Abel's Tale

XII. Something Terrible

Pain. Rage. Hatred and suffering anew. Malachi sensed these things in Abel's dark heart. Felt them, knew them. And seeing the sword in his hand, the blood he was willing to spill for his Mother's fate, it was something he knew all too well.

Something began to form inside the depths of his soul. Something new, and something which shook Malachi to his core. Something that should've horrified him, it betrayed everything he was taught, everything he was about to do in the name of glory and purpose. But there it was: empathy.

Empathy for Abel's state of mind and being. And he had never felt so powerless now. Nothing he could do would stop the suffering Abel now felt, nothing would stop his rage. Nothing would stop this torment he wrought upon him in killing his Mother.

It could turn a beating heart cold.

"You killed my Mother," Abel said. "My Father died fighting your war. My infant brother was taken away, undoubtedly dead too. The blood on you and your Master's hands cannot be washed away. You're drowning in it."

Malachi tightened his grip on his weapon.

Thanatos sat on his throne.

"Is that all? Nothing to say? You're not going to defend yourself?!" Abel asked, his sword ready for battle. He lunged forward, the point of his sword aiming straight for Malachi's heart.

Why did it hurt? Seeing Abel filled with so much hate. He sidestepped the blow for his chest, it was a telegraphed move seen miles away, but it still hurt that it was going to be placed in the first place. Why?

"There's so much you don't understand." Malachi said.

"I understand everything," Abel said as he readied his weapon for another attack. "I understand you murdered my mother, I understand I never should've grown soft on you. So really, I should be thanking you for opening my eyes again, you murderer. You're a monster."

Malachi stepped forward, letting the weight of Abel's words sink into his chest. Everywhere he went, he brought pain and death with him. "Yes I am."

Another attack laid down by Abel, another parry without a follow up by Malachi. For once in his life he didn't want to hurt somebody. For once in his life he saw things clearly: Abel was the key to all this. He just didn't know how yet.

But Abel was not going to relent, he was not going to back down. Not with so much anger and hate residing in him now. He told his master his will would be done, he had to end this, here and now.

"Stop playing with your food," Thanatos said. "Be done with this."

Abel began to launch another assault, one Malachi saw coming. With the stretch of a hand, he willed Abel to a halt. A move as effortless as before. Their blue eyes locked. The Knights circled the two like wolves.

"This is your chance." Ophelia said.

"You hate me because I killed your Mother." Malachi said. It wasn't a presumption, or a question, it was a statement. A fact.

"You and your band of knights took everything from me." Abel said.

"Those knights are long dead, Abel. Killed by myself and the kind who surround you now. You've taken the lives of my dearest friends, my loyal companions."

"They were murderers and scum."

"Duumas was. He will not be missed. The others you killed though, they were good people. Honorable people," Malachi said. "They were all I had left."

"I've been inside your head, Malachi, I saw what you did. I saw the blood on your hands, my mothers blood on your hands. I cannot and will not ignore that."

And there it was, the moment came. There was no better time than now, and finally he knew it to be true, what he suspected all this time. It had to be him, there was nobody else it could be. "You can't go back to her now. Like I can't,"

Malachi no longer felt Abel struggle against his invisible bonds, and when he released them, Abel made no move to attack. No move to do anything. All he could do was open his eyes in shock as the realization of what those words meant washed over him all at once.

"I know your pain, Abel. She was my mother, too."

"Why?" Abel asked, his gaze meeting the cold stone beneath his feet. "Why did you do it? Take her life?"

"My hands will forever be stained."

Thanatos rose from his throne and descended between Abel and Malachi. With a flick of the wrist everyone was blasted away from him. Abel was nowhere to be found. Where had he gone?

"A wonderful display, my young apprentice. You have failed me," Thanatos said. "When I command thee kneel, you kneel,"

Malachi felt no control over his body as he knelt before his Master.

"When I demand you remove a bothersome thorn in my side, you do,"

Malachi felt the pain erupt inside his head.

"And when I tell you to kill an insolence, you kill him. You do not try to appeal to his good nature, you kill him, swiftly and without question,"

The knights knelt before Thanatos.

"Your compassion is why you fail. It must be removed."

So it was true, his brother did die, just as he thought. He just never imagined the monster who took over would be capable of such horrors. To kill his own mother, to join the creatures who made his life hell. Why?

The dark river winding back to consciousness, the point between two existences, was he supposed to see this? He heard things, saw things. Fragments of both places pierced this darkness.

Malachi knelt before his Master.

Elise crying at Abel's side.

"I know your pain."

"Please wake up."

Lightning enveloping Malachi's body.

Sadness erupting from Elise.

Malachi walking between dark and light.

"I love you."

"I will not fail you again."

Malachi was enveloped in darkness.

"Your compassion is why you fail,"

Thanatos cruel smile.

"It must be removed."

On the brink of consciousness, sitting between worlds, Abel's tap into Malachi's faded and so great were the crashes of waves on the other side. All he had to do was reach for that great light and pierce the veil.