Parietinae Umbra

Just a little something I wrote a while back.

Prologue

 

In the olden times the world was ruled by that of animal law. The world was a wild planet where every animal did the purpose it was born for. There was no intelligent thinking, no names for anything and, above all; no fire. Then something changed.

 

 

Deep below under the soil of the planet were colossal caverns, adjacent to the mantel of the planet. It was there, in the red light of the magma that the first beings raised from the rock. Ten beings; they were known as ‘The Originals’; they had no names.

 

For a time all ten lived together in those caverns in peace. They rarely saw one another as each of them wandered on their own path; when two would meet they would move on without a backward glance. None could communicate with each other.

 

After a time, four small glimmers appeared at different points of the caverns, and a mighty voice rang out, audible for all to hear: “My friends; collect a Soul while you have a chance, and be chosen. Only four shall survive to become warriors.”

 

Upon hearing that voice each of those beings discovered the ability to think for themselves and with that; their own individual powers. The battles between the ten Originals for a Soul were beyond any of which occur to this day. For a time they fought endlessly, until one by one; they began to fall, their powers absorbed by the magma around them. Eventually; only four were left standing: each having acquired a Soul.

 

When the battles had ceased the mighty voice spoke again; “My four warriors. You each fought for a Soul and having acquired one you now are the ancient ones of this planet. You are the chosen ones.”

 

These Souls further intensified the powers of the remaining four and gave them names.

Clades Candor; the first of the Undead to walk amok.

Parietinae Umbra; who resided in the shadows, always hidden.

Permagnus Pistrix; the curse giver.

Avis Praeda; who moves all without effort.

 

Having been given their tasks; they ascended to the surface. With the power of lords; they challenged the animal way of life.

 

Avis Praeda shifted the natural way of the planet and wove great weather storms; to peel apart the animal’s defences.

 

Parietinae Umbra hid where no animal looked; and stuck silently, crushing even the strongest hide.

 

Clades Candor gave life to all corpses; unleashing a maelstrom of undead animals and disease.

 

Permangnus Pistrix cursed all who opposed it; leaving bodies of stone to wither away on the planet.

 

And Smough the Flameless; a dragon; betrayed his way of life and ended the battles, handing victory to the mighty voice.

 

The voice sounded once more; “You have done well my children. Now; hunt down all offenders and claim this planet as yours!”

 

The four went their separate ways; after establishing a vow that should anyone threaten their rule they would crush that offender together as siblings. Smough flew away on his own mission of trying to gain the gift of fire.

 

The four ruled in earnest together. They reverted to the old ways of living while ruling; they didn’t communicate when they saw each other. However when someone threatened their rule; they came together and obliterated that offender.

 

They ruled in peace for aeons as immortals. In time, they became known as: The Four Kings.

 

But then; a fifth immortal challenged them.

 

This immortal was the eleventh Original; a pygmy of a being. It went unnoticed during the battles for the Souls and managed to claim a fifth; hidden Soul. Its name was Harena Tigris; the flame weaver.

 

Harena Tigris stayed below the surface in the caverns out of fear of the Four Kings. But some time after the war on the surface; Smough came to those caverns in search of gaining fire. Since Harena Tigris gained a Soul, they were able to communicate. Smough had explained the occurences of the last few aeons and told it the weaknesses of the Four Kings; in return Harena Tigris granted Smough fire to his lungs.

 

Harena Tigris ascended to the surface and ambushed Avis Praeda. Avis Praeda fought with all its might but not even its Movement Control shift the fierce flames that were brought fort by Harena Tigris. Defeated, Avis Preada became a wisp in the wind; still alive but less than nothing.

 

Harena Tigris didn’t achieve such victories against the remaining three kings.

 

Parietinae Umbra was confronted; however the fight didn’t go to Harena Tigris’ favour as much as the last one. Using its gift of being a Shadow Blender, Parietinae Umbra managed to escape and seek out the other two kings before Harena Tigris found them.

 

The three of them waited at the single landmark of their domain; The Ruins of Sacrifice.

 

Harena Tigris approached the three. Avis Praeda was also present at the ruins, in a way, as well as Smough.

 

Harena Tigris initiated the battle. It wove great fire storms that engulfed the three kings. Smough betrayed those who he once fought with and added his blazing fury to the maelstrom of fire.

 

Parietinae Umbra extended his gift to the other kings and hid them from the flames. The fight had begun.

 

After many days of raw fighting there was a lapse. Parietinae Umbra engaged Harena Tigris solely; giving Clades Candor a chance to subdue Smough. Smough received the ultimate punishment from

Permangnus Pistrix by becoming a Cursed One and turning to stone. Clades Candor smashed the towering dragon corpse.

 

Smough lived on for dragons were immortal; but he would never fly the skies again. His gift of fire had also been extinguished.

 

Smough released a multitude of power into the air; which Clades Candor tapped into and restored Avis Praeda to its former glory.

 

The Four Kings attacked Harena Tigris all together as family. It didn’t stand a chance. The Four subdued it. As Harena Tigris was also an immortal; Permangnus Pistrix Cursed it.

 

As Harena Tigris turned to stone, it cried towards the sky in a wordless shriek; it’s first and last sound to be heard.

 Harena Tigris’ statue is still in the same spot to this day.

 

The Four Kings were weakened from the battle. The mighty voice rang through their minds once more; “You have outstayed your rule and thwarted your executioner. You will all pay dearly for this. You are no warriors of mine!”

 

The voice never sounded again.

 

The threat didn’t faze the Four. They ruled on in earnest for several more aeons and changed their ways. They built a single place of resting and ruled from there.

 

Over time the Four realized that the mighty voice was a higher and stronger deity than them. They were the voice’s creations and they had done the bidding of the voice. Now that the voice had left them, they reasoned it was up to them to continue the movement and evolution of the planet.

 

They chose a random animal and through combining their gifts; they created a new animal; an animal with intelligent thought.

 

They called it; a human. They also dubbed the planet; the Earth.

 

Working over several centuries, the Four Kings were finally ready. They had created many humans. The humans had divided themselves up into groups and each group worshiped a different King. The Four had not expected this but they were pleased at the result as it showed them humans were capable of continuing on in life by themselves.

 

 

Each of the Four Kings gave their corresponding worshipers a gift of power before departing.

 

Permangnus Pistrix gave its followers the gift of being able to curse others and to absolve others of both; sins and curses.

 

Clades Candor gave its worshipers the teachings of raising an undead corpse, and also that of binding a soul to suffering.

 

Parietinae Umbra gifted its devotees with the ability of agility; and that of being about to fade into shadow at will.

 

Avis Praeda blessed its adherents with the power to move objects by use of the mind, and to manipulate the weather.

 

What the Four Kings didn’t intend to do was give them pure energy that transformed each and every follower beyond what was ever thought to happen. The power was that of the Originals and was never intended for lesser beings. The Four Kings were better rulers than any and their time to depart had come.

 

Permangnus Pistrix left everyone else and travelled far to where the stones feel not even the wind or rain. It lay down to rest and turned to stone, peacefully.

 

Parietinae Umbra slipped away quietly into the shadows. It faded to darkness where no light shines and has since been worshipped as the Sun-Killer in that region.

 

Avis Praeda was wipped away into the wind and has been thought to be in control of the weather. Clerics often prayed to it for good, safe weather and made sacrifices to it when the weather was bad.

 

Clades Candor descended back down to the caverns where the craters created in the Battle for Souls still smoked from the raw strength of the Originals even after all that time. Clades Candor let itself be absorbed by the ever moving magma.

 

The Four Kings were at rest but were still aware of the Earth’s activities. Every now and again one King would be sighted but it was rare. Only twice in history did all Four rise from their rest; to repel attacks from the new form of Smough and a new challenger known as Praesidium Vigilo, that of Iron Flesh. The Four believed that Praesidium Vigilo was an Original from a different planet and was sent to Earth by the mighty voice.

 

The humans struggle on in their new form with their powers. Though there is no bad blood between the Four Kings; worshippers of different Kings sometimes attack one another.

 

The Four Kings are still present on Earth and at rest. No one knows their locations and the story is forgotten to most. The only ones who remember are those who were there when the gifts were bestowed for the power of the Originals made them immortal. They are known as the Sworn Ones.

 

At present day there are cults under each King’s name. They are taught the true story as to life and even shown what happened by those who are born with powers. The offspring of the Sworn Ones are born with powers and their offspring also.

 

That is the story of life. 

 

*********

I stared out the window at the approaching helicopter. It was drifting towards the house swiftly from the south-east. It was dusk. The sun, reluctantly setting, turned the sky a hazy orange as if to tribute the passing of another day. Darkness was folding in on the world. I sighed, and departed from my room to prepare to greet my guests. As I walked down the hall towards the kitchen, I felt a purge of sadness. Looking around, I realised how many good memories that originated from this house. I was where I grew up and lived with everyone. I'm the last one: the last to be buried

 

Once outside and on the roof, I could feel the downdraft from the rotors, even though the helicopter was quite far away. I sat down and started sharpening Narc. I haven’t used him for years now and the blades are slightly dulled. The rhythmic scraping sound of stone on metal calmed me. I didn’t even know why I was nervous; it’s not like I’ve never had a challenge fight before. Maybe it’s the history of my challenger, perhaps it’s the skill which she has, or even the fact that she took down the entire cult from challenge fights with each member. Maybe it’s because I’m the last one.

 

The helicopter was right above me. I was deafened with noise and blinded with thrown air. I rose from my work and as I did so a laser dot appeared on my front. Squinting past the wind, I made out two figures and a pilot aboard the vessel. One of those figures hoisted a rifle. He leaped from the helicopter and landed squarely on the roof beside me. He stumbled and nearly slid off the side but regained his footing, hastily pointing the rifle at me again.

 

The pilot spoke, “Stay there while we survey.”

 

In response I waved cheerfully; best to appear somewhat sane. It was custom for the challenged to organise the fighting grounds but the challenger would check the surrounding area and the arena for traps. If a trap is found the challenged is killed automatically. Only four people were convicted of this offence before: the most desperate. They were afraid. But they were the newest members. No one could really blame them. We’d have probably done the same in their positions.

 

The helicopter paid a lot of attention to the grass area to the east of the property but found nothing. As the pilot found nothing near the house or the concrete square at the back, which would serve as the fighting grounds. Of course he found nothing, I wasn’t going to jeopardise my only chance of survival by getting caught laying traps. I’ll fight fairly, and hopefully walk away. If one person gets the better of the other, that person has the choice to kill or leave them alive. Most let them live unless there is blood history. She was an exception.

 

The pilot hovered about the fighting ground having completed his sweep. The man watching me jumped down and grabbed a rope ladder which dropped down from the passenger bay. While he was climbing, my challenger somersaulted out the helicopter. Landing on her feet, she flourished her weapons, two blades which were bent back to resemble that of some sort of claw. They were purple blades. This worried me for some reason.

 

She spun to face me, her hair whipping around sharply. She was wearing the ‘old school’ fighting dress which was mainly a string jacket, baggy trousers and a belt. Her hair was down past her shoulders, brown curtains hid her eyes in that second which she stared at me. She sheathed her blades on a back sheath and brushed her hair out of her eyes. I preferred when they were hidden. The intensity of her gaze, the pure authority which emitted from those two orbs was stunning. To be captured in that gaze, was the same as being caught in a vice-grip. A burning vice-grip.

 

She took in my features and pose. Her eyes lingered on Narc for a second; a worried look flit across her features and then it was gone. She then looked me up and down with a disgusted look on her face.

“You’re going to fight wearing that?” She gestured towards my custom jeans and hoodie.

“What’s wrong with it?” I retorted.

“Its not tradition!”

“Neither is killing every single opponent you challenge.”

Her face blanched, “I did what I had to do.”

“On who’s orders?”

“My own.”

 

She was stubborn, I’ll give her that. But why would anyone what to wipe out the entire Parietinae Umbra?

 

She took a walk around the fighting ground to assess the state it was in. I used a coral substitute to spread over the concrete so it would not crack when drying. This made it slightly slippery under foot which played in favour of my fighting style. Also, I put a custom radon barrier underneath the base concrete which made the ground slightly bouncy. Small things but they have turned the tide for me many times. This would be my fifth time setting up such a fighting area for a challenge against me. My fighting style is based on evasion more than anything else. Once I heard about this girl challenging me the first thing I did was make sure my fighting ground was prepared in such a manner.

 

I left her to her own devices and continued to sharpen Narc. Now that she was here, I was more at ease with the prospect of fighting her. Maybe I was afraid she might try to fake that I had set a trap; from what I heard it wasn’t her style but since this was the last fight, I might have been afraid she’d try to make it a quick one. But seeing her expressions while she fiddled with her weapons, I knew that she was disappointed that this was the last one. I’d be.

 

She approached after some time.

“May I use your facilities before the battle?” she asked, polite as day.

I didn’t even look up, “You may as well. Once I’m gone, they’ll be too I’m sure.” There was silence for a moment. I looked up.

She was staring at me with a look of hurt on her face, but as soon as I looked at her she lowered her head. When he gaze returned to me, her expression was composed, like a mask. “Thank you.” She glanced at the helicopter and nodded once. A bag dropped from the passenger bay.

 

When she came out she was in what I would call ‘normal’ gear. From old school to modern, she now wore loose, faded jeans and a pink jacket-hoodie combo. It suited her better in my opinion. Also, her muscles were more defined and I could see her neck properly. I find that the way muscles tighten and loosen are good indicators as to attack or defend. And on the opponents mood. Right now, she seemed more at ease with herself.

 

She went onto the fighting grounds again and started to warm up. She whipped out her claws with a blinding speed and slashed them through the thin air. If you looked carefully, you could see the rends in the air from where the claws touched. Such things did not bode well. Especially if I’m right, which I hope to the Gods I’m not.

 

I finished sharpening and leapt from my perch. She spun around instantly.

“Ready?” She asked, her voice brittle.

“Nearly” I replied. “Give me a minute.”

 

I walked over to the far side of the house where there was a small shrine of sorts on a grassy area where there was a single book with ever-burning candles around it. That book was the most important thing ever possessed by the Parietinae Umbra. It was the family tree of the ages, dating back to when Parietinae was formed and then extended to Parietinae Umbra. Not even the Clades go near this book. If it was ever destroyed, the annihilator would be hunted until death and beyond. Many have tried to steal it and kill off the members, but they all died horribly. How this girl ever found all of us and challenged us without it, I don’t know.

 

As I opened it, her shadow fell over it and I heard her gasp.

 

She stammered her words. “I-i-is that th-the original one?!” Her tone was that of surprise and greed.

“Yes.” I replied. Laying it back on the ground I opened it onto the thirteenth. I rose and turned to her. “Should I lose our fight, I ask one favour. My name is there.” I indicated it near the bottom of the page. “If I die, will you please copy that symbol-“ I pointed at a knot of swords near another name “-and put it beside my name. Will you also put a Recanto onto the book? You know, a preserving spell?”

“Why?” She asked.

“So that people can look upon the Parietinae Umbra and know who lived and died for it. Small purpose yes, but it was always the keepers wish to his killer to carry out that deed. Since I am the last member alive…”

She took the hint. “You trust me to do that?”

“I trust that you retain enough humanity to honour a dying wish.”

“You know we are not human.”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes, we are better than them in every way.”

“Then be better all of them.”

Silence.

 

I took out my locket with my family in and looked at them for one last time. All of them; Griggs, Frampt, Roach, Reah and Beatrice, gone; they were at rest. If the worst was to come, I’ll join them. Laying the locket by the book, I stood and walked towards the grounds, where my opponent was waiting.

 

 

Night was closing in fast. The sun had shown its final whisper for the day; light was still there, but fading, constantly. A helicopter hovered over a house situated in the middle of a back road. The surrounding area was choked with trees, ditches and low hedges. At the back of the house was a large concrete square, in which two figures stood, they're faces shrouded in shadow. They stood rigidly, facing one another, breathing hard as if composing themselves. Both were slight but had contained energy. Both were dark of eye and hard of face, yet seemed capable of possessing other emotions. There were two of them, one male the other female. They both looked up in a synchronised motion. A moment passed. Then, both figures moved like lightning. The female unsheathed two purple claws from her back while the male reached into the thin air and plucked two sizeable hunting knifes. The female launched herself at her opponent. The male crouched in anticipation of the attack. The helicopter looked on.

 

I had to admit, I was worried when I went to open the Equus. I hadn’t done it in a while now. The Equus is a separate dimension which can hold inanimate objects; it’s the perfect place to stow weapons or hide stolen bounty: the person who stores an object in Equss is the only one capable of retrieving that object. If that same person dies then the object can never reappear in the world. It also only takes a fraction of a second to open, grab and close. It takes practice but it means one can have an arsenal of weapons available to them without sheaths. I had Narc on a back sheath so I could deflect attacks to my back.

 

She streaked across the square in a second, hair asunder and claws slashing down. Pivoting sharply to the left, I drew my knife in an arc, spiralling towards the back of her neck. However she slipped! It saved her. She fell forward, but regained herself early enough to roll back to her feet and keep hold of the claws, as she turned and slashed at me with her left one. I jumped backwards and rolled. Rising in a flash, the next thing I see is a purple claw descending like the purple hand of retribution. I raised my arm and jerked backwards with the speed of a cobra. Such speed was not enough however, the claw raked my forearm. I gasped and lost my balance, dropping my knives. There was power in those claws, the power of the Clades.

 

She stood above me and struck again; I rolled to the side. She followed and struck again. I kept rolling. She stamped down on my back, holding me in place and readied herself to kill me. The claw came striking down. I shifted slightly and deflected the attack with the top end of Narc. I used an Expansion Ward which disarmed her. The magic of the Aeris was varied and worked infrequently but it served me then. Her claws clattered to a halt on the other side of the square. She didn’t bat an eye; all she did was simply hold me down and I knew why; when she drew blood, I was poisoned. I knew of the weapons she used now, they were the Claws of Undead. They were said to be filled with dead souls which have the ultimate power of never being destroyed and having endless hate for the living: made purely to destroy.

 

The poison was spreading rapidly. I wouldn’t be able to heal it with her on my back, so I employed a very unusual tactic. I used it before when my opponent had me down and was about to kill me, I reached into Equus and pulled out this item of great power, and he was so astonished at the rarity of it, he paused and allowed me to stun him with it. I reached in and pulled out a weapon of mass destruction: a door handle. A big door handle. Reaching around, I hooked the handle around her neck and pulled. Pure strength contained in an everyday object, she smashed her head off the flat of Narc and rolled off me.

 

Using that reprise, I whirled upwards and threw the door handle at her. She cringed and it took her a few seconds to recover, but it was enough time to employ a Belua and so kill the poison. She simply stared at me, disbelief etched on her features, hair blowing gently in the breeze. She turned and looked at the weapon lying on the ground slightly to the left of her. She was stunned.

 

I didn’t attack at that moment because it occurred to me she may have an Amor Ward on her person. I sent a discreet Pulse in her direction. The Pulse, in the form of a blue ball of cloud, streaked towards her and fizzled out when it came within five feet of her; she did have an Amor Ward. I was surprised my Expansion worked at all now. Maybe it’s just to deter ‘sneaky’ magic.

 

She regained her composure and had her Claws back in her hands. I did not expect Movement magic. This was unexpected, truly. I was wrong about the Clades training her. The current leaders of it have hated Parietinae Umbra for years now but they would never betray their own sacred rules. This explains more about how she could have defeated everyone else who stood against her.

 

I had had enough. Time to die or kill. I drew Narc. 

 

Sky drew Narc from his back sheath. I had always found it ironic that he was named ‘Sky’ when he’s a Darkstalker. I hugged my blades closer to me for comfort. To feel the presence of the Dead was always a god-send for me. I never felt alone.

 

This was the moment that my father had always prepared me for. To challenge, fight and kill a direct descendant of an Original; and what happened next would be more glorious.

 

I still remember my father telling me; “Izalith, you were born for a purpose; to restore the Flame Weaver to its previous glory and to stamp out all threats. Use the Blade of the Undead to reap the life off any who stand in your way and grow more powerful. You are a descendant of an Original; our father Clades Candor. Do not disappoint him my dear; lest you should become a shambling corpse like those you have the power to command.”

 

My father was up there in the helicopter with uncle Shane. He wasn’t really my father because he was human but he had been a father to me when no one else would be. He trusted me. I still don’t know what compelled him to train me and to give me these tasks but I’d do anything for him. Even kill.

 

It was finally night-time. I let out a sigh of relief and looked to the stars for a second. Now I truly felt alive for I would always be safe in the darkness no matter what. Even if she overpowered me I could still escape into the Shadow World. It wouldn’t be honourable but I wouldn’t really care at that stage if it came to it.

 

 I lowered my gaze back to her and felt my face change. Her expression turned to horrified. Every time I was in a dark area the compulsion to enter the Shadow World would intensify and my features on Earth would change to something that would more resemble an animal rather than a human. In short my body would give an impression of what I would look like in the Shadow World.

 

When the last wisp of light faded, Sky’s face just changed. His jaw-line lengthened until his entire head was the size of a wolf and his face colour darkened until nearly black. A terrible ripping noise, like a growl but different, erupted from his throat. He twisted his head left and right and bent his body into a hunters crouch while holding Narc above his head.

 

I backed away from him slowly, trying to keep from crying out in fright. His face kept changing; from the wolf head to withering tendrils of shadows around his face to a monstrous face of boils and rivers of blood running downs it. But his eyes never changed. Two red dots of pure evil intent fixated on my eyes. A moment passed; and then he started to slowly walk towards me.

 

I didn’t mean to scare her like that; I mean when the compulsion to go into the Shadow World is that strong it takes some time to regain control from such an urge. Nevertheless, an advantage is an advantage so I began to stalk forwards towards her slowly in my fighting stance twirling Narc above my head. I stopped fighting the compulsion to the stage when I’m only just part of the actual world. I guess I looked really twisted like that; I don’t know what my body looks like in the darkness.

 

She eventually stopped backing away from me and took a defensive stance on the edge of the fighting grounds. She looked at me with an expression of disgust and fear; it seemed she had regained control of her emotions. She appeared to be forming a spell of some sort. I hastened my approach towards her; it wouldn’t do for her to guess my weakness and to cast a light spell.

 

Unexpectedly neither of us got to complete our intentions. We were about twelve feet apart when suddenly the helicopter landed right in between us. I was running at that point and hence I slammed into the side of the helicopter and rebounded onto the floor where I lay momentarily breathless.

 

The girl on the other hand ran forward, jumped into the helicopter and promptly jumped out the other side; paying no heed to the calls of her companions that echoed within. Racing towards me she flourished her weapons.

 

 I had landed on my back and was just after regaining my breath when she attacked, bringing her weapons upon me in a downward strike. I swung Narc upwards and deflated the blow; using the momentum to roll to my feet. Without hesitation I rained blow after blow down upon her in the hope of extinguishing her stamina. However; before I could find an opening in her defence she broke through mine in a counter-attack. All I saw were the two purple abominations reaching for my flesh. I rose Narc in defence. A blinding light flashed for a moment. I feel my arms jar from the impact.

 

When the light faded I stood there holding the two pieces that were the remains of Narc. Blood dripped from the inside of the pole; the blades became rusted and nearly too faint to hear: a scream of agony and delight as one. Then, silence.

 

The spirit that had inherited Narc and given the weapon its power had been banished and with it; my chance of winning the fight.

 

*********

Author's Note

Any feedback you have whatsoever, please.

Reviews

[just is]

You are really good at this story writing,
Such a wonderful set up.
I love the detail and vivid imagery.
Very nicely done.