Desert Wings

Malum

"I know the stories..."
"No," he shook his head,"Nothing really bad is in those." Malum gave a short, dry bark of laughter,"Those stories, their contents, all child's play compared to the real things I've done." He turned to me, his eyes on fire,"Would you like to know what I've done?"
Frozen. I couldn't move under his stare, fire consuming his eyes. I nod once.
He leaned his back into the tree trunk,"Well I suppose the biggest thing that should be cleared up is that I didn't lead the packs to war. The wars lead to me, their hatred had become powerful enough it took a physical form. Me. From there I quickly gained power, no one knew who I really was, no one knew what to make of me. It was probably better that way. Then another war started. I went to fight for my pack, still blissfully ignorant of who or what I really was. Until I wasn't. Until I found out. Battles around me seemed to become more intense, within a matter if minutes the ground was littered with bodies. Yet more fell. More fell injured, yet more came to fight. Both packs were reaching dangerously low populations. A meeting was called to settle a peace treaty." Malum paused for a moment.
"I had achieved a higher rank in the pack, I attended the meeting. No one else walked away alive. From either of the packs, both were burned to the ground the next day."
"Is that the worst thing? I mean that was pretty indirect."
"True, but that was just the start."
"What?" I knew the stories would get worse.
"Yes. After slaughtering two packs I wasn't done. I went on the run, staying in packs if I could, eventually causing their deaths or killing them myself. This went on for years and years, I never stopped, never looked back. Never thought, no if I stopped to do that I would have gone insane surely. That might have been better... But I didn't I kept going and learned the art of war. I learned to find motivation behind pain. To see what would bring joy to the downtrodden, how to make sure they didn't get it. I learned so much, and I never forgot one spec of it. So I used my knowledge, driving them over the edge of insanity with a few well timed words. Shattering the unbreakable. Destroying the untouchable and I couldn't stop. I kept going, waiting to find whose pain would justify my own, hide my own, save me. But no one could, I wouldn't let them. No one could touch me and live, see me and hold hope again in their hands, hear me and have the will to speak. Encountering me was the equivalent of death, mental, physical or emotional. No one survived. No one had a hope. So I killed, I would let some live, their lives became more painful than their deaths would have been. I'm afraid you will be no exception Kara."
"Wha..."
"The wolf has awakened, and he must be satisfied, so live or die. I leave it to you." Malum was a fitting name.
"I get to pick?"
"Not if you stall to much longer no."
"Oh, live." I felt it was the obvious answer. How much could that hurt after all? My mind was likely broken anyways.
He grinned, putting a deep set fear into my heart,"Oh this will be fun."
He jumped to the ground,"It is in your interest to follow me." He called.
"Best interests?"
"Just interests." He grinned. I followed after him, not really knowing why.
We wandered through the snow covered forest, heading towards a seemingly non existent location. Eventually the trees thinned a bit and we reached a large clearing in the woods. In the middle was...
"Skylar!" I ran over and gave her a bear hug,"I'm so happy you aren't dead!"
"Thanks I think. Hey do you know what this guy's deal is?" She gestured towards Malum and I could feel my face pale.
"Yes Kara. Would you like to make the introductions for everyone?"
"No, not really."
Malum grinned,"Your little friend can go first."
I glanced to Skylar who towered above me,"I'm not little, but my name Skylar. Who are you?"
A sly grin stretched across her fear,"Malum."
Skylar took an step back, shifting slightly, her wings flared,"What?" Her voice held so much, to much was disbelief.
"He is telling the truth. We need to be careful." I whisper.
"Oh, this will be fun. For me." Malum grinned,"We are going to play a game."
"Oh no." I sigh, this won't end well for someone.
"Oh yes." A grin should not be able to hold that much malice,"Here are the rules. You two, dear freinds you are, are going to fight. Until one if you dies, if you don't feel like it, know this much. I will make you, and you would not enjoy that. Now, do you both have weapons?" I toss my bag to the edge of the clearing and draw my sword, an odd calm washes over me. Like I wasn't going to have to... I turned the thought from my mind. One life or the other, and I had a feeling there was something I needed to do later.
Skylar held a silver tipped spear in her trembling hands.
"Good, that will keep the playing field more level. As to the pain," Malum shrugged,"For the most part it will be simply physical." He stared at us for a moment,"Start! Now!"
I instinctively drop to a defensive position, letting Skylar take the offensive,"I'm sorry Kara." She whispered, tears brimming in her eyes.  I simply nod, waiting. She dived, aiming for my wing, I leapt backwards and into the air, barley avoiding being hit. I landed behind Skylar, before I had a chance to think I slashed my sword across her wings, blood began to well from the wound. She gave a sharp cry, spinning and lashing blindly with her spear.
"And first blood goes to Kara!" Malum called from where he stood watching our battle. His shout gave Skylar the split second she needed, slashing at my shoulder, barley grazing me.
I slashed at her non dominate arm, hitting home and evoking a shout from her.
"Stop playing you two!" Malum shouted at us. Something in his voice changed me, I leapt frowards, Skylar had to launch into the air to avoid what would have been a fatal hit.
She tried to land, but the threat of my sword kept her in the air, straining her injured wings. As she hovered level to me blood dripped down her wings, staining the snow red. Malum's grin resided in the corner of my vision, taking up so much of my view I feared it would become a permeate fixture. Skylar tried to land, I forced her higher into the sky. After she grew tired and obviously wanted to land she held her spear point down, folded her wings and plummeted. Halting her should have been earth bound crash when I evaded her spear.
"Fight Kara. For real, I can tell you are just playing." She called down to me. In way of reply I drifted to the ground, as soon as she landed beside me I swept her legs out from under her and kicked her spear away.
Placing my sword at her throat as I stood above her I asked,"Better?"
"Yes."
"Kara..." I could hear the hidden meaning in Malum's voice.
"I'm so sorry." I felt a tear trickle down my cheek, I could see none where they should have been on Skylar.
"I know." She somehow smiled at me as I thrust my blade downwards, she still wore a soft smile as her eyes closed on the world for the last time.
"I'm sorry." I whispered as Malum approached, casting his shadow over her,"Good bye." Now came the tears. For now there were two more monsters in the world, both created by my hand.

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That was intense, and I  was the one writing it. Incase you can't tell I've almost completely abandoned any sort of schedule for updates. I hope you guys enjoy the story!
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