He still remembers the feeling and sight, but its getting blurry and the color is fading rapidly. He remember falling, for what seemed like an eternity. He remembers a picture of a car and the look of the driver behind it. And then falling, there is no pain, just an expectation of it and then nothing. Now he is just sitting here. The world is getting grayer and older with each passing day. His eyes scouts over the field of stones and the half seethrough shapes that are sitting on them.
Some of them have more color then the others. Their faces are more lively and they keep looking around, their mouths making weird, foreign sounds. He should know this, somewhere deep inside, like a tiny burning light in a dense dark, he knows that he should remember what the sounds mean, but he doesn't. To him they are just there. He barely hears them anymore. Thoughts scamper in and out of his mind, some big enough to be grasped by his consisous mind, while others disappear. Pictures of people pop up in his head often. Their faces all either sad or happy, their clothes either black or colorfull depeding on the picture.
He wonder why they matter. Who they are and what they are doing now. But only shortly, then his mind disappears again. Sometimes he feels like he is waiting for someone or something. And then they vanish. The others on the stones vanish, like they were never there. The ones who are talking starts to scream. The sounds mingle in the air and creates a mixture of wailing and something inexplicable. He was like that in the beginning as well. Startled by everything, and using his mouth to make the same sounds. But now it doesn't matter anyomre. It hasn't changed since he first arrived and it won't ever change.
Maybe this is the only life he has ever lived? But then they come. In the beginning there were more, people he knew, and he wanted them to notice him. Now he doesn't care. He just looks at them, they bring him grey flowers. Today there is only two. A woman and a small girl. Th woman looks as his stone and her mouth moves, but no sounds comes out. Or maybe he can't hear her? The small girl looks at the woman intently, she hears what comes out of the mouth. Someone else joins, a man and he pecks the woman on the cheek and pats the girl on the head.
Around him the more colorfull ones are screaming, their sounds doesn't reach the people though and almost as quickly as they arrive, they leave. And he feels a pinch of something. Some long forgotten feeling, but it disappears again.
Everything fades more and more. The last colorfull become grey. They don't scream or make noises anymore, now they just sit there and stare. But someone new has arrived to his side. The little girl screams and cries. She is full of color, the only thing in this dreary world. She tries to get off the stone, but can't move. She is caught there, just like he is, just like everyone is. Why he is caught there, he doesn't know. Maybe so he doesn't wander off? So whoever needs to come, can come without problem and pick him up?
The girl is crying, her head burried in her hands. Infront of her is a lot of people. They are all crying too, but none are hearing the other. The girl calls out to them, her hands trying to grap them, but her fight is useless. He knows that and the grey around them knows that, but no one tells her. She will learn on her own in due time. That is the way it has always been.
The girl sits and cries. Her colors fade slowly, the people visit and every time they come, she screams and cries. Grey ones vanish around them and new ones pop up. The girl is now almost grey, his people is there again. This time there is a more, two very old people, surrounded by a woman and a man and a child, are looking at his stone, his name is etched into it, but it means nothing to him anymore. And yet he knows it should. They are here for him, he wants to reach out again. This time for sure they will hear him! But then they are gone and the grey sinks deeper around him.
Han kan stadig huske hændelsen svagt. Den klare sol, den hvinende lyd, den klare, brændende smerte og et billede af asfalten. Efter det, husker han ingen ting, før han sidder på stenen og kigger på menneskerne omkring ham. Han ved, at han kunne kende dem dengang, men nu, er de slørede og grå. Deres stemmer er utydelige og grumsede. Han kan huske, at der engang var en form for bånd imellem dem, at de havde betydet noget for ham. Men nu er det ligegyldigt, han kan ikke huske dem.
Han bør nok være frustreret over det. Over at han intet kan huske, men det er han ikke. Han er ligeglad. Verden er grå, alt er gråt, og det samme er hans sind. Intet betyder noget, og han sidder bare og venter. Venter på noget som han ikke ved, hvad er. Omkring ham er den grå verden, hvor stenene rejser sig i rækker og på hver af dem, sidder der noget. De har samme skikkelse som ham, samme form, men de er alligevel anderledes. I starten var der flere, men så forsvandt de. Det sker efterhånden sjældnere og sjældnere at nogen forsvinder.
Måske er det det han venter på? Venter på at skulle forsvinde?
Nogle af de andre snakker stadig til hinanden. Han snakker ikke længere, om han stadig kan, ved han ikke og han gider ikke finde ud af det.
Han ser dem dårligt længere. De personer som kommer for at besøge ham. De er næsten stoppet med at komme og kun engang imellem, kommer der en pige. Denne gang har hun et barn med sig og bagefter kommer en mand og kysser hende på kinden. Hun smiler lidt sørgeligt til sin mand, men efter lidt tid og efter at have lagt nogle grå blomster, forlader de ham. Deres grå skikkelser forsvinder ud af hans verden igen. Han føler ikke noget. Han er ikke ked af det.
Han plejede at snakke til dem. I starten så de anderledes ud. Men de har aldrig svaret ham. Dengang var de flere. Der var kommet mange farvede skikkelser og de havde lavet lyde og sat blomster, men efterhånden var de stoppet med at komme.
Foran ham forsvinder en. Han opfatter det dårligt. Men personen forsvinder. De nye skriger op og kigger rundt, men der er en ingen svar at hente. Sådan var det dengang, han så det for første gang, og sådan er det nu. Som om intet har ændret sig nogensinde. Og det har det måske heller ikke. Måske har verden altid været sådan her. Han kan dårligt huske andet, kun de små glip af hændelsen, stopper ham for at tro, at denne verden er den eneste, som eksisterer.
Roen falder igen over de nyere og de begynder også at tie stille. Deres gæster kommer sjældnere og sjældnere og de bliver mere og mere gennemsigtige. En kort tanke skyder igennem hans hoved, men dør, inden han kan identificere den.
En ny dukker op foran ham, hvor der for nyligt er forsvundet en person. Den nye er lille og ikke lige så grå som de andre. Det er en pige. Hun er højlydt. Råber op og skriger, mens hun kigger sig omkring. Han kan høre spørgsmål, men forstår dem ikke. Eller måske vil han ikke forstå. Det er svært at finde ud af. Hun bliver ved med at spørge, men ingen svarer. Foran pigen dukker grå skikkelser op. De laver lyde og lægger blomster.
Pigen snakker højt, men hun kommer aldrig i kontakt med dem foran hende, og det vil hun heller aldrig komme. Han ved det, selvom han ikke kan give udtryk for det og selvom han ikke ved, at han ved det.
Han sidder der bare, mens hun bliver ved og ved med at spørge og snakke uden at få svar. Hun skriger, da en af dem forsvinder, men hun har fundet ud af at ingen vil svare, så hun spørger ikke. Pigen laver underlige lyde med sit hoved begravet i sine hænder. Hun er begyndt at blive mere gennemsigtig.
Kvinden står foran hans gravsten igen. Datteren ved hendes side er blevet større, men der er ingen mand. Hun snakker, men han forstår hende ikke og han kigger bare på sin egen grav. Billederne fra hændelsen løber igennem hans hoved, og han føler sig lidt stærkere, og de få ord, som hun siger, ringer som en klokke i hans hoved. Et par andre personer dukker op ved siden af hende, og de grå skikkelser lægger deres arme om hinanden og trækker sig så væk igen.
De står der lidt, og de bliver klarere og klarere, men til sidst forsvinder de igen, og den grå verden sænker sig fuldstændigt over ham. Pigen har flere besøgende. Hun skriger til dem, men hendes ord giver ingen mening og slet ikke for de grå skikkelser.
Selvskabet forsvinder igen, og pigen falder tilbage på sin gravsten og hulker kraftigt. Men ellers er der stille, fuldstændigt stile og alting stopper.
The afternoon sun had made the dense forest really hot and the horse under him was steaming. He stopped her and jumped off. The hole in front of him looked like the sight of a giant’s footstep. After several days of traveling and rumors, he had finally reached his destination. Finally, a new Teiishi would be within his reach. He clapped Mirah on her face and spoke softly. “Don't worry. I will be back quick. This shouldn't be a problem.”
He tied her to a tree and gave her a carrot to munch on as he took the saddle of her and wiped her down. Around him, birds and insects drown all other noise. The sun was barely able to peak through the trees, but the heat wave still made it close to unbearable. As he finished wiping Mirah down, he found a pot and filled it with water. She wouldn't last long here without anything to drink. As he finished getting her ready to be left alone, he took a sip of the water and sighed. Maybe it would be better to wait until evening? It would start to get cold quickly as the sun set, but it mean waiting another day and that did not appeal to him.
He went over to the hole and peeked into it. The remains of an old temple were buried in trees, climber plants and moss. Five big columns made a half-circle around the entrance of the temple. Each of the columns was around twenty feet tall and ten feet across. But many of them were broken, and at least half of them were split in two at the middle. The entrance to the temple itself seemed cleared and though he couldn't see anyone at the moment, he was certain that people were already here. “Shit. This is not cool. I thought this place was remote enough for no one to come to. These dawn Teiishi.” Mirah neighed behind him and he took it for consent that he couldn't just let them have it. Not if he could stop them anyway.
“So how to do this?” He sat down at the edge, scouting the area, but he could see no movement, only a tiny flicker of the grass as the wind made it into the hole. He stood up, gave Mirah a carrot and clapped her gently. She had been his companion for the last three years and had so far never let him down. He ate a piece of dried meet and took a sip of water. It was time. He hadn't been able to find anything on how big the temple would be inside, and the uncertainty made him nervous. Leaving Mirah behind wasn't something he was pleased with, but she couldn't get down the slope. Nor could she handle the fighting that would go on.
The nearest pillar was about fifty feet away, not an impossible jump, but an annoying jump. His breathing became more and more controlled and the energy inside him started to bubble and course through is body. He felt himself getting stronger and the air around him seemed to heat up. His feet left the ground and he soared through the air, his hair swept backwards and the sweat dried on his forehead. He landed on the pillar and gripped the handle of his sword immediately.
Two guys, around the same age as him, landed next to him, both of them armed and ready to go. The Ningu weapon wrapped around their arm was a Shooter, a gun-like weapon that can enhance the energy of a Teiishi and shoot it like a bullet. “Remove your hand from the weapon, nice and slow, man.” The two men looked almost identically, only a slight chance in the ears and eyes gave it away that this wasn't just an illusion.
“Easy now.” Tora spoke, trying to be as nice as possible. “There is no reason for us to fight. I am just here looking around.”
“You're damn right you're just here looking around. This is our spot and we're getting the Teiishi.” The twin on the left side spoke with a raspy voice.
“Oh, so there is a Teiishi here?” Tora asked, hoping they would believe him. “I didn't know. I'm just out riding.”
“Yea', that's a nice horse, you have.” The second twin said. “You should take her and get the hell out.”
Tora eyed their feet. As he figured, they were both wearing Swift Boots, a Ningu that would allow them to move incredibly fast. But this and the Shooter, wasn't combat gear, it was scouting gear. The shooters were powerful, but slow and usually only used as long range weapon. Had they been smart, they would have stayed away and shot him from behind. But they weren't. This was probably the only Ningu, they had had their fingers on and the power of them had made them reckless.
“Yeah, I will do that. I have no intention of making trouble here.” Tora nodded and let his energy soar through his body. In a split second he turned around and jumped towards the brother on his right. His target released the energy bullet, which passed below Tora and hit the other brother square in the chest. The energy exploded and mixed with the sounds of scared birds. The brother's screamed of pain and terror drowned in the ego below, as he was thrown of the pillar and hurled towards the ground.
Tora gripped his sword and swung it. The blade of the sword cut through the air, and hit the last brother in the face. It cut through his nose and the brother fell to the ground. Blood spilled on the pillar and a few seconds of gurgling was all the brother had left in the world. Tora had landed safely and as the guy died, he wiped the blade of his sword. He couldn't be weak. Killing them was inevitable, he needed the Teiishi more and they weren't about to let it go.
Once again his sword had saved him. The blade had a metallic color to it, and starting just a few inches of the guard, was one Teiishi, followed by three more with a few inches between. The ability to control more than one Teiishi was only something a Teigu had. A type of weapon believed to have been a gift from the old gods to the old civilizations. It was on the design of these weapons, that the Ningu had been created. There were only forty eight Teigu left in this world and they were split into ten categories per the amount of holes. The lowest amount was two and the highest was ten. But the most important ability was the ability to rewrite the Teiishi in a Teigu, they couldn't be removed from the sword, but if a new owner was accepted by the weapon, he could give it completely new abilities. Each of them named by the number of stones they could hold, Tora's was called Nanaryuu
The forest was completely quiet now. The birds had stopped their singing, and only a few of the insects was brave enough to still make noise. But nothing else happened for the next five minutes. The rest of the group must be inside the temple. He moved to a lower pillar and got comfortable. Did he want to wait for them to leave? But maybe there was another way out of the temple, which would leave him here, waiting for someone who wouldn't come. “God damn it.”
He stopped in front of the entrance. The door was busted open and as he stepped inside, he saw their camp. Eight big tents were set up in the hall below him. A few stairs lead down into a very big mess hall and here their tents had been secured in the floor. In the far end of the hall, a door behind a statue led further into the temple. And as he stood there, he couldn't see anyone. But this would be a good a place as any to set up an ambush. But what if they used the stone before they came back? If they had come here for the same reason as him?
So he would have to go deeper. Fighting in what looked like a small hallway wasn't exactly what he preferred to do. How many enemies would he be up against? There were eight tents, but each of them was large enough to carry two people, but if they were so many, why was there no one here to guard the entrance? So many problems to take into account. He sighed and went towards the opening. The stone floor made a lot more noises, but his leather shoes served him quite well in keeping the noise down.
A flicker from the torches was the only thing that kept the hallway light. Wind blew in behind him and the fire from the torches made his shadow longer and twisted. He tightened his grip around the handle and breathed slowly and controlled. The sound in front of him became more and more clear, words and the sound of metal against rock. He turned a corner and a few steps in front of him, an opening lead out to an even bigger room. As he looked back, he realized that he had gone downwards. Only ever so slightly, not enough for him to notice, but looking at the floor now, it was clear to him that the stones were a tiny angle.
The middle was arranged like a scene and all around it was seats like that of a theater. In the middle of the room stood six men, three of them hunched over something, their bodies completely blocking it from his view. Two of them were rummaging with something at the far end of the circular room, they seemed to try and pry it open, like a secret door. Two were standing around a tall man, who were sitting down and enjoying a drink. He was sitting quite close to the people on the scene, his eyes glued to whatever they were trying to break open.
He was definitely the boss of this group. He was well dressed and unlike the others, he wasn't wearing any type of armor or visible weapons. If he was looking for the Teiishi, he was either a dealer or a Teigu user. No matter what, this wasn't exactly going to be easy any longer. Any plans he could come with, attacking the boss first, taking out the ones in far, no matter what, he couldn't figure any way to get out of it without being swarmed and even with his Teigu, there were no guaranty he would come out of it alive. He stayed in the shadows, listening and waiting, hoping something would happen to ease the situation for him.
“God damn it!” One of the men, who had been leaning over whatever it was, straightened up and yelled into the air. “Sorry boss”
The boss stood up and shook his head. “It's not budging?”
“No not at all.” The rest of the men stepped back and Tora could finally see what they were doing. Inside a small crystal ball was the Teiishi. So that's why they were working so hard on it. “How is it going over there with you?” The boss turned his attention towards the guys working on the secret wall.
“Fine boss. They build it well, but we should have it open soon.”
“Good, and be careful I do not want this place to cave in on us.” So that was why they were taking it so easy. Not only were they sure no one else would come to this place, but rushing and mashing everything with the Ningu, would just put them in danger of a collapse.
Tora kept sitting in the darkness of the hallway, the men bend over the crystal ball had left it for the time being and was now relaxing in the stone seats, staring at their mates opening the door and it didn't take them many more minutes before the door slid open. The explosion that followed shook the theater, Tora barely managed to see what was going on. A gigantic crimson flame burst through the opening of the door, slinging the stone door of its handles and taking the guy behind it with it. The man in front of the opening disappeared in the flames. The rest of the group stared startled at the opening, but whatever had caused the explosion didn't reveal it. The boss got up from the chair and motioned two of the three guys sitting at the seats into the room.
The two men pulled their Ningu out. Tora recognized one of them, The Exploding Axe. The head of the axe was surrounded by Teiishi energy, which would explode on impact, impressively enough, leaving the head unharmed. The worst ability it had was the hidden chain, giving the user a large range with the head. The other man was carrying a large, silver pole. Tora had no idea what this Ningu could do.
“Sir!” One of them called. “It was a single round trap. There is no danger in here now.”
“Shit” Tora thought. He wanted another blast to take care of at least one of them. His goal was still to get the Teiishi and more dead enemies would make it easier. The boss laughed, his face twisted in happiness, happiness that should have been Tora's. “Finally! The switch to open this fucking ball must be in there.” The boss made his way quickly towards the room, his two bodyguards stayed where they were. Their eyes fixed on their bosses back, as he vanished into the room. Tora lifted his sword out of the scabbard and placed it slowly on his knees. As soon as he could get to the Teiishi, he would attack. Swiftly get to the ball and then out of there again.
Minutes passed, he could hear nothing from inside the room, but he knew they were trying to get the crystal ball open. And then something happened. The mechanical sound of chains and gears passed through the room. Moments later the crystal ball split in two, the parts pulled into the stone pillar beneath it. NOW!
The energy passed through Tora, and he jumped. Soaring in the sky, he led the energy into the first Teiishi in his sword and flames shot out from it. They swallowed him up. His eyes and hair became fire, his clothes became crimson and the wind seemed to make flames grow out of them. His sword seemed to be pure fire; it was longer and thinner now, the red, orange flames stayed within the shape. He landed exactly where he wanted to, right behind one of the bodyguards and with a quick stab, his sword pierced the man’s heart. The other bodyguard was about to draw his Ningu, when Tora hit him with a ball of fire. The ball exploded and sends the man backwards, the flames eating his flesh. Tora took the Teiishi, and turned around, ready to bolt. The last man came at him; his Ningu was a Glove type one. Metal gloves were wrapped around his hands and arms, giving him armor and fighting power.
“What is going on out there?!” The boss' voice carried through the room. Tora could hear footsteps come towards him. The backup was on its way.
He dodged to the left, and heard the wind blow pass his ear. This Ningu had some secret tricks. Tora spun and jumped placing distance between him and his opponent. The man stood in a fighting stance, his body ready to pounce as soon as an opening came. He didn’t need to escape, he just needed to stall. The Teiishi was so far secure in his hand, but unless he could leave the room, it wasn’t certain it would stay that way. Another second of standing still and the backup would be in the room and his job would be a lot harder, so it was now or never. The fire ball left his hand and headed directly towards the man, who dodged it easily, but it didn’t matter, that split second distraction and the following explosion as the ball hit to pillar, was all he needed. The steps vanished beneath him, the fire tailing him like a phoenix’s tail. “Stop him!” The boss’ voice rang through the room as the darkness of the hallway swallowed him up and was blown away by the fire of his form.
He ran through the hallway, his feet smashed against the floor, the sound echoed to an almost deafening state. But it didn’t matter. He had to get out of there. Four men, one of them most likely with a Teigu, was on his tail and although he might be stronger in a one on one fight, taking on four, wasn’t something he was willing to risk. The hallway ended, the echoing continued behind him, his pursuers wasn’t far behind. He turned through the entrance and as a goodbye gift, he sat everything on fire. The tents went up in flames quickly, the smoke filled the room and with a good feeling in his body, Tora reached the exit. The sun was still up, but only slightly. He ran towards the nearest pillar and leaped. The power of his form lifted him to the top and he landed safely. Mirah stood, where he had left her.
He reached her without much trouble. He regained his natural form, and let the sword sink into its scabbard. As he saddled up Mirah, he could hear their voices below him. But as he saddled up Mirah and jumped onto her back, they were only still making their way up the hole, and as he spurred his horse on, his escape were guaranteed.
I have long loved to write, I started as a young and stupid 15 year old and that is now 10 years ago. I believe that my style has improved, yet I have for many years now been without a place to get proper feedback.
And so I came to tumblr.
I hope you will enjoy yourself here in my little sphere.
My creative outlet @hisshin-blog - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
