Tyranny: Onwards

Chapter 101- That Time

With my hound so faithful trailing behind me, we descend from the high peak down to the other lower peaks; though they are not all that much in difference of altitude. Along the ridge we go only finding sharp sparks of jutting rock opposed to the refuge we so seek.

Night black as the bandit crawls eagerly upon the tremendous scene where no eyes have explored before, or not much anyways. This journey for shelter is entertaining, seeing the unseen sights of imperfect perfection, experiencing the jolts of adrenaline when a foot slips a little now and again, the thrumming from the mountains of obsidian under my feet so constant.

The suns gold dies in strong beauty and my eyes scan for paths down to the valley at my left hand. In most places there are vertical cliff drops, others floored solid in skateboards of rocks.

After a few more hours of simplistic and relaxing journeying, we find something you might think to call a staircase compared to the other options. More like a set of randomly scattered footholds on a steep slope with perhaps a few less skateboards of obsidian, if in fact you are an optimist.

I sigh and concede that we must here make our way down to the deep dark valley below. Genesis is not pleased but as always she follows me and trusts my judgement faithfully. The strain on my legs is harsh, yet I can handle it quite effortlessly due to my intense training. Each foothold I test before trusting it with any weight and Genesis finds her own strategies with agile and compact paws.

The moon taunts us in the navy blue sky, shining so bright you can't see it properly, only with edges blurred and colours smeared. Stars glitter and I spy out the big dipper, still an artifact of the universe, one never forgotten, one each person knows now a days; yet still an unofficial constellation. Mars I also find, along with Venus and the Northern Star which guides the lost warriors of the fields carpeted in poppies.

There are ledges here and there and those are the areas we halt to enjoy the view and the sky; for when we reach at last the pitted valley darker than any piece of the night, no stars will shine there, no moon will reach. Winter is against our doings as the moon and sun are now set to be magnetized to the Earths edge and do not rise nearly as high no more.

Owls send soft beautifully played notes so low into the crisp airs as we approach the sharp shadow of the valley. Silver light so bright reflects off the obsidian and shows off the rocks potential as a mirror with pride, making the edges so sharp more deadly and young. 

However, we do manage to be held in the shadows after a couple hours. Managing to find solace in a space under a piece of obsidian rebellious enough to be frozen mid-leap as it tried to seemingly escape it's body. Genesis curls up tight and within minutes her rolling snores of such rhythm are there in my ears.

The snores I remember so well, still I have each detail carved into my mind from hearing it so often, from finding the most comfort with her beside me hiding in a closet at night when the moon what covered and stars were dim. That chest I would set my hand of youth upon, feeling the growth and proceeding collapse so smooth and silent, yet so loud through my fingers ends, trembling through my body in console.

All alone here with her as my only and most loyal companion, the one who never judges, has absorbed my tears, sees my emotions without fail, and knows exactly what I need. I remember all those times she would purposefully saunter over to me as I dragged my feet along the floor, head down, eyes glued to the ground, and she would smile and wag her tail. The round glint in her dark eyes, the excitement bound to her muscles, and the strong perk of her thin silk ears.

Nothing could ever get her down, and she was there without fail. In training licking my wounds, many times interfering when we were going too hardcore, forcing me to stop.

One time she bounded up and licked my face when I was in a plank in my early years, she was sniffing and circling me and she searched me for any wounds or pains, then decided to lay down right along my back to slobber all over my ears until I collapsed and giggled. Of course this earned me a scolding, but still, I couldn't help enjoying the knowledge that a living creature cared so much about me.

Never was Genesis ever fooled by any of my masks, even as I tried, knowing it would worry her so, and hated doing that to her, it never slowed  her realization of my true state by a mere second. Training in the forest was always the best, the way we flowed smother than the waters of a river, knowing the next move and being so swift; or the way we could flawlessly and effortlessly carry out tactics and strategies.

So now, after my life of hard work and Genesis being my only 'teddy bear' and my only pillow, I sit with her tightly wrapped about herself, yet head in my lap, at the feet of obsidian ridges, in a deep dark valley unknown. Her breathe and snores so naive yet wise.

And even though no silver beams reach down here, even though no stars can be seen, I feel more peace than I have for a long time, and my mind is so calm and organized, I have mastered myself. And here I feel the most alive, with my partner in crime, who knows my every lie, yet would never leave me, would follow me proudly into death without a second thought.

Is there a single human being better than this or who can match it?