Shadow of the Colossus

Chapter 3 – Question

Markus remained in the back of the temple for weeks. Only a junior officer ever saw his face and what he was become, but he kept his mouth sealed. No word from Douglass and the others made him worry even more. He was a secluded freak that would never be able to lead his group of men again without making them run in fear.

Markus stood from the pool and saw the officer walking towards him. "Report."

The soldier quickly saluted and pulled out a document. "We have word from the north. Saul is heading this direction with orders from General Douglass. He wants you to join up with him and move to the main Magi cell." Markus quickly rushed out of the pool and grabbed the document. He grabbed his cloak and sword from the all. He tried to put his hood on, but his horns still stuck out.

"Why don't you just show yourself, sir?" The soldier saw Markus trying to place the hood on properly without his horns showing. "The men, they worry about your condition and how you are. They want to know what has become of their master. They want to.." Markus cut him short with a swift hand over the man's face. "You don't understand, you soldiers will never understand what this means." Markus shook him loose and placed his hands on his head.

"I'm sorry, it's just that…I've been raised knowing this day will come." Markus sunk down on the ground removing his hood and shook his head in dismay. How could this be true. The demon blood runs in me as well as my siblings." Markus looked at the pool and remembered the darkness surrounding him and swallowing him.

"What demons? What do you speak of?" Markus rubbed the hair on his chin and stood up walking towards the main hallway. He passed a guard and felt the shock in the soldier's gasp. Markus sighed and felt the Jr. officer's presence still near. You have to understand, that the men of my origin are demons that will bring destruction to this world." Markus rubbed his horns passing other soldiers. The soldiers stared on and followed behind him.

" 'Death is your calling.' That's what my father you used to tell me when I was little. I didn't care what he said though, I just wanted to fight and fight for my own reasons, not for the state or the alliance." Markus stopped his words and quickly drew his sword pointing it at a soldier to the side of him. "And they call me a rebel. You want to run away from this army and do you own things don't you, Markus?

Saul had his back laid on the wall and pulled down his hood revealing the same set of horns, but different. They were formed in the shape of a goats and pointing to the wall behind him. He turned towards Markus seeing his shocked face. Saul stood the same height and build as him, but his skin was brown as dirt and his eyes were black as night. Markus nearly dropped his sword seeing Saul stand before him, but he kept his compsure in front of his men.

"So you are Saul?" Saul nodded and stepped off the wall grabbed a long pole from behind him. He was a young man like Markus, but his face as scarred with mulitple wounds from swords and magic. "Yes, and I have orders from our masters. They wish to launch a major offensive campaign on the Magi before the winter comes." Markus looked around and saw Saul, but not of his company.

"Where are your soldiers?" Saul shook his head and turned around. "I'm the only one that survived the campaign launched last week. Don't worry, I'm more effective that most soldiers you have every met." Markus saw the pole, but a small razer of steel sprouted out on the lower ened side. "A sycthe? That's the weapon you use?" A soldier behind Markus spoke those words loud enough that Saul could hear them.

Saul turned around slowly showing his darkened fast amonst the white ones and smiled. Markus could see the fangs dropping down beside his lips. "Why yes."

The night came quickly and the men readied for their major campaign, but some stood behind to talk to their leader. Markus smiled and waved them goodnight seeing that they took well to the horns and his odd behavior pretty well. Markus waved them all goodnight and walked back into the temple. "You seem to have some good friends in this army. I wonder if you are reallly the demon from before." Saul appeared from the darkness and looked at Markus and his cloak.

"Soldier's cloak too, you must be good." Markus couldn't help but feel resenment from Saul. "What do you want, Saul?" Saul shrugged and smiled. "Nothing that I can't obtain myself, that's for sure, but to be really honest." Saul pointed his pole at Markus. "I want to kill just like you." Markus smiled back and shook his head. "You're nothing than a brute, I have you too much credit." Markus turned his back to Saul and started to walk away. Saul placed his pole on his shoulder and shook his head too. "And you're too soft to lead a army of men into that hell."

Markus turned and started to draw his sword. "What did you say?" Markus saw Saul's smile turn into a smirk. "You are too weak to lead any men in there. Without proper guidance and orders from their higher ups, they will all die tomorrow." Markus walked back to Saul and stopped in front of him. "What makes you think that? You've never seen me battle nor do you know who I am!" Saul leaned forward and laughed in Markus's face.

"It wouldn't matter if I saw you kill five thousand men, you never embrace the darkness in your heart like our master's do. You only kill with limited energy and strength, you are afraid of something, aren't you?" Markus grabbed Saul's collar and inched closer. Saul smiled and leaned his head downwards. "You're worried about your humanity and who you are. You want to return home a human and a hero, you would probably cut off your own horns to look like one of those fools!"

Saul shoved Markus away and dropped his pole. "I too were like you but I threw away that soft side. I killed because that's all I knew, you are the same way! You can not deny that fact!" Markus looked at Saul and gripped his sword drawing it. "I want you to leave my sight now or I will strike you down." Saul stood his ground and balled his fist. "You will never understand until you fight. My words will make perfect sense then, the words will make perfect sense then." Markus shook his head and turned around walking away from Saul. "You will never understand, Saul. You will not understand what kind of life I've lead."

Saul grabbed his pole and laughed to himself. "You don't understand, I was there with you while you lived your life." Markus stopped after hearing those words and turned around quickly. Saul disappeared into the night leaving Markus to himself. "What did he mean?"