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Death Side- Chapter Four
A lackey youth in a wealthy green cloak signed. In his hand he held a sharp lance. ~Raids...~ he signed again and wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand. Around him were wailing babes, bleeding mothers, and dead men just like him. He fought to keep a steady face. Why had has father pushed him into this!? Why did he have to be a solider?
He didn't understand killing and glory-those two didn't belong together.
"I don't understand..." The youth straightened up as he recognized the Sergeant's voice without turning. He was obviously speaking to another.
"As I," said a Corporal. "The raiders-we found them all dead right outside the village. Sergeant Jon," said Corporal Nadir in a lower, hushed voice, "the talismans spoke of Death Magic. There is not a scratch on those thieves. They look as if they screamed to death."
A silence followed this, a chance for the words to sink in and take on the full meaning. The eavesdropping youth shuddered involuntarily and put his hand in his pocket to touch a green stone he found a few days ago which oddly gave him comfort.
"We move out in the next hour," ordered the Sergeant in his imperious voice that no one dared to contradict. "Take the living and wounded-leave the dead. If anyone questions, tell them the raiders are coming to finish their jobs with reinforcements. We have only seven knights and twenty or so soldiers."
"Yessir!"
Soon the youth was given orders. "Amir!" The youth now identified as Amir turned to his friend Mikael. "Amir, Officer Heldin says we have orders to clear this place out."
~~~
The place looks like an infirmary. Half of the villagers are slowly dying (mentally or physically) or already dead. Sometimes I hate my father for putting me through this. I'd rather be a scholar then a solider.
I pick up and help a young girl walk. I realize she's about my age or the age of my sister. The stench and reek of death, blood and decay around her is so strong that I almost think she is dead but her legs are barely moving and she's clutching a yellow stone that strangely reminds me of the green one I found. The only thing that stops me from throwing up is that I've nothing to throw up.
She gasps-is she dying? Maybe she crying under that long red hair. It's a miracle she wasn't taken by the raiders. In all likelihood all her friends were. I haven't spotted one young woman. Pity is the weakest word to describe what I feel, I believe it's sorrow.
All her friends were probably killed by this Death Magic-whatever that is- along with the raiders.
The redhead abruptly stops gasping and she moves as if she's a puppet; her steps shuffle. Oddly the stone she holds doesn't seem so bright and yellow as it was a moment ago. It almost seems tainted.
Perhaps it's just a trick of light.
The girl's eyes seem glazed, her face too white-but she is still moving. Did she lose her mind?
I give the girl to Mikael as I see a child in need of help. The boy was looking for his mother, he said he just saw her and wouldn't even stop crying for a breath. Knowing how little children like shiny things, I showed him the green stone. With big eyes he stares.
His mother suddenly comes up behind him scolding him, telling him not to wander. Relief floods though me, his mother is alive. I put the rock in my pocket.
Afterward, as I turned back I see something very odd. The girl doesn't have blood dripping or any visible wound but there is a dark patch on her back. A feeling of forlorn crawls up my spine.
Instinctively, I touch my green gem in my pocket and to my surprise it's very hot however, it doesn't burn me but gives me a feeling of comfort and power.
I must be going crazy. No, I'm already crazy.
Because the next that happens confirms this thought. The girl's skin is blistering and tearing; underneath is evil darkness that's confined to her body. Can no one see this?
I look around. The villagers just look miserable, indifferent. My mind whirls and flashes: that girl was dead! By touching the green stone I had freed myself of illusion. I remember hearing of such things; people being possessed by Death's Darkness-I had thought them fine tales at the time!
I touch the magic gem once more; "I must kill this evil." The order is loud in my head. I take my weapon and slew her. Everyone is shocked but then the spell releases them. Pit black darkness soils her body, gushing out. Without a visible start I realize my spear glows green.
She turns around as if there isn't a weapon through her body and speaks with a raspy voice like nails on a chalk-broad, "I will finish you off later, Dragoon." My answer is piercing her again with the javelin. But "Dragoon" resounds in my head.
I fall, exhausted. But she falls first. I never notice the darkness that leaves the girl's body. As it leaves it takes the tainted stone, carrying it as one would an injured arm.
Everyone stares and for a fleeting moment I am scared of myself. ~Amir, now you know what Death Magic is~ says the sarcastic scholarly voice in my head.
I instead say gruffly with an edge of sarcasm: "And to think that's the first time I slayed a monster. . ."
An old man laughs in the background.
Ayaz woke, red eyes flashing. That dream...
~These dreams!-first a mysterious young woman and a bird with a Wingly, next a thief and then a solider.~
The subject of dreams perturbed him. ~Dragoon--?~ he thought, remembering his dream. Not having Lloyd here now to answer his questions he changed his train of thought.
Was this a good idea? He had asked his father, the king for permission of leave. To leave the Winglys domain, Mayfil. Ayaz had seen that glint in his father's eye when he told him-What did it mean? Did his father care for him?
~Care!?~ spat one side of his mind. ~Wishful thinking!~
~Perhaps...~
"Dreams?" asked Lloyd.
Ayaz signed. "Yes, the usual."
The ghost of Lloyd looks down. "Ayaz we must go tonight. Get ready."
"Why?" he asked.
"Because your father was just killed. And your next."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Muslima: Did you like?
Zakyu: Bike?
Muslima: LIKE!
Zakyu: I'm not Mike.
.....U__U.... Disturbed child.
Death Side- Chapter Four
A lackey youth in a wealthy green cloak signed. In his hand he held a sharp lance. ~Raids...~ he signed again and wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand. Around him were wailing babes, bleeding mothers, and dead men just like him. He fought to keep a steady face. Why had has father pushed him into this!? Why did he have to be a solider?
He didn't understand killing and glory-those two didn't belong together.
"I don't understand..." The youth straightened up as he recognized the Sergeant's voice without turning. He was obviously speaking to another.
"As I," said a Corporal. "The raiders-we found them all dead right outside the village. Sergeant Jon," said Corporal Nadir in a lower, hushed voice, "the talismans spoke of Death Magic. There is not a scratch on those thieves. They look as if they screamed to death."
A silence followed this, a chance for the words to sink in and take on the full meaning. The eavesdropping youth shuddered involuntarily and put his hand in his pocket to touch a green stone he found a few days ago which oddly gave him comfort.
"We move out in the next hour," ordered the Sergeant in his imperious voice that no one dared to contradict. "Take the living and wounded-leave the dead. If anyone questions, tell them the raiders are coming to finish their jobs with reinforcements. We have only seven knights and twenty or so soldiers."
"Yessir!"
Soon the youth was given orders. "Amir!" The youth now identified as Amir turned to his friend Mikael. "Amir, Officer Heldin says we have orders to clear this place out."
~~~
The place looks like an infirmary. Half of the villagers are slowly dying (mentally or physically) or already dead. Sometimes I hate my father for putting me through this. I'd rather be a scholar then a solider.
I pick up and help a young girl walk. I realize she's about my age or the age of my sister. The stench and reek of death, blood and decay around her is so strong that I almost think she is dead but her legs are barely moving and she's clutching a yellow stone that strangely reminds me of the green one I found. The only thing that stops me from throwing up is that I've nothing to throw up.
She gasps-is she dying? Maybe she crying under that long red hair. It's a miracle she wasn't taken by the raiders. In all likelihood all her friends were. I haven't spotted one young woman. Pity is the weakest word to describe what I feel, I believe it's sorrow.
All her friends were probably killed by this Death Magic-whatever that is- along with the raiders.
The redhead abruptly stops gasping and she moves as if she's a puppet; her steps shuffle. Oddly the stone she holds doesn't seem so bright and yellow as it was a moment ago. It almost seems tainted.
Perhaps it's just a trick of light.
The girl's eyes seem glazed, her face too white-but she is still moving. Did she lose her mind?
I give the girl to Mikael as I see a child in need of help. The boy was looking for his mother, he said he just saw her and wouldn't even stop crying for a breath. Knowing how little children like shiny things, I showed him the green stone. With big eyes he stares.
His mother suddenly comes up behind him scolding him, telling him not to wander. Relief floods though me, his mother is alive. I put the rock in my pocket.
Afterward, as I turned back I see something very odd. The girl doesn't have blood dripping or any visible wound but there is a dark patch on her back. A feeling of forlorn crawls up my spine.
Instinctively, I touch my green gem in my pocket and to my surprise it's very hot however, it doesn't burn me but gives me a feeling of comfort and power.
I must be going crazy. No, I'm already crazy.
Because the next that happens confirms this thought. The girl's skin is blistering and tearing; underneath is evil darkness that's confined to her body. Can no one see this?
I look around. The villagers just look miserable, indifferent. My mind whirls and flashes: that girl was dead! By touching the green stone I had freed myself of illusion. I remember hearing of such things; people being possessed by Death's Darkness-I had thought them fine tales at the time!
I touch the magic gem once more; "I must kill this evil." The order is loud in my head. I take my weapon and slew her. Everyone is shocked but then the spell releases them. Pit black darkness soils her body, gushing out. Without a visible start I realize my spear glows green.
She turns around as if there isn't a weapon through her body and speaks with a raspy voice like nails on a chalk-broad, "I will finish you off later, Dragoon." My answer is piercing her again with the javelin. But "Dragoon" resounds in my head.
I fall, exhausted. But she falls first. I never notice the darkness that leaves the girl's body. As it leaves it takes the tainted stone, carrying it as one would an injured arm.
Everyone stares and for a fleeting moment I am scared of myself. ~Amir, now you know what Death Magic is~ says the sarcastic scholarly voice in my head.
I instead say gruffly with an edge of sarcasm: "And to think that's the first time I slayed a monster. . ."
An old man laughs in the background.
Ayaz woke, red eyes flashing. That dream...
~These dreams!-first a mysterious young woman and a bird with a Wingly, next a thief and then a solider.~
The subject of dreams perturbed him. ~Dragoon--?~ he thought, remembering his dream. Not having Lloyd here now to answer his questions he changed his train of thought.
Was this a good idea? He had asked his father, the king for permission of leave. To leave the Winglys domain, Mayfil. Ayaz had seen that glint in his father's eye when he told him-What did it mean? Did his father care for him?
~Care!?~ spat one side of his mind. ~Wishful thinking!~
~Perhaps...~
"Dreams?" asked Lloyd.
Ayaz signed. "Yes, the usual."
The ghost of Lloyd looks down. "Ayaz we must go tonight. Get ready."
"Why?" he asked.
"Because your father was just killed. And your next."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Muslima: Did you like?
Zakyu: Bike?
Muslima: LIKE!
Zakyu: I'm not Mike.
.....U__U.... Disturbed child.
