want to die...it was all he'd been able to think of at that moment. Had it not been for the arrogant newcomer, he probably wouldn't have even succeeded in that. The thought only brought on a fresh wave of bitterness and dislike of the boy.
Absentmindedly, a hand curled around the spot where the knot of his cape once was. It had been his mantle of authority. Gone now, he remembered as his fingers grasped at nothingness. It too would burn with the ruins.
So there it was. His proud home and symbol of power, both emblems of his leadership, were up in flames. The group was lost now, aimless and purposeless. Well, perhaps not completely...as he staggered behind in shame, the new one took the lead, going Creator knew where. The fool. So naive and filled with notions of heroism. He'd get himself killed like that.
But despite himself, the old leader felt envy for him. The other was young and full of opportunity. And the others received that well. With this in his thoughts, 1 let his shoulders sag even lower in momentary surrender. All guilt was buried under regret.
Because 9 was right.
He was a coward.