The Lord of The Moon

I can’t move. I’m sitting in the corner of the throne room with Cloudrea’s corpse cradled in my arms. It’s almost night, judging by lack of light coming through the window. This can’t be real. This has to be some sort of nightmare. Right? This can’t be happening. I stare into her silver eyes waiting for them to return to life.

“It is happening Kar. She’s gone.” I look up to find Desh’s four eyes staring at me with a peculiar rage to them. What right does he have to be angry!?

I gently lay Cloudrea down and stand to shout at the wolf. “And what did you do to stop it!? I thought you said you’d ‘save’ us! What happened to that!?”

He stands and his voices growl at me. “I did save us! Thou art standing with thy heart still beating, no?”

“What does it matter!? She’s dead because you didn’t save anyone but yourself!”

“And what would thee have me do? Hmm? How was I to save thy child in the presence of Leonhart?”

“Pick her up first, then leave! Run away to safety! Not fight him while she’s still in the room!”

His four eyes squint harder. “Tell me, young elf. How does what I did, differ from thine own actions? Thou rescued her, then marched onto war with her, no? Thou did not bring her to safety before thrusting her unto thy conquest!”
When I don’t immediately respond he continues. “Her death was the consequence of thine own decisions.”

“How was I supposed to know he could use spirits to scout his entire territory at once!? Why didn’t you tell me!?”

“Craven! Do not cower behind thine own lack of knowledge! Thou can read, no? Thou hath resources at thy disposal to learn. Why then, were thee woefully unprepared?”

“I didn’t have the time! I had to learn everything I could from you!”

“Why didn’t thee hath time?”

“Because Alister-“

His endless voices boom over mine. “Alister!? So, thou admit, thou were his puppet! His tool to manipulate as he wished!”

Never. Never have I felt the rage I do now. Never have I known such fury to be possible. Every single fiber of my being wants nothing more than to kill him, right here, right now. “I. Didn’t. Have. A. Choice!”

He tilts his head, amused. “Didn’t thee? Thou knew Alister was manipulating thee, no? Riddle me this. Why then, did thou ask no questions? Made no attempt to refuse his orders. And had no counters to any of his words? Because thou art his puppet. True and true.”

“He wouldn’t answer any questions! He wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer! He would just refuse any requests!”

“Hath thou tried!? No! Thou made no attempts! Even lies give thee answers! All thou had to do, was ask!”
He leans in close to my face. “Thou did nothing but lie down and roll over like a filthy. Loyal. Cur.”

That last word rang in the air for a long while. I scream! A scream so primal, it sounds more akin to a monster! My roars shake the entire castle as I swipe at Desh! Three giant crescent blades pass through him and crash through the walls behind him. He sits down. I roar again and toss another set of blades.

“Thou hath none to blame but thyself. Thine ignorance, unwillingness to question, thy laggard attitude, and thine acceptance of manipulation got thy daughter killed.”

“Silence!”

“Accept thy reality Kar! Accept thy failure!”

“Never! I refuse!”

“Kar’Desh!” That wasn’t Desh. We both jump back ready to attack! It’s Alister. He’s arrived with the others. They each carry torches to illuminate the large room, revealing the endless bones scattered across the floor, the various corpses, and the crystalized blood covering the walls.
“Everyone in the castle was dead when we got here. They looked as though they just bled out despite the lack of injury. What happened here? Who are you yelling at?”

I stare at them for a moment before answering. All the captains, his children, and quite a few knights are with him. They all look at me horrified so I take a moment to look at myself. My clothes have mostly been torn asunder, save for my pants. Thorned chains still hold my wrists, lightly drawing blood. My entire body has been painted in blood. It’s crystalized in large clumps on my fingers and most of my skin has turned a deep shade of red.

Aroura breaks out of her trance and rushes towards me. She places her hands on me and panicky askes, “A-are you injured? Where is-“

I smack her hands away. “I’m fine. Leonhart is dead.”
I point towards the corner where the mangled mess that was once Leonhart lies. “If what you said holds true, then all his supporters have been slain. Victory is mine.”

Alister laughs. “Hear that!? Spread the word! Lord Kar’Desh has slain the mighty lichking Leonhart!”
A hearty ‘huzah’ was raised from the knights but the captains and Aroura don’t celebrate.

She takes a step towards me with pleading eyes. The other captains approach slowly over the bones. When they arrive, Naz is the first to ask. “So… What of-“

He’s cut off by my chain rattling. I pointed to the corner where my greatest regret lies. Everyone except Wal rushes over to inspect. She simply lowers her head and lets her posture slack. “I… I am sorry Kar. Although I know our situations were different I understand how you must feel.”

She goes to place her scaled hand on my shoulder, but I smack it away. “How?”

Her eyes widen and her mouth falls open, but Aroura’s cries overwhelm her. She screams and wails. Her sobs echo off the walls, piecing my ears over and over. My teeth clench together in anger. How dare she. “ENOUGH!”

All heads whip towards me. Aroura’s wails stop for a moment, stifled to sobs. Wal forcefully grips my arm and shouts my name. “Kar! What are-“

“How dare any of you! How dare any of you even pretend to care about her! Or me! None of you have done anything!”
I shove Wal off me and she goes tumbling over the bones. “You! What have you done! You’ve only ever run away! You keep running in hopes someone will save you! But what have you done to return the favour!? Nothing!”
She looks up at me like I’ve just stabbed a dagger through her heart. Don’t look at me like that. I turn to the others. “Naz, what’ve you done? Told me a pathetic sob story to teach me a life lesson? It’s absurd you think that you care about your children. You’ve never cared for anything but yourself and now that you’re at the end of your life you try solider in some desperate attempt to make up for your failed life!”

Toross attempts to interrupt me. “Kar, that’s enough! Why are you doing this!?”

Why am I doing this? “Because I’m tired of useless allies! You’ve never even offered a useful idea! You’ve been so focused on acting like a prick that you forgot to be useful!”
My wrath turns towards Maheed. “Maheed, how many time have we had to save your ass? You keep putting our lives on the line because of your death wish! And you.”
Stop, that’s enough. You don’t need to do this.
She deserves it most of all. My rage turns my gaze onto Aroura. She’s kneeling on the floor holding Cloudrea’s cold body. Tears flood her eyes, and they send me furth down my frenzy. “You’ve done nothing. You’ve never helped me or anyone else. All you’ve done is use me for your own gain. You can drop the act princess. I’m done playing your game. I’ve known about thine appalling attempts to manipulate me for a while now.”

This isn’t like you! Stop this!
And what do you know? “Ever since I gained a little power it’s all been me! I stopped their army! I ended every wizard! I infiltrated the city! I killed Leonhart! Me! Where were any of you!?”
They’re not to blame! I’m ending this! The Moon light peaks through the window and my body begins morphing. No!
I’m not done!
Yes you are! My hands slam against my head and I stumble in place. I have to tell them! “I’m sorry! Curs! This isn’t-“
My arm bends the wrong way with a crisp crack! I yell through my teeth before shouting, “I’ll never give you control!”

My skin rips apart and expands, sending new waves of pain through me. I fall to my knees, then to my hands. I roar as my face breaks apart and stretches!
I deny you Desh! You’re the cause of all this!
I am here to guide thee!

One last cry of pain and I’m transported my core. The shadows dance around us as Desh sits in front of me with his eyes closed. He’s in a trace? That gives me a moment to figure this out. This is my soul, my mana core. I should have complete control over it. With a bit of focus… Yes, I can feel it. My influence feels distant, but it’s there. How can I expel him? Maybe just a normal weapon would do?
I thrust my hand out an attempt to summon a spear. I can feel my power… Underneath him? My palm twists upwards. Almost… I clench my fist and raise it into an uppercut. A spike of white energy penetrates the shadows, causing the sound of a squealing pig to berate into my ears. I spike runs through Desh, impaling him and hoisting into the air!

The spike fades, leaving a large gap in the dark sphere below me. Behind this shroud of darkness lies a world of white flames. After being impaled, Desh’s eyes shoot open and his endless voices roar in anger. “What art thou doing!?”

“Ending our contact! I’m ridding my soul of your curse, one way or another!”

“Art thou daft!? Doing this could destroy us both! Our souls will scatter into nothing!”

I take one deep breath. “If it was a forced separation. To me, this feels natural. This is your end Desh!”
I reach my hand back and slice it forward. The shadows behind me screech after being ripped apart. A crescent blade of light passes through the darkness, hurling towards Desh. He easily avoids it and swipes his paws at me! Pure black blades howl towards me, so I jump out of the way! He took the opportunity to pounce at me, so I throw my hands back and thrust them forward! Two spikes scream past me, skewering Desh!

In a second, the two holes passing through Desh, reform and his enormous jaws clench down on me! With his teeth digging through my back and gut, he furiously thrashes about! My hands maneuver, and two jagged light blades remove Desh’s head! I’m thrown aside as his head and teeth dissipate. I roll across the invisible floor and my body slowly regenerates itself. The torn flesh strings back together, allowing me to move freely again.
Desh’s body lies still as his head reforms. I take the opportunity to throw my fist down. A white flaming sphere crashes through the dark sky and squashes Desh’s body!

He reforms with a primal howl, and I continue to toss attacks at him! We continue our fight for a while. I throw attacks at him, he dodges and sends dark blades back or he barks and throws my attacks of course. My attacks destroy his body, but he immediately regenerates and returns with even more fury! My white flames screech through his shadows, and his dark energy howls my soul to shreds. I regenerate only to find his teeth sinking into my skin and claws ripping me in half. I escape by casting blades or spears through him and we start the process over and over. I can’t keep this up.

Every time, I’m ripped in half, or torn apart, I get slower and emptier. It feels as though I’m being drained. Maybe, I just need to drain him instead. Again, he dodges my spear, and clamps his teeth into me, mangling my body over and over. This time, my hand sinks into his ethereal eye and takes hold. I can feel his power! I need it! Involuntarily, I begin to siphon his energy! More!
He spits me out and jumps away. “What are thee!?”

I scramble to my feet and wildly huck white flames at him, while sprinting at him! That energy! I need more! He keeps his distance and howls. Smaller wolf shaped shadows emerge from him and run to surround me. They easily see my attacks coming and jump out of the way, as they approach me! They bite and tear at me one by one, over and over, while Desh casts howling blades at me!

I throw punches at the wolves, but I can’t hit them! I throw my palms up into the air, and a spire of screaming white flames burns through me! The wolves let out a yelp as they’re consumed by the flames. I need more energy. I can’t fight much longer. But he can’t either. We’re both panting, our reactions have both slowed. Voices echo, “We need not end this Kar! We can discuss this.”

Before I can offer my response, I feel something flowing into me. It reminds me of Aroura. Is she giving me her mana? Then a few other mana streams slowly trickle into me. They’re all giving me what little mana they have. I let the power flow into me as I shout at Desh. “You made me a monster! Clouded my judgement and stole my body!”

“All actions I took were necessary! If not for me, you’d be encased within the soul sphere.”

“And I’m grateful. But you’ve overstayed your welcome. You must leave.”

He growls. “I would, if I could whelp. Thy soul has me locked in place.”

“Unfortunate. Truly. But if I allow you to stay, you will kill me. You’ll either destroy my body or take it. Either way, I die. We cannot be one. We cannot intertwine.”

“After everything I’ve done for thee!? The audacity! The insolence! The blasphemy!”

I’ve stalled long enough. The last drop of mana flows into me. It’s now or never. “Forgive me Desh. But this is where your long reign comes to an end. The Lord of the Moon died ages ago. It’s time to accept that fact.”

His four eyes attempt to crush me with their stare. “So be it. Farewell mortal.”
He howls, and more shadowy figures appear. These look more like werewolves. Their fur is a black fog with four red eyes furiously burning from their heads. The world behind them, a collection of shattered shadows and scattered white flames.
The werewolves rush around me, preparing to strike. I have to wait for the right moment. Desh’s pushes the ground, causing the whole broken realm to jolt upwards! I’m sent sailing through the air, and all the werewolves sling howling dark blades at me!

Desh rushes to where I’ll land and prepares an attack! His mouth is open wide, a pale white light emanating from within his maw. As I fall, the howling blades rip my legs apart, but I don’t regrow them. I only need one hand. I watch dark energy rush pass me over and over, slicing away at my body.
Desh and I roar in unison! I throw my arms out towards him! Two impossibly large beams clash into each other! My white flames consume me and carry me towards Desh! I can’t see anything except my flames. I need every last drop of power I have! My roars redouble as I fall further! Until I have nothing left.

My flames disappear and all that remains is a small glowing black orb. His core! It slowly regenerates, but not before my hands grasp it and drain everything! It’s mine! His mana flows into me and I tremble with delight! More! My arms burn with a black and white flame! More! His wolves rip at my back, but I can’t even feel it!
An explosion!
I’m blasted back by a pulse of energy, completely erasing my body! When I reform, I find Desh laying before me. He’s incomplete. I can see straight through him as though he’s nothing more than an illusion. Parts of his body simply haven’t regrown. Half of his eyes stare at me as I approach.

The yellow pupils quiver as they stare at me. When he speaks, he’s lost almost all his voices. He now speaks with no more than a dozen separate voices. “Mortals. Can’t siphon. The Lordship.”

“What are you talking about? Are you referring to your power? I thought that’s how spirits gain their power.”

“Only malevolent or benevolent spirits. Those who have not yet transcended can’t without ritual. How low have I fallen? To be bested by a mortal. One lonely pup. Oh, how I must appear in their eyes.”

My hand easily passes through his skin as I grab his core once again. “What are your final words Desh?”

He chuckles lightly. “Mayhap, at last, I can be truly free. No longer bound by the worries of a vessel. I suppose I should thank thee. For ending my perpetual misery. At last, my mind holds burdens no longer. I can… Rest.”
Isn’t that what he’s been doing? I slowly absorb his energy. With his final breaths his mumbles. “Prepare thyself mortal. For the memories. Ah, have I pleased thee, Luna? Mother?”

The final parts of his shadowy frame flow into my hand and all shadows from around my core fade away. The white flames surround and blind me. But there’s something else there? Letters? Golden words I can’t recognize float around my core in strange patterns. Do all souls have words? No matter.

My head lays on a hard-cold floor. I pull it up and glance around. Five people surround me and help me stand. The black-haired human asks. “Are you alright! We were so worried! What happened?”

I look at her confused. “Who… Who are you?”