10 Free and Nice

10 Free and Nice

 

I needed to do this, I kept telling myself, to avenge my Father, to avenge my Brother, to avenge my City, to avenge my Chosen, and most of all, my dear lady Serine—the only thing worth having, my love. I thought about her. I thought about how much her love would heal me now, and I longed for it. I was thirsty and dehydrated of it. There was only one thing that was certain to me that no matter what, I needed to come home to her; artifact or not.

Since the voices could tell time here, they told me it has been four days of walking since I last battled. The curse was taking hold of me more and more. I felt extremely and highly vulnerable as I thought more and more of the people that were close to me. Memories of long past fluttered through my mind. One remained imprinted into my brain; my Serine. My love kept me pressing on…I knew that now. In this dark and hateful place, that is what kept me going; that one emotion, that one light at the end of the tunnel.

Even with that in mind, I hurt. My head was aching from the voices. I grabbed it for the thousandth time it seemed like to numb the pain, but once again to no avail. I could tell slowly that the Nine were losing faith in me slowly. I never knew what they truly said, but I knew it was that.

The dead forest that surrounded me seemed to fit my mood; Edgy and tormented. I talked to myself. Even laid claim to monsters that circled me in the dead trees. I knew that they were there. I knew. I knew. I knew.

The voices didn’t control me anymore, or even try and stop me. After all, why stop the party because of one bad guest, right?

I took out my sword, Obtineo and sliced into a tree. “The less of you damning my soul, the more I’ll be sane!” I yelled, and then put back my weapon, murmuring the same sentence over and over.

“Is this existence even real?” I said at last. My eyes were widening, and I knew the voices could tell I was changing more. “I can’t feel, I can’t taste; how then do I prove my reality?” My head hung low with that statement. Eyes still wide, “I will just have to kill you all” I said in manic tones. “I WILL JUST KILL YOU ALL!” I laughed and threw my head back. “AH!” my head was not engulfed in fury of pain; a flare storm.

“SHOW YOURSELF!” still clutching my head. I reached for the sword again and swiped randomly in the dark forest. My vision blurred and I lost consciousness where I stood. I fell to the ground, sinking the sword.

Motionless I lay; the skies complimented this stance. The clouds were vanishing bit by bit, exposing a pure white moon. A chilled breeze tugged on my red robe with the symbol of the Chosen on the back.

I watched all this from afar. I was apart from my body. I felt free from the curse, but only for the moment. I didn’t know how long this out-of-body experience would last; maybe forever, maybe for five minutes. I just felt free. I just felt nice.

I stood watching my body lying for a while. I pondered on what was happening. Whatever it was, it felt free, and it felt nice.

The moon was very pretty right now. So crystal and clear, and large too; it too was free, and it was nice.

I didn’t feel the wind. But that’s ok, I felt free. And I felt nice.

After watching all things, a brilliant white light came from behind me. It was soothing, it was nice.

I turned to see a person. It was a lady.

“I am the only Light here that pierces the Darkness.”

She was free of Dark. She was nice of Light.

“It seems that…another being has pierced with Light as well; a creature, a human from the City.” She was brilliant. Made of metal, so fluid and precise, she talked with intelligence and pureness. I knew that she could not have been of human decent…She was so free, and so nice.

“They call me the Light Mage, or others call me the Biomechanical Mage since forged from human hands I was not, but by their spirit. I bring forth the darkness, and I pierce it with the light of my soul. I take no sides in humanity, but bless them all equally” her gaze burned holes into my soul. I couldn’t take my eyes off her to check on my body. I was not free, but I was nice.

“I find you here, in the midst of this dark dead forest Aiden. Lying on the ground so close to death, I separated your true soul from your body…and the Nine that lies inside of you, to help you. In fact,” her voice was so smooth and elegant, otherworldly perhaps, “I have been keeping tabs on you ever since you entered this world where I am the only Light. I have come to the conclusion that this world of Dark cannot hold two holders of Light. You have a purpose to this world. Your love for all things binds you here…” she paused.

“You have been going through the curse of the land, I know that. But to not have completely been consumed by it so far, now that is a feat worthy of any tale. You’re very much like your Father…very much like your Brother. I have never known anything else besides this world where Evil reigns. I was created here. It might be a time for me to…change my story.” She paused again, still staring straight through me.

“Like I said before, there can only be one Light in the Dark. My mind has been tearing at that thought…” Her gaze turned away from me at that point. I felt free again, and I still felt nice. Her aura was immense still, light pouring from every direction. 

“I am going to bind myself with you, human Light holder, Aiden Scott. I will dissipate into your being and become one with you. Very much unlike the Nine already bonded to you. They are not one with you, but still a part of you. My Light mixing with your Light. This will help fight the curse as well.” She chuckled and it felt like the earth shook.

“Also,” she said smiling, “I bring a gift.”

A light engulfed the entire area. I heard a sword far off in the distance swipe and cut into something, but my eyes were blinded, and when I shut them, the Light sliced through anyways. I was suspended inside the Light. It felt so free, and so nice. I held no pain. I forgot about everything.

When I awoke and looked at my surroundings, I had seen that they had changed.

“Sir Aiden” she said in my head, “I have teleported you four days ahead. The four lie here. I am dissipating quickly into your being, and I must say this fast. I have decreased the curse. You were on the edge of level Six. My Light canceled most out to level Two. The gift I have given you makes you able to attack and move now when you release the souls you have connected to you. But keep in mind; it may hold many more purposes than just that. Goodbye Sir Aiden, a new chapter of mine lies ahead with you. Finish your purpose with haste…”her voice faded with the others, and I felt rejuvenated at last.

“Sure is good feeling free and nice” I said grinning and peering down the hill. Bust something was wrong…