Memories (Of Dreams and Demons)

Draft Vault - Part 5 to Sort

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And as Kaiken focuses on Hannya, Ghekre redoubles his efforts to strike at me. He heaves his own weapon towards me with all his might, aiming to pierce my heart with blade, yet is unable to conquer Kaiken's slender grip even as she focuses on the banshee that comes.

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Ghekre's blade trembles, his strength slowly sapping away, even though he has spent a lifetime trained and focused for war. His eyes are fire and brimstone as his fur bristles. Such rage burns within, aimed towards me, demanding my death. Ghekre is a force to be reckoned with, it's true, but while Kaiken keeps my life in mind, he will be stopped.

But why, my mind begs the question, why sail by my side to only strike at me now? What tale hides behind the shadow?

No answers come, no understanding illuminates the unknown dark.

Though I'm safe, for now, death by Ghekre's blade seems impossible, I've lost control over my own body, over my own mind. I struggle to move, to think clearly, to fight. I am worthless in my current state, vulnerable to the powers about to clash about me.

This cannot continue. I need to be able to handle myself, to make sense of whatever power courses through my veins. It races through my muscles a raging lion; my synapses a mad roar. I must take control, freeing Kaiken to handle Hannya before she reaches us.

The Light's Pursuit struggles to sail within waters becoming ice as the world about us slowly freezes, the warmth of light evaporating as the cold darkness takes hold. The ship slows, specks of snow flickering about the deck, the lines and shrouds frazzled by frost. Soon they will become ice alongside the trained wooden masts, threatening to shatter and sink the once invincible vessel beneath the seas.

So as we stand facing one another in deadlock, time ticking away, Hannya, encased in shadow and promised violence, reaches us unharmed. Her muscles press against her dress, flex beneath black-barbed armor, readying themselves to strike great violence. The mask twists in the light to flash a sadistically victorious smile.

Kaiken, torn between defending her life or my own, chooses to take Hannya's strike full on, refusing to let Ghekre's blade strike true. Time slows further as I am lost to shock.. this woman just lay her life bare for mine.

The shadows snap into place. I refuse to let anything come to one who would lay her life bare for me, refuse to believe anything but death for those who would harm such.. love.

Something alien flickers upon my face, an unknown material. I can feel it press against my skin, wrapping itself snugly home. I close my eyes, inhale the insane black power of furious shadows, refusing to let it ruin my strength any longer.

I grab Hannya's right wrist at the last minute, her claws inches from piercing Kaiken's flesh. Her touch is poison itself, shivers like cold ice rattle up my arm. Pain, such pain, shoots up my arm; my arms twitch as color drains away from flesh, smoke hisses into the space between us.

My fingertips rot away to be replaced by a black outline, shimmering in the moonlight. What have these shadows done?

Irrelevant, a voice answers, as my locked grip twists violently, to snap Hannya's hand at a disgusting angle. Her tekko-kagi warp and break, one claw turning completely to stab her own arm. Her skin bulges as the metal embeds itself deep, grinding against bone.

But Hannya ignores me completely.

"Time to die, kitten," she rasps at Kaiken, sharp claws bolted on to her left hand slashing around and slicing along her skin, ripping her hardened leather apart as if it were but another layer of weak flesh.