Darkness of Heart (pt 3)

  “Names and event or events you are participating in?” the worker asked.

  “Lesion Rayne. Death bout” The small man looked up at him, muttered something that gave Lesion the impression the man was surprised they'd made it to the right room. The irritated shorty turned to face Rukioh.

  “And you?” he asked. Rukioh shifted a little, then answered. “I'm here with Lesion is all.” He scowled at Rukioh and ushered him out of the room, telling him he must leave the premises. Rukioh shouted 'don't lose' and 'good luck' to his brother as he was escorted out.

  'Good luck?' Lesion sighed. He's wishing you well. Take it as it was meant. Lesion shook his head, then held it tightly with his hands. He let go, and saw several people staring at him. He swore at them and walked out of the room, almost walking into the little man. Lesion stopped and turned around as he passed him.

  “Where do I sleep?” Lesion said loud enough to know that he would be heard. Without turning around, the small man said, “Not my problem. Figure it out yourself.” He sure was a lot of help... Lesion thought darkly as he turned around and walked out of the coliseum, where Rukioh stood, tapping his foot.

  “Let me guess. We've gotta find our own place to stay the night?” Rukioh asked sardonically.

  “You could have just said, 'I told you so'.”

  “Aw, but that wouldn't have been as much fun.” Rukioh grinned. Lesion smiled back and walked over to him.

  “I take it this means you found a place, right?” Lesion asked. Rukioh feigned shock.

  “I can't believe you would actually ask that!” They both grinned. “It's the Kasian Inn. The only place that still had any open rooms. Which is because, I'll add, it's your kind of place.” Lesion smirked and told him to lead the way.

  They arrived at the inn, which, though devoid of people for the most part, was very loud. Lesion and Rukioh looked at each other, nodded, then turned around and walked out.

  Nothing was spoken as they searched for a place to make camp. After several long minutes, they found a spot they agreed on. They quickly got everything set up, then fell asleep.

  Lesion's eyes flashed open, but he remained motionless, listening closely for any sound of movement nearby. Something, or someone, must have made a sound to wake him up. Then he heard it. A muffled footstep on the grass, and it didn't sound far away. As the seconds passed, he could hear a few more steps. By the sound of it, he figured there were at least three of them. Lesion silently slid his hand beneath his pillow and grabbed the handle of his knife tightly.

  The person from whom Lesion first heard the footsteps stopped. Lesion lashed out with his knife, cutting deep from the man's shoulder and up across the neck. Blood sprayed from his neck as he fell to the ground, his eyes wide, bewildered and filled with fright. Lesion hurried to his feet as two more men threw themselves at him.

  Lesion quickly jumped out of the way, then threw his knife into the further opponent's chest. The remaining man glanced down at his fallen comrade that was writhing in pain on the ground. He glared at Lesion, who returned the favor. Lesion brought up his fists as his opponent pulled out a sword with a dark and malicious grin.

  Lesion held his position as the man dashed forward, thrusting the blade at his chest. Lesion quickly stepped to the side and brought his knee up sharply into his stomach. As his assailant started to double over, Lesion kicked his knee. A loud crack and a piercing scream immediately filled the air. Lesion quickly silenced the screaming by snapping his neck.

  Surprisingly, there was no major reaction from the nearby town. Lesion shrugged, figuring that if people didn't notice or care about why those sounds were made, he needn't make a bigger deal out of it. He turned over to check on Rukioh, who was looking at him through eyes filled with tears and pain.

  “Lesion, why did you kill them?” Tears continued to fall from Rukioh's eyes as he spoke sofly, yet harshly. Lesion put his hand to his face, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

  “It was self defense. Their intentions were to kill, so I handled the situation accordingly.”

  “That doesn't mean you have to kill them!” Rukioh shouted as he walked quickly over to Lesion. Lesion stood still, facing his brother and looking at him square in the eye.

  “Look, you should know life isn't some happy fantasy! Either they died, or we died. I mean, if I let them live, I'm sure there are others they would have gotten to join up with them so they could try again later. All I did was end a bad situation quickly and decisively.” Rukioh stared at Lesion, and for a moment, Lesion expected tears to leak out. Instead, he just turned from Lesion and walked over to his belongings.

  Lesion sat down, pondering. I don't get him. We came here for me to participate as a gladiator in a death bout. He knew the whole time I'd be killing people, and he didn't raise this kind of a fuss about it. Besides, these people were murderers, not people trying to make some money to buy food and survive in this hell longer.

  Lesion closed his eyes and meditated. After a few minutes, his eyes popped open as he realized what must be the reason Rukioh was upset that Lesion killed them. Why didn't I see it before?! If we had kept at least one alive, we could have found out exactly as to why they were trying to kill us. Now we won't be able to find out until we're attacked again.

  “Lesion? What do you intend to do with the bodies?”

  He looked over at Rukioh. This is for you big brother, he thought as a feeling of peace settled inside him. “Well, I imagine they had friends or family. We'll take them closer to town while everyone is still asleep so that they'll be found in the morning.” Rukioh nodded, with a look of relief in his eyes

Reversing Retribution pt. 3

            Aidan drove around, not caring where he went so long as it was unfamiliar and open.  Maybe it’s overkill, Aidan thought, but I’m starting over.  New life, new apartment, might as well get a new stargazing spot too.  He drove towards a canyon that had come into view.  It was maybe another forty minutes to it, and hopefully it would have a nice spot for him to lie back and watch the beauty of the night sky.

            He turned on the music, listening to his car blast the music on his CD.  For the first time that he could remember, he had a real smile forming on his face.  “Tonight really is a turn for the better,” Aidan whispered to himself, “It must be.”

            It was a peaceful drive.  Only on rare occasion did he see another car on road.  He reached the canyon and continued.  It was a sight to behold as he drove.  The mountains, the changing trees, a small river just off the road… all of it was breathtaking even in the darkness of the night.  This would be a night to remember.

            Aidan started searching for roads trailing off to a more open area so he could have a nice view of the sky.  Soon enough he spotted a small road trailing off to the left, curving upwards to what might be that open area he’d been hoping for.  He turned left and followed the road up.  The smile that was on his face widened as he saw that it was just as he hoped, possibly better.

            He parked his car in the middle of the open area, a little off where the road was, and turned off the car.  He reached in the back and pulled out the blanket he’d brought with him to keep warm in the chilly autumn air.  It was only when he stepped out of the car that he noticed he wasn’t the first one here.  Aidan decided to go say hi to whomever he’d be sharing this wonderful night stargazing with.

            “Hey, do you come here often?” Aidan called out while he was still a ways away, so as to not scare the person he was approaching.  The figure was lying on the car and looked at Aidan.  It was a girl, but he couldn’t tell much more than that.

            “Just whenever I feel like getting away for a while,” she said with a bit of laugh, “What brings you up here? I’ve never seen anyone else around this spot.”

            “Same as you I imagine.  Get away from things for a night, watch the stars from a beautiful spot.” He smiled as he stopped just a couple of feet away from her car.  The girl sat up and faced him.  She took a moment looking at him.  Her eyes on the blanket, she smiled.

            “I don’t suppose you’d share that blanket with me would you?” she asked with a shiver.  Aidan laughed.

            “Of course.  By the way, I’m Aidan.” He stepped forward and offered his hand.  She reached and shook it.

            “Aubrey.  So, you coming up or what?”  Aidan grinned and climbed up, quickly wrapping the blanket around them, as they lied back, gazing up into the starlit night.

Reversing Retribution pt. 2

(Connects to where I left off).  The door slammed behind the man.  Aidan heard the distinct click of the door locking just as he got onto the porch.

            Nothing will stop me! Aidan’s brain was screaming as he readied to kick down the door.

            Time froze at that moment.  There wasn’t any hesitation, but the moment just seemed to not end.  Every detail was being burned into Aidan’s memory as it was happening. Her expression, that impossibly amazing smile, the brightness in her face, the joy beaming from her eyes, all of it was perfect for this too short of an endless moment.

            Aubrey’s lips parted as she took a quick breath, then screamed like a giddy little girl “Yes!”  Aidan grinned and slowly slid the ring onto her finger.  On cue, fireworks went off.  Aubrey jumped with excitement and held onto Aidan.  As they both watched the small firework show Aidan had set, Aubrey leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed happily.

            “This is perfect Aidan.  I love you, I always will.”

            With a sudden, loud crack Aidan kicked the door in.  No one was in sight in the dark house.  His ears immediately took charge, listening for the slightest of sounds.  He stood motionless, eyes closed, waiting for the vile coward to move.

            Long seconds ticked by.  Then the quiet creak of wood floor reached Aidan’s ears.  The man was upstairs.  Aidan started to go up the stairs, then stopped suddenly.  The few seconds of standing still let his mind get back to thinking instead of just acting.  Aidan found his way to the kitchen, and grabbed a long straight-edged knife.  He also took a frying pan and checked the drawers until he found duct tape, still listening intently for any further sounds from upstairs.

            Treading lightly Aidan made his way up the stairs quietly, lucky to not step anywhere that would make the floor creak.  At the top, Aidan’s heart began to throb as it continued to race.

His emotions and thoughts were spiraling into a heavy feeling.  Hate drove out the impending fear that the killer would kill him before he could take his justice, his revenge, giving this man true retribution.

            The sound had been directly above him when he heard the squeak from downstairs by the now broken front door.  Aidan turned to face the room where another person would be dying this night, and went forward slowly.  His breathing became progressively more shallow and slow until he was close to not breathing at all.  The door was already open.  Aidan had only one step to take to be in the room.

Woe of the Heart

The heart beat, strong yet fleeting,

goes as time wears on, ticking away,

the countdown to its last day. 

Each beat keeping it breathing,

but drawing it ever closer,

to the reaper's front door. 

Ironic, or simply misleading?

That the only way to stay alive,

is to bring itself closer to that final dive.

Another Poem

Delusion

What lies beneath the skin,

At the core of us all?

A soul twisted with sin,

Hidden behind a fancy wall?

Perhaps simply nothing is there,

Nothing beyond a body and brain,

Devoted to escaping that final snare

And shallow pleasure to keep them sane.

It's interpreted in so many ways,

the most common: to be ignorant,

Afraid of an answer to clear the haze,

And accept change always as incipient.

Reversing Retribution [Novel]

Be sure to check out the bottom of my blog for information and a link about this book being made into a movie!


Here's the start of the novel, though with this novel I won't be posting much, just this and maybe a little piece later as well so you can all get a taste of how this novel will be.

CHAPTER 1

What does it mean to take someone’s life away?  Does it mean ‘murder’?  ‘Homocide’?  Can the act of ending that which is irreplaceable and irreversible be defined with words?  Can words truly describe what happens when one ends another?  Hell, if it is possible, is the definition the reason? How it was done? Or maybe the consequences combined to create the result?

            All of these questions seem to only spawn more.  Is finding the answer impossibly complex, or simply impossible?  One could say it’s a matter of perspective, or that it depends on the context, but that doesn’t change the act itself.  Maybe only those who have blood on their hands can understand the answer; or, perhaps, it’s an answer so simple that no one realizes that it’s right there waiting to be found, just as so many things are.

            These thoughts, these questions, consumed Aidan’s mind, clouding it.  Then in a flash his mind was devoid of all thought, save that of revenge, as images of his dead fiancée filled his mind.

            He opened his eyes, looking down at Aubrey’s body, and became cold. The images that had just filled his mind, the images that were lying before him, shattered and disappeared as a picture of Aubrey’s killer took hold. Then just one word seemed to answer the question clawing in the back of his throat.

            Retribution.  His eyes closed for a moment, then opened again. His clothes were soaked, dripping with her blood, but he wasn’t kneeling in the puddle of her life anymore.  His body sprinted without conscious thought in the direction the killer had fled, his drenched shoes leaving a trail of bloody prints behind on the faded wood flooring.

           

            Aidan’s heart started to speed up, accelerating faster with each beat.  Everything was going as planned, just a few more seconds and he’d be asking his life or death question.  Aubrey turned her head to look at him and smiled, her face shining beautifully in the moonlight.  She was absolutely glowing!

            Then there was his cue, and he turned her completely toward him as he knelt down on one knee. His mouth opened and his heart seemed to stop. His eyes met hers and he could see her surprise forming on her face as she started to blush.

            Aidan pulled out the ring and smiled brightly, no longer nervous.

            “Aubrey, will you marry me?”

            Aidan’s eyes were windows to a void.  The squishing and sucking of his shoes going down onto and back off of the floor seemed like an empty echo.  Aidan plowed through an old wooden door, not letting anything slow him down.  The sounds from his shoes changed to the muffled flattening of the grass.  His mind didn’t seem to be doing any of the work, but somehow it was making sure the body went where the killer went, following the faint trail of flattened grass he must have left behind.

              Suddenly Aubrey’s killer was in a view.  Just as the void started turning rapidly into a torrent of emotions, a small thought sprung up in Aidan’s mind.  Will killing him justify her death?  Aidan slowed down for just a second, shaking his head violently to get the question out of his head.  His emotions clouded it over immediately and Aidan was sprinting after the man again.

            Blood was no longer the only trail he was leaving behind as tears Aidan didn’t realize were there fell freely.  The grass changed to cement, then quickly to asphalt.  The distance between Aidan and his target was shortening rapidly.

            The man turned his head to look behind.  His eyes widened with absolute terror and he ran immediately for the door of the closest house.

Novel 1 / 3 (page 2)

All but a tiny sliver of the sun had descended out of view by the time the coliseum was in full view. The town of Glade, surrounding the coliseum, was bustling with activity. Everyone in sight was either talking excitedly about the games, or haggling. The marketplace, which was placed conveniently in front of the entrance to the coliseum, was especially busy. Children buying wooden swords and shields, bows and arrows, and other items pertaining to the next day's activities, while the adults discussed them and whom they might be gambling on. Any festivities that had not been set up were busy doing so.

Lesion led the way through the busy town, allowing nothing to slow him down. Whenever Rukioh started getting distracted, Lesion quickly got him back in line, saying, “later.” They arrived at the coliseum entrance shortly, but were stopped by a pair of heavily armored guards.

“Only participants may enter.”

“Right. So let us in,” Lesion said. The guard on the left stepped aside, but the guard on the right stood there glaring through the visor of his helmet. Lesion looked at him, unblinking. The guard looked frightened for a second, blinked a couple of times, then stepped aside. Lesion walked through with Rukioh just behind him.

Rukioh sighed. “You know, there's no need to treat the people around us like trash.”

Lesion stopped and looked at him, then surprised Rukioh by speaking lightly: “Well, sure, there's no need, but it's entertaining.”

Rukioh grabbed Lesion roughly and pulled him until they were face to face.

“I don't care if you find it entertaining. Stop doing it.” Lesion pulled away, and waved his hand as he started walking. Rukioh took a deep breath, let it out slowly, then followed him into the room.

As Lesion's foot lifted and started moving forward at a confident pace, the room came into full view. Immediately his eyes flashed across the room, his mind processing rapidly. From left to right, there were eight people, the one standing just to the left clearly wasn't a participant, as he was holding the registration papers. Sitting on a bench behind him was one of the kindgom's 'shining knights', still in his shimmering armor. His shoulders were leaned slightly forward, showing that he was not as confident as one should be that's entering a death bout. Had he been sitting astute, it would be assumed that he was a talented, confident knight, and didn't care using some energy to look proper before the matches began. Had he been more lax, it could have meant that he was cocky and talented, bragging by wearing his armor, and not using the energy to appear proper in it.

As Lesion's foot continued in a casual lift, his mind focused on the others. The bald man sitting next to the knight had muscles on muscles. The chances were greatest that he was proficient with a heavy weapon, like a war hammer or large axe, as opposed to a sword. His eyes showed a lust not for the winnings, but for the kill. Continuing right, a pair of tall twins were standing next to eachother. One male, one female. Yet, definitely twins. The man was heavier muscled, but had nothing on the bald fighter. He could be skilled with a number of weapons. Two short swords, maybe a longsword? Lesion moved on to the other twin. She was slim, but very toned. She wouldnt be using a single, heavy weapon, but her possibilites were still decently wide. While both seemed comfident enough, the woman left a lasting impression with her eyes. Not a drop of fear in them, nor was there lust of any kind; simply an astute coldness.

Lesion's foot peaked and began to descend. A cloaked man stood there, no skin showing, face concealed. Wonderful. One of two things are likely here. Either he's extremely skilled, or an incompetent fool. Figuring the latter to be more likely, Lesion's brain continued analyzing. The next combatant was sitting on a bench, fingers massaging his temple. Nothing stood out about him. He was likely a man who knew how to fight, but did not care to live, so figured he'd join the deathbout.

His foot was near the ground as he mentally scanned the last fighter. Seeing the almost hidden fear in the man's eyes, Lesion figured he was inconsequential. Only an inexperienced gladiator would try and throw their opponents off with such a weak trick. Lesion's foot landed, and he continued his confident stride, walking briskly in the room far enough so Rukioh could follow him inside. Lesion turned and walked to the short, balding man with the papers.