A Dyad in Time

by D. D. Prideaux

  “No.” Eve’s fingers stopped glowing as she gently let go of Rosalind to stand. Smiling at her warmly she then turned to see what was talking to her with defiance and resolve. What she was met with, was shadows. A blackness so deep it shone dark and evil. A deep, faceless and ill deception occupied the space, yet flickered and danced like it was half here, half not. Cloaked in secrets and untold carnage, the dark being laughed with venom and malice. The dreadful sound reached everyone’s ears and brought sickness with it.

  “We are not talking to you.” The voice was so penetrating Eve couldn’t help but wince slightly at it, her eyes closing for the briefest of moments. A moment just long enough for the shape to disappear and manifest in front of her to send her sprawling with an unknown strike for the black. Tor hadn’t seen anything move that fast before and he knew in an instant that they would be no match for the creature. Fear entered his heart for the first time as he realised this thing could break them with ease. It could destroy them all without a second thought. He went to Eve’s side to help her up, only to be met with a devastating blow from the creature that seemed to crush Tor in his place. Ribs aching, and eyes watering he looked around to see where the new evil in the room had gone. The cursed Dyad was nothing compared to this new foe and he panicked, wanting to be close to Eve in their final moments. Looking around, the fight was still raging, each of the little battles ebbing and flowing as he struggled to catch his breath. He felt a tightness in his chest and thought he was done for, pain shattering his being as he wanted to get up and fight with all his might. Desperate, he got to his hands and knees before hoisting himself onto one knee and straightening before trying to stand. He wouldn’t let it end like this and as he found an untapped reservoir of energy Eve was at his back, hands working across him and easing his pain.

  “It’s not much.” She said calmly. “But it’ll hold you together for a bit longer.” Tor looked around at his love and she smiled. “We’ve got work to do.” As they stood, the shape uttered a disgusting sound and appeared behind Rosalind.

  “Interesting.” It coughed-sang-spat. “We did not expect you to get up from that.” Then it clasped blackness around The Last Word’s face, lifting her off the ground. Her entire body tensed, then writhed with an unseen energy pouring in from the shadows that surrounded her. She flickered and shuddered in unnatural ways with a crunching and clicking that almost sounded like the creature’s voice. Rushing noises followed, with more shadowy essence swirling around whatever was holding Rosalind and infested her face. Tor thought he could hear a muffled screaming from behind the darkness, which soon turned into a cackle. The creature released Rosalind and she fell to the ground unceremoniously in a heap. Her legs were buckled in abnormal directions and they could not see the rest of her. Then, suddenly, she sat up, bones re-casting themselves and forcing her to stand like a twisted marionette puppet coming to life. When they looked to where her eyes used to be they saw no calmness, just red light and hellish intent.

  “Finish her and then finish your job.” The blackness cursed out of its own shadows. “Release The Reapers.”

  Eve saw it all click into place then, not even sure how she knew it. If they got out alive, she would have time to think but right now, in that terrible instant, she knew Tor’s sister had been manipulated from the beginning. She didn’t know why a Ja as powerful as The Fall would need a wytch to carry out its bidding, but whatever the reasoning, it had been coercing her into her current course of action, as well as spurring her on all those years ago before Tor and her trapped Rosalind’s soul. One of The Nameless has been orchestrating it all, its hand behind all her actions.

  “Do it yourself, Keflack Drumarian.” The five people involved in the altar drama hadn’t noticed how things had changed around them whilst The Thousand curses had been transformed. Adam and Eve were wounded in many places, scorch marks, blood and bruises marking their bodies. They were less deadly than before and Tchook was managing to keep them at bay thanks to Fortune’s deadly assistance. Xiang had somehow shown both his seed opponents to the endless sleep and had taken over fighting Khar’s two deadly adversaries, who’d made his way to help K'Chool with the ever-increasing lethality of the Furies. They were in bad shape though, both of them barely keeping themselves in one piece as the Gorillas grew in strength. More often than not, they blocked attacks out of luck than anything else, the relentless onslaught of the Furies pressing down on them. As more and more strikes landed on Khar though a bright, golden light had begun to shine in the shape of extravagant armour, sharp lines of its contours accented by the light at each strike, before fading. He and K’Chool were both breathing hard but kept their forms and valiantly fought back despite the odds stacking against them.

  Tor was surprised to see what was happening to The Fall after Gerard shouted those words defiantly, but he was dragged back to his own fight for survival as the broken Dyad came for them, a fiercer storm than him and Eve had been before the Nameless’ arrival. He didn’t have time to worry about how long Khar and K'Chool would last against the Furies. How long any of them would last for that matter.

  “We have a betrayer in our midst it seems.” Keflack remarked, looking at his hairless, tattooed limbs. He hadn’t seen his true form in a long time and seemed to enjoy it for a moment, lost in its own past and origin unknown. Gerard and his three companions stood there, swords drawn, calm and breathing deeply after escaping one of the Furies to meet this new threat. Gerard took in the sight of The Nameless revealed, surprise catching him in how similar and different the creature before him was. It was a complicated mix of limbs, unlike anything he’d ever seen, terrifying in its unfamiliarity. Like The Hammer, it was covered in markings and shapes he didn’t recognise. Animals alien to him. Colours that soothed. Lines that frightened. Each marking, perfect in form, looked to blend into others, flowing into every crease and over every bend and muscle Gerard could comprehend. What he thought were words were present too and just like The Hammer, the thing was hairless, poured into the perfect mould of whatever visiting nightmare it claimed to be. Gerard kept his mouth closed this time and braced himself for The Fall’s coming.

  “Maybe we should do it ourselves.” The thing said contemplatively. “We do not normally dirty ourselves with the pettiness of you creatures, but it is time these worlds fell.” It continued to look over itself with large, bulging eyes embedded in a head that defied description.

  “Why?” Gerard asked, receiving a cringing cackle for somewhere in the mass of limbs.

  “Do not worry your feeble mind, you are but a blinked whisper to us.” And then they were all lost.

  The two Dyad’s fought with venom, blasts of energy cracking stone and breaking minds, Tor and Eve slowly but surely giving ground. They drew upon everything they had to stay true, Eve remembering her training, Tor relying on his new-found skills, but it wasn’t enough. Fang, claw, fist, foot and dreadful shapes tortured them from every possible angle as they tried to stay alive. Something was powering the broken Dyad that they could not beat, and they knew it. Tchook stood up to his test admirably, giving as good as he got against the battered Adam and Eve but at feeling his own Dyad failing, he started to as well. A few lazy defences were broken by shield and sword as they rained blows from above on his black form. Buoyed by the change in fortune, the remaining seeds fought with renewed ferocity and Xiang started to give ground too, the two seeds landing blows he should have easily parried. They all began to feel the defeat coming, each person contemplating their fate as endless sleep pulled them closer and closer into its embrace. To Khar and K’Chool’s amazement they were still alive, golden armour and swords fending off the Furies as best they could. The dark creatures were not only feeding off the power of their companions’ deaths and new-found success, but they also seemed to draw strength from feeding on the negative emotions of the group. Not long now, they both thought as gigantic, cursed limbs came for them amongst nauseating sounds or crunching bones, snarls and roars of rage. Even in its
normal form, The Nameless was an otherworldly force. Bizarre forms, offbeat rhythms, abnormal attacks and abhorrent noises pushed Gerard back. It deflected Fortune’s flaming sword and cast aside the sister’s attacks easily, always pressing them and unyielding in its onslaught.

  Simultaneously, each member of The Ten found themselves plunged into dark thoughts, some kind of phycological attack taking them by surprise and almost in unison, everyone took final blows from their adversaries. Tchook was hit with a deadly double attack from Adam and Eve, thrusting the black mass to the ground and threatening to stamp out his golden sliver of light. The black and gold struggling under the boot of Adam and was unable to break free. Xiang took a bone crunching kick to the face, sending him sprawling and unconscious across the ground. One of the seeds formed a wicked spike with its arm and started walking towards him to finish the job. Kane turned the screw on Khar, shattering him backwards into a wall, flying three feet off the ground the entire way. At K’Chool’s pause to watch, Abel visited the same fury on her, both of them cradling their ribs and sweating with erratic breathing as they used the wall to pull themselves upright. Gerard took a gut-wrenching blow to his chest and was out of the fight, his broken form falling to the ground. Fortune’s arm got broken with a triple forearm blow that came from nowhere and the sisters were smashed into a wall, held by their necks and struggling to breath in the vice-like grip of Keflack.

  Tor and Eve could feel things slipping away too. No serious injury afflicted them, but enough was being done to dampen their spirits and wear them down. Risking a look around they took everything in, in slow motion. Tchook’s sliver of light was being ground into the floor by sword and shield. Khar and K'Chool stood in defiance, all passion and no bite, two large feral beasts about to draw a line under their conflict. Enyo and Eris were helplessly scraping at alien arms with fingernails that broke, Fortune was holding Gerard up, arm crippled and useless, but fire in his eyes. Finally, they looked at Xiang, the kind man who had given nothing but loyalty and service since Khar and K'Chool had met him. He’d managed to get to his knees after regaining consciousness, but a life ending spike hovered at his shoulder, ready to drive downwards and kill the warrior of light, a loose spiral and with a cross through the middle of it flaring in defiance on the seed’s chest.

  They were finished. Sad that they’d lose and devastated that there was nothing they could do for Rosalind they all thought about how others would take up the fight. Tor hoped the Sojela would stand strong once again against this new evil. Eve hoped Isabella would join them and re-find herself in the process. She also hoped Tae would find peace and help in any way she could. Gerard thought about Sylvane and the royal wolf line as well as Parod and how The Protectorate wasn’t completely corrupt. They would all fight on. They would put an end to evil in their stead. Heroes are for children; good people will not stand idly by.

  “It’s okay Tor.” Eve thought-said. “This isn’t our fight anymore.” He said nothing back, but Eve felt warmth, compassion and love flow through her. They stood facing each other for a moment and visions ricocheted between them. Past present and future mingled with silver and gold intertwining lights. Magiks crackled like fireworks against a black night and memories became one as they took each other in one last time.

  “Maybe it isn’t our fight anymore. But I don’t think I am done just yet.” At that, Tor’s fur shone brightly, blotting everyone out in a blinding cascade that settled into a shimmering mix of colours, white the new addition to the collage. Eve could feel the power emanating from him and she felt invincible as she looked at the stunning white fur, all of a sudden spoiled by some purple. Looking back at Xiang, wicked spike was now headless, limbs drooping and innocently falling sideways. Its companion had also been downed, a huge, stunning and burley Lynx making short work of the seed. Eve smiled, what’s Aitch doing here? Then she realised what’d happened to wicked spike after hearing a Peregrine Falcon calling loudly from above. If Aitch is here, then Jhordair most have come too, colliding with the seed’s heads at top speed. Looking up, to see where he’d come from, Eve was momentarily scared as she saw shadows falling from the sky, but it was short-lived. A Komodo Dragon landed next to Tchook and blasted Adam and Eve away with a tremendous tail sweep. They brought Grieftan as well? She turned her gaze sideways at hearing a tremendous growl being added to the cacophony of noises. A pair of wolves landed, thrusting themselves against Kane and Abel as their paws touched the ground, using their forward momentum to buy the two wounded Sojela time to recover. Sylvane is here too? Mo must have asked for help, senior council members answering the call. She was lost as to how they all got here, the trek being nearly two days and then purple beams of energy showered The Nameless with biting, hot spears of hate. It released its grip on the sisters, who’d nearly passed out from oxygen loss, seeming to curse at the attack from above and Eve smiled.

  “Taeonia of the Silent Flight, Namer of Names, Finder of Places, Surprise Weaver and Ignorer of Voids.” She said-thought. “Well met indeed.” Tor added, as they turned themselves back to their own fight. With Tor’s deep resolve and refusal to give up just yet they surprised the broken Dyad with a new-found intensity and completed their own beautiful, punishing flow of moves that put the Archfiend and Rosalind on their backs. Anyone who was spare, now lent their efforts to the quelling of the Furies who fed off the deaths of the two seeds who’d just fallen. Grieftan and Tchook had Adam and Eve backing towards the altar in the same direction as Kane and Abel. Khar and K’Chool were using the time to recover as Aitch and Sylvane pressed from the sides. In a matter of seconds, the battle was won and the evil they’d been sent to quell were rounded up around the alter. The Furies were still very hard to contain, constantly thrashing out at their new keepers. Adam and Eve were wounded, their symbols fading in and out of sight. The Archfiend and Rosalind were grounded and indignant and having been bested. Finally, enraged at the intrusion, Keflack made some irregular, fragmented body movements and drew into himself before letting out a screech that incapacitated everyone.

  “You are specks of dirt to me.” Annoyance, rage, frustration and superiority infused themselves with his words, physically pressing everyone to the ground so they couldn’t move. He uttered and writhed and sounded terrible sounds, always pushing, always pressing. The mass of tangled limbs and death began to glow and they all knew they were done for. A high-pitched noise whirred and crackled, getting louder and more aggressive. He started glowing and everyone felt the heat, sensing their end was coming. Tor and Eve were wistful at the future they never had. Tchook purred sad sounds as Xiang looked at him, thinking of Po Po. Khar and K’Chool smiled wanly, thankful to have had some time together as more than friends. Fortune and the sisters looked at Gerard, thinking of how grateful they were for having him as their Våpen, as he thought about Isabella and how much he missed her laugh. After a few moments, the noise and the glowing paused for the arrogant being to speak.

  “Time to wipe the slate clean. Time for the worlds to fall.” The noise and glowing resumed and final thoughts were had before there was sputtering, faltering and fading of the light. Screeching in annoyance again, it rounded on a figure stood a few feet away. Xiang was there, standing tall and ready to fight, a slight smirk on his face after having stabbed The Nameless being with wicked-spike’s arm. Tattooed and blighted limbs went to cast him aside, but they stopped as Keflack’s body turned to stone in an instant. A golden sword protruded through the centre of the mass of stony Limbs, Khar on the end of it, a grimace on his face and victory in his eyes. The statue started to crumble and fall to dust as The Ten collected themselves. The fight was over. The Fall, had fallen.

  “You’re still too late.” The Rage cackled, leaning on the altar and getting to her feet.

  “Come to me.” The Mistress followed with. Adam, Eve, Kane, Abel, the Archfiend and the bear cub all coming to her side.

  “The crossing points are open, and The Reaper source is activated. All I need do is speak one word,
and the worlds will be brought to their knees.” She was crying, laughing and maddened by power at what The Nameless had done to her. Her voice taking on some of the diseased qualities that The Fall had used. These versions of her that were talking were sick manifestations of her darkest, inner desires, corrupted by another’s hand. She just wanted to be included. To be loved. She was a child, deformed by dark forces and just needing help. Tor and Eve hoped that the calmness was still in there, hoped they could reach it before Rosalind spoke, but their hearts sank as they knew they wouldn’t reach her in time to stop the final throws of her spell. Surrounded by protective minions and too far away from them it was too late to stop her. Everyone watched in terror, as The Betrayer betrayed the true light within her.

  Everyone held their breath as The Thousand Curses would bring thousands more down upon them all. Everyone cowered as The Last Word would have the last word. She raised her eyes slowly, smiling a grotesque smile and spoke.

  EPILOGUE - OLD BOYS

  Purple lights whirred and thrummed as Obed sat in the chair that formed from the ground. He liked watching them flick past and around him as he communed with Felther, now one of his oldest friends. Some of what he was talking about with the Wind Dancer he wanted to keep from Mo for now, wanting to spare him the worry. Parts of their mission were difficult to process, and he wanted to share information as it became pertinent, managing the shock of what they had to do a little better. He always enjoyed the company of Felther too, large portions of him wanting to keep their relationship just theirs. He knew the ship knew it, but Felther of the Broken Wing respected his friend too much to bring up Obed’s feelings when they spoke. A shared understanding was enough, that Felther reminded Obed of his Dyad was enough. In some ways, they could function as a Dyad, both of them performing better when working together. The ship was faster and more manoeuvrable, his weapons stronger and more accurate. The Nahgwal was focused and more capable, his magiks more powerful and sharp.