Chapter 1, pt 3
Allandres ran away. At the behest of her brother, she ran. She still didn't know what she ran from. What did her brother see, what did he feel that led him to send her away? She didn't know and so she ran. She knew she had to get out of the open fields. She had been to the palace many times, for reasons she did not share, and knew many paths that were hidden to most. She ran to the woods.
She ran hard, at times her breath failing her. There was a clearing ahead. She knew she had to be careful, for she did not know who or how many attacked. She slowed down and as she entered the clearing, she realized that this was no simple raid.
For the first time she saw the horrors of war. Bodies, broken and bloody, lined the path she had chosen. The dying called to her, some begging her for healing, most begging her for release. She was no healer, all that was left was to offer release to these people. What else could she do? Did she have it in her to do what these people begged of her? Did she have it in her to ignore them, and know the suffering doing so would cause? Who was she to be the bearer of death? Who was she to question the gods?
She retched. Her heart broke for these fallen souls, yet she had to steel herself for what would come next. She prayed quietly, seeking wisdom, but her decision had been made. She would cast into darkness these wretched souls who had fallen, but had not been slain.
She looked around for an abandoned weapon, an instrument of her compassion. Then she heard a voice, stronger than sickening chorus of pain. She turned around and saw him, a knight, a Sapphire Knight, one of the Emperor's chosen. The spear that felled him was still lodged in his belly. He clutched desperatly at his escaping innards. He must have known there was no hope, yet still he clung to life. He called her over to him, his voice still passionate, yet she heard the desperation.
"Mi'lady" he was still the gentleman, even now giving Allandres proper courtesy. "Mi'lady, please hear my confession, as I have little time."
"Sir, I am no---" she started to tell him she was no priestess, she could not offer him the consolation he needed to enter the next realm. Then she rethought her actions. "Sir, I am here."
He looked at her, a smile on his face despite the pain
"The sight of this sickens you, doesn't it? The horror that is war is no place for one as young as you, but you face it. I heard your prayer. Know this, young one: There is no greater honor than to relieve one of pain, and no greater sacrifice of self. You must think you are a murderer. No, you are a bearer of mercy to these people. Do what you must, and do it quickly, for the enemy is still near. Take my sword. Cut the throat, from ear to ear, and cut deep. The death is quick, I assure you."
"This is no confession, Sir Knight." she said, surprised by her own indignity.
"Yes it is. Take me last, that I may witness the deaths caused by my failure to the Emperor. That I might feel the weight of the pain I have caused. That my soul might be cleansed by the agony." His voice faded away, but his eyes remained fixed on her, and followed her every move.
She picked up the blood-caked sword. It was a simple weapon, about four feet long and double edged. Being made for one of the Emperor's own, she knew this was a fine example of the swordmaking art, even if she didn't understand why. She raised the weapon, surprised by how easy it was to wield. Then she moved to complete the unpleasant task at hand.
A woman cried to her, begging her for release. The woman held in her arms two dead children, no....babies. She cried not only for the demise of her brood, but she herself had been stabbed repeatedly while trying to defend them. She bled from every conceivable part of her body. Allandres cried and pulled the woman's head back. She placed the blade of the weapon against the soft throat of the mother. As Allandres closed her eyes, her ears caught the faintest whisper of a prayer from this pitiful creature. A prayer of thanks, and of forgivness. Allandres opened her eyes and watched as her hands dealt death for the first time.
Again and again the scenario played out. Soldiers, farmers, children...Allandres slew them all. It became so easy by the end. What began with compassion, ended with hatred. A hatred of those who had done this to her people. A hatred of her own life. A hatred of people, both Var and Human.
Her childhood was burned away with every killing stroke. No more was she an innocent. The cold reality of death changed the once sensitive girl into a writhing ball of hate and anger. She turned to the Knight. He had put her up to this! It was his fault she had killed! He had turned her into a monster, all to cleanse his soul of some perceived stain!
She strode up to him with purpose and as she looked into his eyes, she realized he had done nothing. She had done what was needed. The ability to deal death, the cold-blooded desire even, had been inside her for a long time. Her innocence was long since gone, and this knight had nothing to do with it. She knew who did though, and in time that person would be made to suffer greatly for his crimes. But right now, she was honor-bound to complete her tasks.
She kneeled next to the knight again. He smiled weakly, knowing his fate was at hand. Knowing that through the actions of another, he would soon stand at the hand of his goddess. What Allandres didn't know was that he knew he would also be with his wife and twin boys, who fell on this day. Allandres smiled back.
He exposed his throat to her. The action went against everything he was, and everything he stood for. He said a quiet thank you as she placed the cold blade against his neck. With one slice it was over. Allandres stood up, her heart filled with a new resolve, and a new kind of darkness.
She ran hard, at times her breath failing her. There was a clearing ahead. She knew she had to be careful, for she did not know who or how many attacked. She slowed down and as she entered the clearing, she realized that this was no simple raid.
For the first time she saw the horrors of war. Bodies, broken and bloody, lined the path she had chosen. The dying called to her, some begging her for healing, most begging her for release. She was no healer, all that was left was to offer release to these people. What else could she do? Did she have it in her to do what these people begged of her? Did she have it in her to ignore them, and know the suffering doing so would cause? Who was she to be the bearer of death? Who was she to question the gods?
She retched. Her heart broke for these fallen souls, yet she had to steel herself for what would come next. She prayed quietly, seeking wisdom, but her decision had been made. She would cast into darkness these wretched souls who had fallen, but had not been slain.
She looked around for an abandoned weapon, an instrument of her compassion. Then she heard a voice, stronger than sickening chorus of pain. She turned around and saw him, a knight, a Sapphire Knight, one of the Emperor's chosen. The spear that felled him was still lodged in his belly. He clutched desperatly at his escaping innards. He must have known there was no hope, yet still he clung to life. He called her over to him, his voice still passionate, yet she heard the desperation.
"Mi'lady" he was still the gentleman, even now giving Allandres proper courtesy. "Mi'lady, please hear my confession, as I have little time."
"Sir, I am no---" she started to tell him she was no priestess, she could not offer him the consolation he needed to enter the next realm. Then she rethought her actions. "Sir, I am here."
He looked at her, a smile on his face despite the pain
"The sight of this sickens you, doesn't it? The horror that is war is no place for one as young as you, but you face it. I heard your prayer. Know this, young one: There is no greater honor than to relieve one of pain, and no greater sacrifice of self. You must think you are a murderer. No, you are a bearer of mercy to these people. Do what you must, and do it quickly, for the enemy is still near. Take my sword. Cut the throat, from ear to ear, and cut deep. The death is quick, I assure you."
"This is no confession, Sir Knight." she said, surprised by her own indignity.
"Yes it is. Take me last, that I may witness the deaths caused by my failure to the Emperor. That I might feel the weight of the pain I have caused. That my soul might be cleansed by the agony." His voice faded away, but his eyes remained fixed on her, and followed her every move.
She picked up the blood-caked sword. It was a simple weapon, about four feet long and double edged. Being made for one of the Emperor's own, she knew this was a fine example of the swordmaking art, even if she didn't understand why. She raised the weapon, surprised by how easy it was to wield. Then she moved to complete the unpleasant task at hand.
A woman cried to her, begging her for release. The woman held in her arms two dead children, no....babies. She cried not only for the demise of her brood, but she herself had been stabbed repeatedly while trying to defend them. She bled from every conceivable part of her body. Allandres cried and pulled the woman's head back. She placed the blade of the weapon against the soft throat of the mother. As Allandres closed her eyes, her ears caught the faintest whisper of a prayer from this pitiful creature. A prayer of thanks, and of forgivness. Allandres opened her eyes and watched as her hands dealt death for the first time.
Again and again the scenario played out. Soldiers, farmers, children...Allandres slew them all. It became so easy by the end. What began with compassion, ended with hatred. A hatred of those who had done this to her people. A hatred of her own life. A hatred of people, both Var and Human.
Her childhood was burned away with every killing stroke. No more was she an innocent. The cold reality of death changed the once sensitive girl into a writhing ball of hate and anger. She turned to the Knight. He had put her up to this! It was his fault she had killed! He had turned her into a monster, all to cleanse his soul of some perceived stain!
She strode up to him with purpose and as she looked into his eyes, she realized he had done nothing. She had done what was needed. The ability to deal death, the cold-blooded desire even, had been inside her for a long time. Her innocence was long since gone, and this knight had nothing to do with it. She knew who did though, and in time that person would be made to suffer greatly for his crimes. But right now, she was honor-bound to complete her tasks.
She kneeled next to the knight again. He smiled weakly, knowing his fate was at hand. Knowing that through the actions of another, he would soon stand at the hand of his goddess. What Allandres didn't know was that he knew he would also be with his wife and twin boys, who fell on this day. Allandres smiled back.
He exposed his throat to her. The action went against everything he was, and everything he stood for. He said a quiet thank you as she placed the cold blade against his neck. With one slice it was over. Allandres stood up, her heart filled with a new resolve, and a new kind of darkness.