flash fiction / 1 887 words
In the desolate land of ire sands, a storm was born - a raging wind to sweep the land, to rinse and wash it with lashing rains. She has accepted this path, there, standing in the very eye of the storm - washed with blood, sweat and tears.
āI, Destiny the Immovable, swear on this blade to slay the dark lord that took my brotherā her voice carried across the lands by the wind, a prophecy and a conviction to uphold.
The sand gave way underneath her heavy step and split underneath the heavy sword she dragged behind. The wind weaved through her silver hair and sailed her blood-red cape, the gale wailed and whistled, an ode only heard by the sands and the skies. Destiny shielded her face from the blazing sun, squinting into the far open lands. A hazy silhouette rose from behind the rolling dunes - a castle of silver and onyx, polished forms spiking out of the horizon line like a blade jammed into a giantās flesh, an impossibly bright flash reflecting from itās edge across the lands, burning into the eye of any creature that dares gaze upon it. Such was the lair of the dark lord, the man that rained terror upon the lands, setting fields ablaze, ravaging villages and taking these most beloved to never be seen by the light of day again.
Destiny lifted her sword, resting it on her iron and leather clad shoulder. A tension passed through her - from her pushed together eyebrows to her calves, a powerful impulse bending the very ground beneath her, as she dashed forward, an unstoppable storm.
The shadows extended, slithered through the charred debris, creatures lurking just out of sight, their striped bodies shifting and moving with the thin shadows. Among them, riders in silver, a forest of sharp helms ripping into the pale skies.
āDestiny! Destiny! Destiny! The savage from lands beneathā chants and hisses rung across the ruined landscape, as the armored warrior pursued her goal, sword in hand.
Sharp call akin a screech of a fallen boar tore through the battle ground and the creature mounted knights circled the lone fighter.
āKnights of Graal! You were once honorable men, bending to your knees before the common folk to serve and protect - your deadly spears surrounded the village of Silver Fish like the spikes of an urchin - whence and for what have you forsaken your ideals?ā exclaimed Destiny āWhat lead you to tear into the land and skies in the name of the horrible dark lord?ā
āDestiny is a fool, a fool!ā replied the spear bearers āThe true prophecy of these lands - Silver Fish was to become the heart of the new heroās quest - we are to protect the hero! You went against your fate, Destiny! It is your fault our village is in ruin beneath the foot of the heroās castle!ā Wails and cries filled the air, the forms of the knight dissolving into a mass that shined and reflected all that was in this land.
āFate does not concern usā Destiny spoke, pointing her sword high into the air āFuture can not exist until the present is lived, and what present I carve, such will be the future, and such will be written into the past!ā
She swung her sword, the shadow and the light bending by her very might, a spark cutting through the grieving mass.
āForgive me, Knights of Graal. May your ideals live on in these your managed to protect before your untimely fallā the voice of Destiny flew with the wind as the last silver slivers of the former Knights dissipated into the pure yellow light.
The formidable wall of mirror steel and obsidian rose high before the silver-haired woman, the reflecting light blinding her and the scorching hot ground burning her feet. Destiny squinted through the blinding light, staggering forward as much as she could. There was no way around, only up, oh how Destinyās heart desired to grow a pair of wings - yet her determination alone held no such power. She fell to her knees, sweat drops from her tired muscles evaporated the moment they hit the ground. She gazed up once more, onto the infinite heights of the dark lordās castle.
She took a swing from her flask to calm her burning throat, warm water dripping down her face and onto the ground. Suddenly, the earth itself moved - a creature awoken form itās slumber opened itās wings, a storm of dust lifting around Destiny as she held onto the creatureās back.
āThank you human, your blessive waters have saved me from drying upā spoke the creature, itās triangular wings cutting through the air
āGreat beast!ā Destiny exclaimed in surprise āIf I am to pour more water upon your head, will you take me over the wall on your back?ā
āWhy must you go over the wall, human?ā the beast asked.
āThere is one of my kin trapped on the other side, I must come to rescue him!ā
āThe drive of a human to protect their own was what made your kind so formidable against us beastsā the creature remarked wisely āIt is a drive same as that of a beastās to protect their young but stronger, unstoppable. What am I to protest another beingās nature? Very well, human. I shall carry you there, and perhaps await your return, as long as you bring waterā
And so, Destiny held on tightly to the back of the soaring beast, wind that accompanied her step swiftly caught in the mighty wings of the creature with mirror-white back and night sky black belly. It leaped over the first, and the second, and the third razor sharp wall, itās long tail weaving down as it landed into the rare shade beneath a formidable ledge.
It was time to rest, to water the creature henceforth it shall prosper, as Destinyās journey continues.
A monumental gate of obsidian darkness cracks open, a mighty swing to unleash rays of light and heat into the winter cold halls. Destinyās oath burned bright, sword heavy in her hand. The wind bellowed in the twisted arches above, triumphing her arrival. An odd stillness enveloped all of this mighty hall, from the marble floor to the endless dark ceilings - Destinyās breath grew shorter and armor heavier as she stormed forth to the heart of the castle. The hall twisted and turned, the walls boiling into visceral bubbles and loops, melting down, like candles that burned bright a millennium ago.
The silver-haired warriorās pursuit has come to halt, as the long melting hall at last split open into what seemed like the deepest cave underneath the earth, where scorching heat from below and freezing cold from above could not come to a warm agreement in the center - instead writhing in the midst, freezing and burning all at once from every direction.
Destiny trudged through the endless thin pillars spiking from the earth like a forest of dying trees, as she tried to focus her gaze, she felt a running stream under her feet, a trickle of obsidian black liquid running through the twists and ridges of the wretched ground. With no moment of hesitation, Destiny followed, the trickle becoming a creek and soon pouring into a lake of foul stench. In a blink, a burst of cold blue flame from above poured light upon the surface, Destiny frozen in place before the sight brought out of the darkness.
The pillars of black bile frozen in place twisted and melted together, a wall of vile knots and thorns. It circled and twisted around, the darkness could not dare to step into the pillar of blue light, yet it as well would not let it break the wretched darkness of this den. A small figure was the center of this light, it was a man with hair as silver as the light of the moon. He laid curled up in the center of the cage of darkness, his body wounded yet his magic still as strong, his enchanted light burned and boiled at the edges of the enclosing darkness.
āBrother!ā Destiny cried out
The man lifted his head, his beautiful gray eyes widened in surprise. He stood and stepped forth, the darkness melting away as he approached his sister.
āA child of the tides will stop at nothing to protect itās kin, ey?ā He said quietly.
āAs if you wouldnāt do the same, Mythā Destiny answered. She glanced at the crimson stain on Mythās vest, seeping from underneath his hands clutched tightly over his side āA mage that can not heal himself has no business throwing himself into the clutches of a dark lordā
āYour words wound me more than a swordā He smiled bitterly āAs if you wouldnāt do the same, sisterā
Before she could answer, a rumble filled the halls, a great power shattered the pillars, the shards melting into a million spikes. Destiny unsheathed her sword, as a great power descended upon them. It was spikes upon spikes, a form neither man nor beast, it stood upon itās land with a wide grin.
āLord Hexionā Destiny growled through her teeth.
āWhat took you so long, Destinyā Hexion mocked āI was starting to think your precious little brother would perish before you decide to arriveā
Destiny swung her sword at the dark lord, shards of spikes crashed into the ground, yet the formless man stood unharmed, brushing rubble off-f what was probably his shoulder.
āTaking on a lord in his domain is a mission for morons and fools, which are you?ā
āPerhaps a fool I am,ā Destiny answered, her sword on guard āBravery often comes hand in hand with foolishnessā
She swung her sword again, and in that moment a flash of light beamed behind the dark lord. He glanced back in horror, the wounded mage with silver hair stood firm amongst the spikes, a shard of darkness writhed and twitched in his hand, magic light seeping from it, as it became a conduit for a spell.
āCease this at once!ā Hexion growled āYour foolish spell will bury all of us!ā
āSo shall it beā Destiny and Myth said as one, before the blue flame irrupted from Mythās hand, it devoured darkness in an instant, spikes and knots melted away and ran down as clear water. The walls crumbled and came down, the twisted arches dripping and sizzling into the burning ground.
The flying beast soared high above the crumbling castle.
āIn the name of stars! She did it!ā It cried out in surprise. The beast waved between the melting bridges an toppling towers, down and down to the bright flames licking the falling gate. The beast swooped through the burning hall, until it saw a pair of humans running through the flame. It dove down, taking the pair upon its back.
āI believed in you, Destiny,ā The beast exclaimed āAnd I am glad I did, to be here just in time to rescue you twoā
āWe are truly gratefulā Myth said, brushing his slightly burned hair away from his smiling face.
āHow did you do it, Destiny? How did you slay the dark lord?ā The beast asked.
āI trusted in my compatriot, in a myth that defies fateā she answered, her head held high as they flew far from the remnants of the dark empire.
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