The symphony of colors from space, twinkle with stars as one of the planet’s moons sits on the horizon, the other hangs in the eternal night. The area is a cold, hilly, rocky desert as far as the eye can see when gazing deeper toward the darkness. The horizon that faces twilight slowly gives way from sparse plants and fungi, into forestry unbridled. The group teleports where the forestry starts; clear enough to set up camp, but dense enough to not be completely out in the opening. There are enough breaks in the canopy to see this unpolluted, unshielded sky.
“Wow this place is pretty.” Phantisma’s eyes sparkle.
“Pretty? It’s all naturey. Ew, are we going to have to sleep on the ground?” Jaques groans.
Kurai nudges him with her elbow. “Don’t give them any ideas.”
Amara giggles. “I am sure the emperor and the umbral guards have a plan. If not, I brought a tent, however it is only large enough for three adults or one adult and three childlings. Since I am the one who brought it, I call myself the adult in the tent. The childlings will join me and you three can sleep outside.”
“Everyone, you can trust that I have a well thought out plan.” Koriath smiles with his arms crossed.
“Oh yea, what’s the plan Mr. Big Planner?” Devadas squints.
“I am going to work my magic, but first I would like to walk to attune to the local shadows and darkness, and seek their permission first.”
“You brought us to a place you haven’t danced at?”
“I am going to work my magic, but first I would like to walk to attune to the local shadows and darkness, and seek their permission first.”
“You brought us to a place you haven’t danced at?”
“I have, several times actually.” Koriath slightly raises his chin.
While Devadas and Koriath banter with each other, Amara turns to the childinglings.
“Would you all like to learn how to set up a tent?” She asks softly.
The three shake their heads no, Adumbra swaggers over to Amara then pats her shoulder standing side by side with the royal advisor.
“What Lady Muertes means is we are going to teach you all how to pitch a tent.”
“May we please avoid the formalities?” Amara fiddles with the locket on her necklace. “I thought we were all supposed to be like a family on this trip.”
Adumbra sighs heavily and pats Amara robustly. “Sure thing Aw’is.”
“She’s your aw’is?” Jaques makes a face.
Kurai and Phantisma almost hold their breaths as Adumbra and Amara give each other a look. Adumbra opens her mouth to speak, but it is not her voice that speaks.
“Why are you stalling then?” Devadas shouts.
Koriath silently uses his dance magic to weave the shadows into two dark and misty shapes, then materializes two adequately spacious tents.
“Looks like we can teach the little ones necessary survival skills some other time.” Amara grumbles to herself.
“Aw, you should have made a cabin.” Kurai marches up to Koriath.
“We must leave as little traces of our presence as possible, for cosmic harmony.” He smiles at her.
Kurai only groans and sulks back to Jaques and Phantisma. Once she arrives she sees her sister showing their friend a large shiny black beetle. Kurai’s hands and face grow cold and clammy, then she silently runs over to Adumbra.
“Well now that we are all set up, how about we stretch our limbs and wings, and go for a nice long walk?” Adumbra cheers them by a singular loud clap with her talons, Kurai under her wing. “Koriath, Amara, childlings, are you all up for it?”
The adventure is decided upon. After a long hike, the party finds a fallen tree and a clearing of short grasses, just beyond that is a waterfall that feeds into a natural pool then gently meanders into a stream. The waterfall is about four and a half meters tall, the deepest parts of the plunge pool, a little over two meters, the falls and pool is sheltered on one side by rock.
Adumbra volunteers to investigate the area, when she is done, she gives them the all clear. They all gather around, and while swimming may not be the safest sport for the little ones, Devadas takes out the limp husk of a ball, neatly unfolds it in his talons, then inflates it with a certain degree or lack of gravity.
The group starts to form teams, Amara needing to rest, nominates to take watch sitting on the fallen tree trunk. Koriath takes in the scene of the view, seeing his childlings and found-family playfully rambunctious.
“Kor, if you join us, the teams will be even.” Devadas caws out to Koriath, who starts to turn toward Amara.
Kurai rolls her eyes. “You know he doesn’t play.”
Adumbra holds the ball in her talons watching with a soft gaze, brows together, and her wings flap once.
Koriath’s wings lower as he silently turns back to them. Nightshade, I wish I could.
“You mean he never plays with you guys, or he does not know how to play tofilec?” Jaques looks up confused.
“He never plays anything with us, but he usually is in the room with us. He doesn’t ignore us, and he cheers us both on when we play sports.” Phantisma joins in.
“Oh, just like my mom, I get it.” Jaques says nonchalantly.
Koriath looks toward Amara sitting by herself, then back toward the rest of the group. He bows his head softly with a masked smile. “Have fun you five, we will be right over there if you need us.” He turns and makes his way toward Amara.
Adumbra re-commands their attention with team sorting. The first round is the childlings vs the adults. Amara looks up to Koriath then back at their families playing with the guards as he sits beside her.
She sighs, then speaks in a soft and sorrowful tone as she continues to watch the others. “You can feel the darkness of my heart right?”
“Yes my friend, but I am not trying to, and I am sorry if I was prying earlier.”
“I did not see it as prying, but I may want to pry if that is alright.”
“Pry? My heart is an open door.” Koriath whispers with a soft smile.
“As is mine, because our hinges were stolen, that is why our doors are open.”
“I see, so it is about those stolen hinges.” The smile on his lips wanes to a somber pout, he slightly tucks his head down. “Would you like a drink?”
“I am a warrior’s widow, not a warrior myself. I do not want your brotherly backwash.” Amara’s smile is genuine yet her eyes grow wet.
Koriath laughs softly with her shared sorrow. “What if I told you, I have a well crafted plan?”
Amara shakes her head with her soft smile. “I would never believe you.”
Koriath then reaches toward one of the bags strapped to his leg, unfastening it and pulling out a flask of thick black crystal, with a maroon looking drink inside of it.
Amara gasps. “I cannot believe you brought something so extravagant out camping.”
Koriath shrugs as he passes it to her. “I only see you ever drink out of crystal.”
She gracefully receives the drink in her talon, Koriath withdraws his own wooden flask as Amara removes the top. The two sit and drink together in silence for a little bit, occasionally commenting on the game, until Amara takes a hard drink. Koriath looks at her with worry.
“It’s that hinge.” She looks down at the drink in her talon then at Jaques across in the field. “My hinge… The hinge of justice.”
“If you want to talk, I am here to listen, regardless of how dark the matter.”
“If I share it with you, I may be walking on eggshells.” Amara takes a drink for the strength to speak from the shadows.
“Speak anyway if you need to.” Koriath takes another drink for courage to listen.
“Since your marriage was annulled-” She clutches the locket that her late husband gave her as a wedding present. “In my spare time, I have been searching for grounds, evidence that Custodio was blackmailed into transferring. An entire age of searching has passed and I have found nothing.” A tear falls from her eye onto her talon which grips the locket.
“Amara, why did you not tell me?” Koriath turns his head toward her, lowering to hold himself up with his forearms resting above his knees.
“Two simple reasons. On the surface level, a royal advisor asking her emperor for favors after his emotional devastation is grotesquely distasteful, and I pride myself on being a professional.” She takes a sip.
“And the second?” He inquires with softness, the flask still in his talons.
Koriath, sometimes I still see you as that juvenile prince Custodio swore he would serve and protect. Amara fiddles with the drink in her talon as she brings it to her lips, then lowers without drinking.
She turns her head from the game the others are playing, and looks up at Koriath. “I cannot tell you the second, not yet. My heart is not ready, and neither is yours.”
“Darkness of the heart can ferment to something beautiful and powerful, or it can spoil and contaminate the vessel.” His eyes meet with hers.
Amara nods. Then I cannot hide it. “Koriath, may I ask you for a favor?”
“Of course Amara.”
“When we get home, and are ready to work, may you open up that case for me please? You do not have to open the entire case of that particular night, I just need help for the part about Custodio’s transfer from the Umbral Guard to the Air Force.”
Koriath supportively places his talon on her shoulder. “I fully believe your theory, without shadows of doubt. You have my full support, Lady Muertes.”
“Sometimes I wonder who the advisor is.”
“Everyone needs at least one honest friend.” Koriath smiles and takes a drink.
“I am fortunate to have three.” Amara’s lips curl just short of a smile.
Amara and Koriath both turn their eyes back toward the game.
“Poor Devadas, it seems they have flocked up on him.” Koriath sighs.
~~~~~
Koriath quietly stirs from pretending to sleep, ignoring grass and soil caught in his clothes, wings, and hair as he rises up from the ground. He looks over to the twins who nestle together just an arm’s length away from him, on a mat and under blankets that he made with magic. He bows his head toward them then rises to his toelans with absolute silence.
My princesses, I pray that I return as the father you two need me to be. Though a part of me would rather not take the risk, I cannot risk your lives for appeasing my fear of action. Gods forbid I return worse, but if I do… regal Moonstone, valiant Nightshade, know my love is always with you. Each of you, both of you, have my unconditional love. A love that transcends the grave.
He exits the tent as if on a covert mission, his movement out of the camp flows with the shadows in the cold breeze. As he turns to fly toward the eternal sunset, Devadas steps in from the shadows in front of Koriath.
“And just where do you think you’re going young man?”
“I am going for a walk in the twilight.” Koriath keeps his voice soft.
“You should not go wandering off alone, let me go with you.” Devadas whispers.
“I can defend myself. You need to stay here. Two to one. I am not top priority, the princesses and Custodio’s widow and son are.”
“You still are not the top bird even though She is no longer in the picture?”
“My family, friends, and our people will always take priority before me.”
“What if you know who finds you out there alone?” Devadas stares into Koriath’s eyes.
“What if She finds our camp with both of us gone?” Koriath gazes back as tears well.
“I understand.” Devadas lowers his head, tightens his fist, and casts his eyes down.
“Thank you Devadas.” Koriath smiles warmly as he gently takes Devadas’s fist in his talon.
Devadas sighs as he keeps his head down yet, relaxes his talon.
Koriath bows from his waist while raising Devadas’s talon to his lips. “I will be back on time for the third watch.”
Devadas retracts his talon from Koriath and takes a step back while raising his stature and eyes to Koriath. “Don’t ever elevate me in actions of sanctity while lying to my face again.”
“I am sorry Devadas.”
“You did that with Her, you will not do that to me.”
“I need to go now.” Koriath wipes his tears before they fall as he tries to step around Devadas.
Devadas takes Koriath’s talon in his. “Little Brother, take me with you. I cannot have you attempting again, especially not in front of everyone who loves you.”
“The only thing I am attempting is freeing my soul from Malencia. I want to see my girls grow up, to give them what their siblings never had. I have to be free to do it.” Koriath lowers his wings and withdraws his talon as he looks to Devadas.
Devadas stares back at him sharply. “I am waking the captain as soon as you leave sight.”
Koriath hugs Devadas tightly. “Do not awaken anyone else then.”
Devadas tries to keep Koriath in the hug, however he transforms his physical form into darkened mists. Koriath slips from Devadas as he flies off toward the forest bordering the horizon with the ever setting, never settling star this planet calls a sun.
He crosses the threshold of eternal night into twilight with a haunting step. Koriath looks behind him into the shadows once more. I cannot tell if I am being followed or not, I need to tread deeper in to find my own space. On dark feathery mist he flies through the darkness toward where the shadows of dawn border upon the eternal day. A large tree stands sentry between these two spaces, casting its mighty shadow into the warmth of twilight and dawn, as its other half salutes the eternal light.
Koriath’s energy morphs together from travel, recreating his physical form. Gracefully he approaches the tree, then bows his head before it. Slowly his regal talon raises over the trunk, then upon the rough bark, his garnet eyes softly close as he caresses the trunk of the tree. After a few moments of this, he holds tight to the tree’s trunk, his head remains bowed.
“Mighty and wonderful tree, please forgive me for what I am about to do within your space.” He withdraws his talon from the bark to open his hip satchel.
With ceremony, he takes a knee as his talon draws out two small humble bouquets of dried herbs and flowers of his home world. Reverently he presents them at the darkest shadow of the tree’s roots.
“These are gifts to you from my garden, harvested and dried myself.” He pauses and whispers “That took a lot, going into that garden of grief… May they compost on your soil for your behalf.” Withdrawing a flask from his lowest leg bag, the flask is the color of night with a sigil engraved into it.
Meditatively he lays the offering for the tree, then pours out the sweetest black crystalline water. “This is blessed water from the temple of my ancestors, also for you.”
After this, he puts the flask away and takes a kneel on both knees. Eyes the deepest red, concentrate on the tree. “My apology. Permission should be asked; and yet this weary heart is not asking. Instead, I offer you these gifts. The physical as well as the spiritual in honor and prayers, to you Good Tree, to your spirit. I plan on these items only piercing myself, however there is a chance the stake may be driven through me. This may pierce you by accident.”
The star’s light reveals his teary eyes to be not brown, but the deepest shade of red, a tear escapes only to be caught in the lower eyelash of his left eye. “For this I humbly apologize.”
The tear struggles against its captivity, until gravity throws it from his face to the soil as he bows his head again. Koriath raises the items in his talons, his heart beats like a war drum. Tears stampede from his shut eyes, rushing down his cheekbones as he prays.
“Please. Set me free. May this be what releases Her chains on my soul. Let the pleasure of pain be found within myself again, no longer needing to rely on Her for it. Never again to need Her. Never again to be under Her spells or give another chance to false love. Let the rotted ether of the dead man I became flow out, so that this heart and servant of Holy Night may be rekindled, reforged, and refilled anew.”
He rises up from his knees and walks to the tree’s side again, turning his back with his wings spread wide, on full display. He braces his body against the tree trunk. His heart beats with vigor as he takes the stake in one talon. Koriath draws it to his lips, his stare fixated on it, his lips tremble as he kisses the sharp, cold, metal tip of the stake.
Silent tears flow as he gently leads the stake tip to trace down his cheek and jaw. Softly applying pressure while he guides it down his own neck. His free talon unties his shirt, while the other traces the stake over his collar bone. He casts his shirt to the ground in his other talon, the emotionless metal caresses over his heart.
Breaking the silence of tears, he places the stake tip firmly pointed at his heart. Koriath breathes with heavy prayerful silence as he positions it into place, repeating the prayer in his thoughts. His talons do not tremble as he draws up the mallet, guiding it to drum his thigh, sternum, and shoulder. He gently taps his cheek before he readies it, aiming carefully, the mallet head hovers over the blunt of the stake.
Though he draws it back with purpose, hesitation takes over his talon at the last moment of the strike. The mallet pounds against his chest, not piercing, but bruising and the sound of breaking bones beside the steady stake. Determination soundlessly pushes him forward.
“What was that? Koriath… Kori… let yourself bleed. You- I have the strength to break free. The pain will be unspeakable. You may wish for the mercy of Death, yet it will not come. So stand your ground and break yourself free. … Metal is purified through fire. You survived the furnace, now beat yourself into something new. A more strong and beautiful you- me!”
His eyes wince, he stabs himself with the stake. His chest now holds it in place, the searing sting flows out with his ether. Clutching the stake, wailing as he tries to push it in further with his own talon. His other talon holds himself with the mallet in hand at the waist. Wearily he opens his eyes again, while struggling to keep his knees from locking, black ether dribbles onto himself.
Koriath lifts his head, as if shouting into the cosmic void itself. “Twenty Ages. For twenty ages, you tormented me! ... It was fun at first, however, you do not know when to stop. … You should have stopped with me! You should not have laid a slimy appendage on my friends and our family!”
Visions of a shadowy version of himself holding the stake, driving it deeper into Her chest cloud his sight. Within this state, his mind's eye watches his bloody tears crash onto her skin. As he sees himself pierce her heart, the only thing that oozes out is Her malevolent tentacles and wicked laughter.
In waking, Her haunting snickering is escorted by the pinging of energetic chains around his soul. Koriath’s eyes shut, wings flinch with the pain of his worst memories re-igniting themselves, setting his mind ablaze.
Within the vision, the shadowy version of himself uses his body to pin Her against the tree. His right talon restricts Her neck, his left, bare and unguarded, drives the stake further into Her with a treacherous chorus of grave sorrow, hell-bent vengeance, and ardent longing. Out of body, Koriath sees himself let go of Malencia’s neck, lifting her chin up to him.
His reflection in her tear-filled spinel eyes wears her terrible grin. “I am not going to show you any mercy, as you never showed mercy to those I love. Keep crying Malencia.”
Still in the vision, both of them lock eyes, each of them smirking to each other with fervent cruelty. “Keep crying. I am not going to stop…” Both of them softly moan in unison, one trying to swallow raging lament, the other perfumes sanguine lust.
Koriath bites his lower lip and shuts his eyes to pull himself back and cease the vision. Reclaiming himself with a mighty gust of his wings and truth of his voice. “Begone! Be you demon, Her, or her servant! That is not me! Never again shall there be an us of me and Her!”
Koriath raises the mallet again. “I am going to stop. I am going to break this cycle of pain and terror. I will transmute the heartache into the pleasure of the self from within and by myself.” With ferocity his eyes burst open. “This torment ends with me, by me!”
He kisses the mallet instead of the stake. “My little shadow self, I understand your pain, yet let us find a creative outlet for it. From now on, my self destruction is a sacred, pleasurable release. Release that which was built weak, now built anew, with all the ups and downs, joys and sorrows, with the darkness of myself, and with life and love!”
The strike of the mallet drives the stake deeper toward his heart. Pain pulsates with prayer, the suffering pierces into his flesh. Dark ether floods as he weeps, still he feels her chains upon his soul.
Not only that-” Koriath clutches the mallet tightly with conviction. “My daughters need to see me take back my power. My friends, my people, my gods, … yes even you myself; need to see me rise and bloom from this muck. Love is stronger than the weakness of abuse!”
He closes his eyes and kisses his own shoulder, then lays his head back against the tree. “Vile, Malevolent, Evil forces, I am taking back my power, even if I have to crawl back to it! I am no prey, nor are those I love. That love will defeat you, Malencia! Do you hear me? I will be free! Love will break my chains!”
With this, he purposefully guides the mallet back to the stake wedged in him. Leaning against the tree as his ether slowly drips from his chest, down the stake.
“And how sweet this soul’s freedom shall taste.” He looks down at himself, serenely smiling past the anguish. The feathers on his wings fluff with anticipation of lightheaded release.
Masterfully he strikes the metal, like the surest strike of a gong. The stake pierces through his heart. Smiling persists despite coughing out ether. The last tear is shed as his eyes roll back, his sight fades silent as sleep.
Dream sight’s whisper; a maddened rainbow bursts through stormy bleakness, while his languid body falls toward the foot of the tree. A mighty celestial war wolf runs down to him from an angelic energetic stairway. Transforming into her lycan-like form, while shutting off her light, her face fills with horror at the sight of his chest.