Malevolence had finally reached "The Edge of Insecurities", fortress to the Dark Brethren. A wide eyed, dark haired, young boy greeted him at the entrance grinning from ear to ear.
"I have no time for your foolishness today, Folly." Malevolence said while walking past the boy.
"My aren't we in a bad mood."Folly replied gleefully to Malevolence's remark. Suddenly, with no prior warning at all, Folly just rushed at Malevolence deviously aiming to strike him at his vitals. Malevolence, not missing a step, grabbed Folly by the forearm, swung him around and sent him flying into one of the pillars occupying the long corridor of the fortress. Folly's body dissipated before crashing into the pillar, reassembled atomically and then he decided quickly to hideout in the darkness of the corridor.
Malevolence quietly walked down the corridor listening for the direction of the next incoming attack. He quickly located Folly's position and braced himself for the boy's assault.
"I told you, Folly!" Malevolence began shouting out into the darkness, " I, am not..." Folly came flying in at full speed armed with a deadly blood diamond dagger, aiming once again, to strike at Malevolence's vitals. Malevolence's right arm instantly went feral and transfigured into an enormous claw. He caught Folly in mid air and slammed him through two pillars, finally pinning him to a wall of the corridor.
From the ground with Folly pinned ten feet up against the cold bricks of the corridor's wall, "...IN THE MOOD FOR GAMES!" Malevolence hoarsely finished. The transformation had begun to spread from his right arm throughout the rest of his body as he grew angrier with each passing second. He brought Folly down from the wall toward his face and glared into the boy's cold dark eyes.
"I might just kill you today!"sneered Malevolence, fangs now protruding from his mouth.
However, Malevolence's threat seemed to fall on deaf ears as it bounced off the walls of the corridor. Folly's eye's had grown wider and the grin he wore was even more grimace than before. Malevolence's patience was dissolving quickly as he stared with murderous intent into Folly's smug face, lured like a moth to a flame by the boy's tempting glare.
"Come now, Malevolence. He's just a child after all." came a voice from behind.
"Stay out of this, Deception!" Malevolence shot back to the shadowed figure behind him.
"That is the last child of darkness. He is the only heir to the throne of darkness. Unhand him now, lest you desire to face me!" Deception said stepping out from the shadows.
"Fight the eldest daughter of the late master?" Malevolence thought to himself. He knew better. "Fine, as you wish." he finally replied. Malevolence's transformation had ceased its progression as he had begun to calm down. He then let go of Folly who fell gleefully to the floor landing on his hands.
"Where are Chaos and the others?" asked Malevolence.
"Out searching for the sage, no doubt." Deception replied.
"Well wake me when they get back, would you?" Malevolence called back from over his shoulder as he walked down the corridor disappearing into the darkness leaving Folly and Deception in each others company.
"Sister, why is it that I couldn't see myself in Malevolence's eyes like I can in any human's, the very moment before I slay them." Folly asked, still standing on his hands. Deception looked down at him and responded, "That's simple little brother."
"It's because the only thing that darkness can ever reflect is darkness."
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"Your heart?! Are you insane! Oh my God, how do I end up with these type of guys!" Jackie started in a rage, "Seriously, it's not enough that you fall from only God knows where all banged up, wearing creepy dark armor and all, but come on mister! I mean seriously dude, That's insane!"
Maurich fell again to the ground, this time from exhaustion, in the midst of Jackie's ranting. Jackie may not have understood his plight completely, but she was definitely right about one thing. The injuries that he had acquired during his journey to save a princess he no longer could be with were all very serious and now more than ever desperately craved attention. He woke up bandaged, disoriented nestled in animal fur next to a warm fire. Gathering his strength he attempted to prop himself up but his injuries hadn't yet healed completely and the pain shot quickly throughout his entire body. He wailed out in agony.
"Oh, quiet down you. After I went through so much trouble finding a safe place for us to rest, you're gonna go and a be a dork and just mess it all of that up, right? Typical male."came Jackie's voice for the other side of the cave.
"Where's my armor?" Maurich, having now gotten over the pain was able to ask.
"Don't worry, it's safe." said Jackie as she drew nearer,"You were beat up pretty badly there buddy. I almost feel bad for what I said earlier." Then Jackie grew quiet. Tears began to well up in her eyes. Maurich knew there could be only one explanation for Jackie's sudden withdrawn state. Jackie had seen the huge scar left on his chest from where he cut out his own heart.
"So, you saw it, huh."Maurich said breaking the eerie silence accompanied by tears.
More silence was Jackie's only response yet it spoke volumes. Maurich could not face her any longer. There was nothing sadder than the sight of a woman crying. He turned away to face the cave's ceiling.
"Love is definite, infinite and never ever compensates..."
"Love is... complicated." he began, "I was a dark soul who by chance happened to fall in love with something more brilliant than light itself...I would have given anything to be with her...nothing short of my very own life...She mean-"
*SMACK!*
Jackie's hand was soaked from wiping away her tears. The smack to Maurich's face echoed of the walls of the cave. Maurich, distraught by the sudden interruption couldn't even bring himself to turn and look his assailant in the eyes as she stood over him.
"Tonto!" she started,"So, you would reek pain and destruction on your own life for someone else's benefit? For someone obviously unable to reciprocate and because of what? The sake of some measly notion of a knight's honor or nobility? Is that all your life is worth to you?! Do you not love yourself at all?!"
Maurich immediately turned around, perplexed and infuriated by Jackie's argument, "And what is there to love about this!" he exclaimed looking into her eyes. "You have all the answers, right? So tell me lady, what is there to love about someone like me?!" he inquired intently holding her gaze. "Who would ever want to live something like me, hm?! Answer me!"
Jackie stumbled back shocked by Maurich's response. She could not believe what she was hearing. She did not understand how such a sad existence could even be possible. She stared back into his eyes trying to make sense of it and then she saw it. The darkness that had plague the warrior since birth. She saw every last bit of it, his struggle, the pain, the fear and how in spite of it all he found strength to keep moving forward. She saw a love for someone that simply could not be and then she saw complete and utter darkness for as far as the eye could see save for at the center of it all, were there was a light so bright and so brilliant that everything that she had ever known to glisten or sparkle, veiled in comparison. The light seemed to draw her near. It was both pleasant and inviting. She could hear a voice speaking from within it. It grew louder the closer she approached, until she could make out the words being spoken. The light began to grow and wiped away all the darkness. Everything went white.
Jackie regained consciousness with Maurich sitting next to her. "You fell unconscious all of the sudden. I caught you before your head hit the ground and laid you down were you had me laying." Jackie quickly got up and walked back over to her side of the cave."Just rest up, dummy. You have to heal up if you're going to going off on your crazy little adventure." she said as she laid down facing away from Maurich. Maurich laid back down baffled. He had absolutely no idea what had just happened.
Jackie just laid still, waiting for the knight to fall asleep. She recalled what the voice in the light had said.
"...and out of his darkness, he'll birth brilliance and in death, he'll find life..."
She turned to face the now sleeping knight across from her. Wind accidentally found its way inside the cave and conveniently blew out the fire. Closing her eyes, as she slowly drifted off to sleep she faintly whispered to the sleeping knight,
"You dork, even a miserable knight like you can become king of his destiny."
To be continued...
By: Darrell Maurice Hubbard