Even Legends Fade to Myth
Jul 3, 2008 4:02:50 GMT -5
Post by Northen Light36 on Jul 3, 2008 4:02:50 GMT -5
Many years ago, the sight of Shadow galloping towards Naurorod was as commonplace as the rising of the sun. Even the sight of Shadow being accompanied by a red-haired fire girl wouldn't have drawn a second look. With the wind whistling it's song in his ears and blowing Lighting's fine mane into his face, Shadow could almost make himself believe he was back in those long gone days of his youth, fleeing from some joke gone wrong yet again.
But then, the flash of red hair at his side is too long to be Kara's, and the empty space at his right taunts the Storm King with reality. Never again will he look there and see his friend, his brother of heart, soul and steel. Shadow leans closer to Lighting's neck, digging his knees slightly into the stallion's side, asking for whatever speed the horse can still offer after the near non-stop flight across the land. Though nearly spent, the ever faithful stallion summons new courage and strength, pushing himself even harder.
No matter the speed they travel though, Shadow knows he can't escape the weight of the truth. 'We are the last,' he thinks, glancing over at Tres. She happens to meet his eyes, raw pain and grief burning as deeply in her as in him. 'Perhaps even more deeply,' Shadow thinks as they race through the desert, closer to all they wish they could flee from. 'You loved him once,' Shadow thinks, watching Tres take a slight lead. “Kara and I, Damien and you, that's how we thought it would be...”
“I guess nothing works as planned,” Tres says, startling Shadow for he hadn't realised he'd spoken aloud.
“Indeed,” Shadow whispers, pulling Lighting to a halt and dismounting at the edge of Fira's current resting place. Beside him, Tres does the same. It takes an effort for the pair not to slump, the heavy grief in the air as tangible as a boulder dropped onto their shoulders.
“This way,” Tres whispers, slowly making her way not to the medic's hut, as Shadow had expected, but to Damien's own, ever familiar hut. Pausing in the doorway, Shadow runs his hand over a deep gash burnt in the wood.
“I still... say you couldn't hit... hit your mansion with...” Shadow strides across the room to kneel beside Damien, holding his friend as hacking, wheezing coughs rack his brother's body. On the other side of the bed, Ann sleeps fitfully, exhaustion having beaten her for the moment.
“With my nose pressed to the wall,” Shadow finishes softly. “I know.” Shadow forces a smile for Damien's sake. “I also know it was proving you wrong that caused us to set our tutor's classroom on fire.”
“Which... time?” rasps Damien, smiling tiredly. “We did that... so often...” He manages to get his violently shaking hand half-way up to Shadow's before his arm collapses limply back onto the bed. Shadow silently rests his hand on top of Damien's, shuddering as well, but from suppressed tears rather then illness.
“Dami...” he whispers, reverting to boyhood nicknames. “I can't... Please... Dami, don't leave me... I need you so much... It isn't fair of you... to leave when... when we've had so little time...” Shadow tightened his grip on Damien's hand, as if he could hold Damien's life in his body through sheer strength. “I just want a little longer, Dami...”
“So do I... Uncle, stay with us.” Ann groped for Damien's free hand, her vision to muddled by tiredness to see clearly. Tears streak down her cheeks as Tres approaches the bed to wipe Damien's sweaty brow with a damp cloth.
“Ann... Tres... Shade...” Damien closes his eyes for a long moment and sighs deeply, sending bolts of terror through the hearts of those watching. Then he inhales and opens his eyes again. “We will always want... just a little more... time...” Damien gives Ann's hand a light squeeze and Tres a fond smile. “I love you all,” he says. “But... I have to go... I... have faith in you...”
“Damien...” Shadow and Tres whisper together, not yet a farewell, but no longer a denial of the truth either. As one they lapse into silence and Damien turns his head to look into his niece's eyes.
“You... are your mother's... daughter,” he whispers. “She lives on... in you, Ann...” Damien grits his teeth and reaches up to stroke Ann's cheek for a second. “As will I... I know, you'll... look after the clans... well...”
“I'll make you proud...” Ann whispers back, hugging Damien tightly. “I promise.”
“Child...” Damien smiles again. “You have done that... every day of... your life...” Stiffling a sob, reconising the farewell, Ann just nods. Damien turns to Shadow, his eyes a sad reflection of Shadow's own. “Shade... My brother... Do not fear... for me... I have lived... a good life... I am ready...”
“It is not for you I fear,” Shadow replies softly. “You have always been the strong one. You've earned your rest, brother of my heart, but I fear... I cannot stand without you.” Damien tightens his grip on Shadow's hand.
“You are stronger... then you... believe... little brother,” he promises Shadow before looking at Tres and smiling. “Tres...”
“Damien, I...” Tres chokes on her words, kneeling to rest her head on Damien's chest, hearing the man's wildly beating heart as it fought a doomed battle for survival.
“I am so glad... you found Thelon... my flame,” Damien whispers to her. “I would not... want to leave you... alone... I love you.” Tres chokes on another sob before flinging herself forward to kiss Damien, old love mingling with new grief as both taste salt on their lips. For a moment Damien tenses in surprise, then he kisses his surrendered love with all he could give.
Tres pulls away slowly as a soft breath brushes over her cheek, falling back to her knees. As Ann gives a desperate scream of denial and grief, Shadow releases Damien's limp hand and gently closes his brother's eyes.
But then, the flash of red hair at his side is too long to be Kara's, and the empty space at his right taunts the Storm King with reality. Never again will he look there and see his friend, his brother of heart, soul and steel. Shadow leans closer to Lighting's neck, digging his knees slightly into the stallion's side, asking for whatever speed the horse can still offer after the near non-stop flight across the land. Though nearly spent, the ever faithful stallion summons new courage and strength, pushing himself even harder.
No matter the speed they travel though, Shadow knows he can't escape the weight of the truth. 'We are the last,' he thinks, glancing over at Tres. She happens to meet his eyes, raw pain and grief burning as deeply in her as in him. 'Perhaps even more deeply,' Shadow thinks as they race through the desert, closer to all they wish they could flee from. 'You loved him once,' Shadow thinks, watching Tres take a slight lead. “Kara and I, Damien and you, that's how we thought it would be...”
“I guess nothing works as planned,” Tres says, startling Shadow for he hadn't realised he'd spoken aloud.
“Indeed,” Shadow whispers, pulling Lighting to a halt and dismounting at the edge of Fira's current resting place. Beside him, Tres does the same. It takes an effort for the pair not to slump, the heavy grief in the air as tangible as a boulder dropped onto their shoulders.
“This way,” Tres whispers, slowly making her way not to the medic's hut, as Shadow had expected, but to Damien's own, ever familiar hut. Pausing in the doorway, Shadow runs his hand over a deep gash burnt in the wood.
“I still... say you couldn't hit... hit your mansion with...” Shadow strides across the room to kneel beside Damien, holding his friend as hacking, wheezing coughs rack his brother's body. On the other side of the bed, Ann sleeps fitfully, exhaustion having beaten her for the moment.
“With my nose pressed to the wall,” Shadow finishes softly. “I know.” Shadow forces a smile for Damien's sake. “I also know it was proving you wrong that caused us to set our tutor's classroom on fire.”
“Which... time?” rasps Damien, smiling tiredly. “We did that... so often...” He manages to get his violently shaking hand half-way up to Shadow's before his arm collapses limply back onto the bed. Shadow silently rests his hand on top of Damien's, shuddering as well, but from suppressed tears rather then illness.
“Dami...” he whispers, reverting to boyhood nicknames. “I can't... Please... Dami, don't leave me... I need you so much... It isn't fair of you... to leave when... when we've had so little time...” Shadow tightened his grip on Damien's hand, as if he could hold Damien's life in his body through sheer strength. “I just want a little longer, Dami...”
“So do I... Uncle, stay with us.” Ann groped for Damien's free hand, her vision to muddled by tiredness to see clearly. Tears streak down her cheeks as Tres approaches the bed to wipe Damien's sweaty brow with a damp cloth.
“Ann... Tres... Shade...” Damien closes his eyes for a long moment and sighs deeply, sending bolts of terror through the hearts of those watching. Then he inhales and opens his eyes again. “We will always want... just a little more... time...” Damien gives Ann's hand a light squeeze and Tres a fond smile. “I love you all,” he says. “But... I have to go... I... have faith in you...”
“Damien...” Shadow and Tres whisper together, not yet a farewell, but no longer a denial of the truth either. As one they lapse into silence and Damien turns his head to look into his niece's eyes.
“You... are your mother's... daughter,” he whispers. “She lives on... in you, Ann...” Damien grits his teeth and reaches up to stroke Ann's cheek for a second. “As will I... I know, you'll... look after the clans... well...”
“I'll make you proud...” Ann whispers back, hugging Damien tightly. “I promise.”
“Child...” Damien smiles again. “You have done that... every day of... your life...” Stiffling a sob, reconising the farewell, Ann just nods. Damien turns to Shadow, his eyes a sad reflection of Shadow's own. “Shade... My brother... Do not fear... for me... I have lived... a good life... I am ready...”
“It is not for you I fear,” Shadow replies softly. “You have always been the strong one. You've earned your rest, brother of my heart, but I fear... I cannot stand without you.” Damien tightens his grip on Shadow's hand.
“You are stronger... then you... believe... little brother,” he promises Shadow before looking at Tres and smiling. “Tres...”
“Damien, I...” Tres chokes on her words, kneeling to rest her head on Damien's chest, hearing the man's wildly beating heart as it fought a doomed battle for survival.
“I am so glad... you found Thelon... my flame,” Damien whispers to her. “I would not... want to leave you... alone... I love you.” Tres chokes on another sob before flinging herself forward to kiss Damien, old love mingling with new grief as both taste salt on their lips. For a moment Damien tenses in surprise, then he kisses his surrendered love with all he could give.
Tres pulls away slowly as a soft breath brushes over her cheek, falling back to her knees. As Ann gives a desperate scream of denial and grief, Shadow releases Damien's limp hand and gently closes his brother's eyes.
