Tale of Storys.

[CoolNard]

"Swift, if you have anything to say, now is your chance...."

I turn to Suzette.

"Su, I don't specialize in summons and dividing my power, as Tatsu is," I start. "But within me, Yogensha has helped me discover my inner dimensions. You were there when I woke up from the ordeal."

She nods.

"I can now free and manipulate seven aspects of myself. I want Tatsu to understand this as well. I've been through so much in life that my body doesn't know how to react anymore; my lifestyle has always been some underlying form of defense mechanism, except... It's been reconfigured to become a literal warfare system."

"Is that what you used in our skirmish earlier?" Tatsu shrewdly asks.

"Perceptive, Tatsu. You had a face-off with Fiery, one of my seven dimensions. I've named this warfare system, Seven Sins. I guess you could call them split personalities, or rather, split characters. We're all part of the same personality - Swiftant, but we exist for different functions and situations. Because my characteristics vary drastically to suit those functions, I'm split. Nonetheless, we only pursue the same goal...

... Freedom."

"It's strange for me to refer to myself as 'we', isn't it?" I sigh.

"Nah-uh." Suzette shakes her head. "It's totally understandable. All of us were born with a reservoir of feelings. You're you because of what you've been through. Your reservoir has so many features that wouldn't have been if they didn't happen. I think you're refreshing and beautiful, Guntros." I blink.

"H-how did you find out my real name?" I ask.

"We're together, you'd think I'd know by now." She winks. "Swiftant is a reservoir born from Guntros; the present you that I'm in love with."

I lean over and kiss her, just as how I remember Aisha had done.

"Come forth, Kamikaze," I whisper into the wind. At once I feel my body clenching in profound, bottomless depression. I can't tell up from down. It doesn't matter if I die, I can't die anyway; no one cares if I'm hurt, only I care about demolishing my enemies. Then I'll resurrect, and no one shall stand in my way.

"Urghh... Kamikaze, dissimilate..!" I rasp. A clone of me stands in our midst. He's semi-transparent, a being one could see through, but undeniably there. The frequency of his existence, the wavelength of his particles seem ethereal; an astral apparition of Swiftant glares at us.

"You guys... should have seen... this," I pant, still stressed out by the extremity of my other self."

"So, that wasn't just my imagination or blurred vision." Tatsu rubs his eyes before perusing Kamikaze.

"Well, I thought it was a reflection in the window pane, or an afterimage of your high speed, at best," Suzette says, unable to maintain her poker face.

"He's a different dimension than the other one. Meet Kamikaze," I introduce.

"But Swift, you had a really unusual facial expression before Kamikaze appeared, as if you were in great pain or something," Suzette worriedly says.

"Yes, this aspect has suicidal tendencies," I clarify, though after seeing Tatsu's and Suzette's face, I add, "But he is almost immortal, he can't die unless I command him to. That's the main reason why I'm having him escort Su. The chance that he will sustain a fight, in any event, is a hundred percent."

"Wait a minute, wouldn't it be rather pointless if Kamikaze attempts suicide or tries to take down anyone indiscriminately?" Tatsu asks.

"Don't worry, he can't do anything without my orders. Like I said, he's a third eye to me. For the most part, he'll just be a mindless companion. But if I see any threat, I can unleash his willpower from wherever I am. He will attack the entity that poses the most danger. As for his tendencies, he might be a little bit different, but in essence, he's still me, so he'll listen to you, as well, Su."

I close my eyes and telepathize my plans to Kamikaze's now submissive body.

"There you go, he's all yours now." Kamikaze mounts Flearin and stretches his hand out to Suzette. She accepts it and with a skip, settles herself on the saddle, in front of Kamikaze.

"Treat him as you'd treat me, Su. Somehow I'll always be by your side, watching over. Cherish him and soothe his wail for him, and for me, please."

Suzette lowers her head and our lips meet again, soon to part.

"If loving him is loving you, then for now, I'll love him more than anything else in the world."

"And he'll love you, too, in my place... So, don't die before I win that place back."

I can hear the soldiers' coarse, contemptuous shouts behind. That heavy, controlled marching is unmistakable. They're fast approaching.

"Alright, Swift, time to send her away," Tatsu says.

"Giddy up," I say, my eyes refusing to let her go.

"Be off, Flearin," Tatsu commands. And the mythical summon, carrying Suzette and Kamikaze, gallops off into Aegis... I see Suzette's cherubic face, hair, body and hand almost splaying backward, then, in a single warped ripple, they vanish into the horizon.

"Hey Tat," I suddenly say.

"What?"

"I can't let Aisha... I can't let Mother live in a corrupted, pretentious, dung-infested town like this. They're after us. They live by dragon laws. One way or another, we will make this a one-sided battle and crush them!" I smile, from ear to ear. Blood escapes from my mouth and I stop biting my tongue. My bottom jaw is drenched with blood, perhaps I needed an appetizer for this.

"Since when, Swift?" Tatsu inquires, almost too stoically and knowingly, as we whirl around to preview the city's raving military - rake and torch-wielding villagers, warriors, mages, assassins and all.

"Since you asked if I had anything to say. I had to grit my teeth in-between talking, but my tongue kept getting in the way." Red spews everywhere in my vision; the houses and sky and ground are bleeding. I will judge Shinkirou, now!

[Kanji_The_Wanderer]

“I will judge Shinkirou now!” Swift pulsing with hate, shakes the earth with his malice. Head lowered, chin pushed forward. His eyes bore a death glare so intense, it made half of the militia before us flinch. His brow crinkled into itself. Slowly and meticulously he moved one foot forward, as to beckon anyone to even try and make any sudden moves.. Shoulders raised, and tensed. His fingers were outstretched and curled. Blood dripped from his chin, and onto his boot. In sort, Swift looked like a lunatic. Wide eyed, and red, he was possessed “by an aspect of himself” or so he eloquently put it... He said he could free and manipulate these aspects. What if they can in turn manipulate him as well? Suzette said something that Swiftant was also an aspect, of a whole being known as Guntros. All of this was so confusing, but from what I was guessing now, Swiftant wants to destroy the city, or his vengeance was taking over.

“Tatsu.” Swift spoke out, over my thoughts. “Stand there and watch. This is my vengeance it has naught to do with you....” His hand, quivering and shaking with excitement, reaches down and frees an eager Zeus from it's holster. “Zeus and I will show these worms what it means to have self-respect.”

“Swiftant.” I speak out calmly and plainly. “These people...These villagers have nothing to do with this. They aren't soldiers of the Dragons.”

“No, just pawns.” Swift cuts over me. “They aren't innocent. Everyone in this town is in service to the Dragons. The poor work in the fields to harvest for the dragons, they mine for jewels for Shakura, everything. They live in such ignorance, that they haven't the slightest inkling that their life is in service to the Dragons. I shall free them from their ignorance.”

Before I am able to speak against this I hear him mutter “Lightfoot.” With that he launches himself from the ground and into the air. In mid-air he shouts out “Annihilation!”

Violently, he swings Zeus down onto the heads of the villages, a trail of red light zips down from Zeus and Swift. With but a stroke, Zeus is drenched in blood and numerous villagers are dead. Cracking of bone, splitting of marrow. Bodies fall like dolls, he intends to spare none. The warriors and mages who couldn't keep up, turn to try and find Swiftant. He's too fast for them. He's moving too quickly for them to even see. This isn't a battle. It's slaughter. His words pierced me. “They are servants of the dragons.” What made him think this? Did he find this out from Aisha? He must have because suddenly he has become keen on aiding her. He'll kill for her. Is this because of Suzette? His love is moving him to kill off an entire city... But who am I to justify otherwise? If it was for Shima, Nozomi, I would probably commit the same act. That is why I must not be too concerned with trying to stop him. I think I was more entranced by his sudden character change.

I watched as he hacked limbs off of the warriors. The mages feebly trying to muster the energy to cast a spell in the skirmish.

Yogensha. I speak out in my mind. I know you can hear me. What have you done to Swiftant? This ability you have given him. This power. It is a double-edged sword. While his power has increased exponentially, he is more prone to be subjected to influence. You having awoken the other aspects of his soul. For he himself created Swiftant from Guntros. You dangle in front of him his other sides. Make him aware of them. In thus, making them also aware of him.

After but a moment of silence Yogensha speaks out to me. “Ohh. I see you have managed to figure it out just after him explaining such a small detail to you? You are quite the genius, Tatsu, and I don't mean that facetiously. Yes it is true. This is a stage that Swiftant, no Guntros must overcome on his own. Even now he continues to be tested. By himself, and by his will... Six other sides of himself. Anger, coldness, cunning, evil, revenge, and self-reproach. Known as Fiery; Frost; Venom; Shadow; Vengeance; Kamikaze. This now is Vengeance. Brutal and malevolent. As you can see all these aspects are negative. Swiftant, is the first aspect, the only one who can demonstrate kindness and love. Alone he is easily overcome by the other six. If he doesn't create the power needed to keep them at bay, then they will engulf and destroy him... You can save Swiftant though. You possesses the tenacity to stop them, and in doing so empowering him.”

Before I knew it, Yogensha's voice was gone, as well as Swift-er, Vengeance rather. A large explosion rattled me. I quickly look up over the trees and see smoke and fire coming from the city. He's attacking Shinkirou head on...

I must move now...

[Kanji_The_Wanderer]

The explosion rumbles through the grove. Smoke and flame shoot skyward,. “This is just what we needed...” I speak out sarcastically. “We were supposed to be heading out of here. Every second we dawdle, ever minute we lag behind, the Dragons move one step above us. We need to move onward. This is quite troublesome...” I glance about at Swift's latest victims. The manner in which their bodies were torn apart where animalistic ...

“Alright..” I whisper into the breeze. Pounding my fist into my palm, I stand idle, and concentrate on Swift's presence. I close my eyes, and envision his aura, I can clearly feel it's vibrant nature. I will myself, and use my time-space technique, to bring myself directly to Swift's side. Upon opening my eyes, I had expected to be standing somewhat near to wherever Swift would be currently located. But to my surprise, I was standing further away, back at the edge of the barrier, where we parted ways from Suzette. Whaa? I think stupefied. What happened to Swift's presence? Why did my tracking ability fail? Why was I transported back? Then it hit me like a ton of bricks... Swiftant's aura is gone. Taken over by this new embodiment. This being, this Vengeance, the one going on a war path was a completely different person. Swift has been gone, he left with Suzette. Her presence was keeping Vengeance in check. His growing rage had a veil placed carefully upon it by Suzette's pure and caring soul. Now that she was gone, this inner demon was able to break through the seams and escape. I couldn't feel the aura of Vengeance. Simply put, I don't think he had one.

“This creature is not of this world.” Wait. I know this. A revelation had befallen me. This is preordained.

Yogensha! I erupt in my mind. Your existence has become clear to me now! I know what you are. Any true summoner could see the signs! You, the million year old soul!

Yogensha is silent. But I know all to well that he is there, and he is listening.

The Tale, past down from summoner to summoner since this accursed world was formed.

“The wandering seer who gives strength to the youthful, will pave the way for seven paths, seven elements of man. We will emerge from a million year sleep and set history in motion.” This was uttered by the first summoner on his deathbed. He made a contract with fate, and in doing so, was able to see into the distant future. I know who it was now.... It was you, Yogensha! The first summon!

“Tatsu...” Yogensha finally speaks out from the void. “I never thought someone would grasp the absurd truths of the debacle of a dying man.” I stay silent, and continue to listen.

“Yes. I was the first summoner. I summoned the Dragons from their world. They were not indigenous to this dimension. Through telepathy, and years of study, I made a contract with fate. I had more power than you could ever fathom. As you can see, a million years have past, even in death my power still far exceeds any Dragon. I felt that mankind needed an ally, someone to keep him in check, and make them even more righteous and amazing in the future. But the Dragons turned against us, and defied us. I have watched events unfold and transpire around the world. But I could watch no longer, to rid the world of the plague that I unleashed, I called upon the most brightest and talented youths in all of Etrirea. You, a summoner of like mind, was the most promising. But you died before I could make contact. I had to keep you alive to aid Swiftant. For I knew he was the incarnation of the seven elements of man....”

Yogensha materializes himself within my mind. He looks exactly as he did when I saw him in Hell. An old shriveled up man, wrapped in heavy robes.

“After making a contract with fate, I was tricked, I had no idea that after my death I would remain alive, in this purgatory, my existence gave way to the summons as you know them now. My soul was the link to other dimensions. As you know, beings such as Gana, Enu, Flearin, are from other dimensions, and we call them here through the power hold within. My actions caused this event, I linked the dimensions to ours, and set this all in motion. And now, that you know about me, now that you know I am a summon, we must make a contract.” Yogensha holds out his hand from under his robes. Each one of his fingers in decorated with brilliant rings. Each ring contains a jewel. Red, green, blue and yellow. The elements of the world.

“What do you mean we have to make a contract?” I reel back, and step onto my heel.

“I raised you from the dead Tatsu. I put my energies into you. I sowed your soul back to your world. You owe me far more than you could imagine.”

Anger starts to grow in me. “You tricked me!”

Yogensha sighs heavily. “You were the first. The first one to figure out my curse. In order for me to move on, I must make the first summoner who discovers me a summon.”

This can't be. “What do you mean?! Make me a summon?!” Yogensha steps closer to me. But I can't move. I am trapped in place.

“No contract Tatsu.... It is Fusion. When you die, you will become just like me, a wandering spirit, floating endlessly between the dimensions. When you die, you won't go to heaven or hell. You will merely exist, trapped until another sets you free, and in turn receives your role...This is the curse, the cost of playing with fate. You must suffer for my actions. It is the price we pay, the summoners, who follow the same bloodline.”

I am at a loss for words...This can't be. I don't understand. Why did this have to happen.

I stand within the void of my mind...alone...bound...

[SweetSuicide]

"If loving him is loving you, then for now, I'll love him more than anything else in the world." My eyes locked dead into his. Wishing this moment wouldn't end. I wanted to just hold him and have him know that everything was going to be okay.

"And he'll love you, too, in my place... So, don't die before I win that place back." I could see in his eyes wanted to say more but Tatsu cut him off.
"Alright, Swift, time to send her away," Tatsu says.

"Giddy up," Swift say, his eyes refusing to let me go.

I couldn't take my eyes off him either. I just wanted him to be with me where I knew he would be safe. But I knew in my heart that what was going on was right. Swift had to be with Tatsu. I had to go my own way and they had to go their own. This is why we had all come back together. This was the plan. I took Flearin’s reins and focused myself on what was going to happen now. I had to get to Asgard and find out what was going on there.

And with Kamikaze, this alter being of Swift, I knew things would be okay.
I didn’t say anything as we left. I was still trying to figure out fully how I had knew who Swift really was. How he had not guessed I would have figured it out. And after seeing Kamikaze appear in front of me I wondered if I could love him as much as I loved Swift, even if it was for the time being. There weren’t enough words I could find to explain this connection I had formed with Swift. It was deeper than love. I guess my thoughts caused me to start to tear up because suddenly my vision had come blurry. I wiped my eyes and put my fighting face back on. You’re stronger than that. You were strong before him and you can be strong without him for this time. You just need to keep your head on straight and keep focused. I hadn’t realized how fast Flearin was running until that moment. Tatsu was right. I loved horses, but I have never been on one this fast in my life. I was used to riding wild horses in the countryside when I was traveling but this, this was something else. The wind was rushing past us. Nothing could keep up with us. I loosened my grip on his reins because I could feel the blood pulsing through my hands where the reins were sitting. I look back over my shoulder. I see Kamikaze there but my heart sees Swift. I leave one hand on the reins and place the other on his. It feels just like Swift’s. I’m taken back for a second but then I remembered something my mother told me. Even though you may be apart, I’ll always be with you in your heart. I hoped Swift could feel my hand on Kamikaze’s hand. I didn’t say a word. In all honest, I was still in shock really from what had all happened. But knowing this dimension was a suicidal killer, even not being able to kill himself unless Swift commanded him to, didn’t give me much hope.

“Kamikaze, do you swear not to do anything crazy when we get to Asgard?” I could hear my voice shaking a little in fear of hearing his answer… or his voice…

“I will not Suz. I was told to listen to you and that is what I will do.” I could hear Swift in there, but also, something much sadder and hurt and slightly insane. Like he really could kill everything and everyone and not be bothered by it. I took my hand off his and grabbed hold on the reins again. This isn’t the worst you’ve dealt with. Think of everything you had to deal with to get to this point. This is going to be a walk in the park. I lowered my head down and just began to mumble the lullaby my mother taught me. Kamikaze rested his head on my back as I hummed the tune.

“Could you sing it for me? It sounds lovely.” His voice just was crying out in pain. I could tell. I’ve heard it so often in other’s voices.

“Sure.” I tried to remember all the words before I started to sing. “Long ago and far away, things I often dream of. There is a place for you and I. Staying strong in love’s pure light. Dream away my sweet child, Dream until you dream no more, then one day when you shall dream, you’ll dream some more.” The words trailed off. I couldn’t believe after all these years I remembered this lullaby. I turned my head slightly down to see Kamikaze. He was sleeping, looking finally out of pain and at rest. How many times have I hummed this tune for Swift and he looked the same? I turned my eyes forward.

I was going to Asgard and I was coming out alive. I had to.

[CoolNard]

"Blood traitors," comes the murmurs, stark and crude under daylight.

"Spies, like mother like daughter."

"At least we raped Aisha, that made us feel better, dinit?"

"Yeah, because of the outside world and the government... The dragon here does a good job of easing our curiosities!"

"Wanted to do Suzette too, it's her fault for bringing downfall to Shinkirou!"

"She shoulda stayed, that piece of half-dragon trash. No one's goina luv a mongrel like her."

"Hey, looks like her boyfriend's mad... Ha ha ha ha."

"Don't worry, he can't kill us, this is Aisha and Suzette's hometown! They wouldn't want anything to happen here, would they?"

"Listen brats, leave this place or be prepared to mourn their... unnatural deaths!"

I telepathize to Kamikaze. He's holding Suzette in an embrace, she's singing. Safely far, far away from Shinkirou. Good, I won't have to demonstrate mercy. I'll explain things to Aisha later. I want to kill them with the hideous expression I have forsaken for so long. However I don't plan on giving the village the honour of being razed in an instant by my full strength. Why should I, when I can take my time tormenting them and making a mockery out of them? I will skin them alive and make them pay with their blood and smash them into the bowels of death.

What is this? What am I thinking? Was I always on the edge of unrestraint? This is needless, yet... what is this intractable desire? Shouldn't I kill anyone who is against everything I stand for?

In midair, I place my hand on Zeus, unsheathe it ever so slightly and charge through their frontline of warriors from the thirty metre peak of my effortless leap. I must seem to disppear for a moment because I hear desperate shouts inquiring my location.

"Where is he?"

"Find him!"

In a second, I reappear behind them, my hand still unsheathing Zeus.

"There he is!"

"What a weakling! He runs away for an instant and hasn't done anything but squeeze out an inch of his blade!"

"That's it, we've assessed his strength, he's but a clown with a death plea!"

The second detail of the army, the assassins, begins sprinting toward me from the rooftops. The first line is also on the attack, catching me in a pincer-like formation, a standard military tactic. But it's useless. I smile, because right before they can even touch me, blood breaks out in small beads from the first wave's faces and they stop...

"What? Blood?"

... And their heads explode in a parade of blood and flesh. The rest of the military stand rooted to the ground as they watch their mutilated comrades collapsing, one by one, from the brutality that was too fast for their eyes. I know Tatsu must have seen the blood even before I struck. I can feel his glare on my back.

"ARGHH!!! Look! Look at their faces!!!" Someone screams. Eyeballs still connected to their tendons hang off their owners' sockets. The muscle and ligaments constituting their faces have dripped enough pools of blood to be made out.

"Then this...", an assassin says, indicating at little red, crumpled pieces of flesh littering the entire area. One has been caught on a nearby water pipe, with holes where the eyes and scrambled traces of other facial features should be.

"They haven't been decapitated... Their faces have been completely PEELED off!!"

"Without knowledge of someone's power, you show no knowledge of your own," I holler in fervent hysteria, the color of my eyes not losing to the sight it beholds. "You were right, I didn't unsheathe my blade fully... One inch and a second are all it takes to run by all of your necks and severe them as I severed their faces."

"No way... Even the warriors... Their Runestalz helmets were sliced through like butter, OI!! In a single blow! The hardest material in the world..!"

"We're doomed, the fall of Shinkirou is imminent! It's all Suzette's fault! If only she hadn't cursed us by defying Aegis!"

I'm... enjoying... this? I can't stop this frenzy. I am undoubtedly right. I AM right! Even if it pollutes my heart, a sin can only be cleansed by another sin - my sin. Enemies that go against me, Suzette and Aisha, the allies of the accursed dragons... After all they have done, the right to judge them I shall reserve! That can be the only reason why I'm allowing... Vengeance to rampage... This part of myself couldn't face Suzette otherwise... Why? Why does it feel... Wrong??

An authoritative voice suddenly echoes through the frozen fighters: "My brave and loyal soldiers! Don't fall back! I implore you to stand your ground! Don't give him a chance to rest! Mages and bowmen, you're our last line of defense! Warriors and assassins, surround him and push him back! No matter how strong he is, no human can overpower a full-scale military assault! Kill upon contact!"

I look up, a man clad wholly in gleaming diamond armor and a trident stands confidently on a steel horse-drawn chariot, the size of a small house. The afternoon sun reflects off his untainted vest and he is resplendent in the war. Despite his outward front, even I can't deny the metallic scent of battle he has - the iron smell of blood, the acclimatization to death and hardened survival instincts. He has a domineering composure and is gazing at the unfolding gory violence, as if a flower is blooming under his nose. He must be the commander of Shinkirou's cavalry.

"Kill him! Kill him!! Kill him! Kill him!" The soldiers chant. With a single word, he raised his subordinates' morale from the rock bottom? He must be no ordinary fighter. I'd like to have a go at his head...

Oh well, what fun would it be if it was this easy?

I'm always fighting with a leveled head, though not many would say I have it on straight now. All this time, I've been observing their military strength. There were twelve units in total: three platoons of warriors and another two of assassins, two of mages and one of bowmen, and a smorgasbord of male commoners worth four units. Each packs about twenty men, I've already shaved one warrior-squad off, so that would make eleven units with two-hundred-and-twenty men.

"CHAAARGE!!!" The word and stomps, in unison by the soldiers, shake Shinkirou and deafen anything else to be said. Legions of men lunge at me, heads bobbing up and down in the riot, mouths opened and eyes roll frantically, driving each other over the limit, to me.

The warriors, easy to distinguish by their big and lumpy features, stumble over to smash their Runestalz weaponry into me. Lightfoot. I close my eyes to give them a handicap. Yells of "Insolence!" and "Impudence!" and "Outrageous!" fill my ears immediately. The warriors encircle me and thrust their weapons at me. I dodge, from the sounds of swords, hammers, axes and spears whipping through the air, all at once and land on them, preventing the hulking knights from pulling them back. I open my eyes, and I see insane redness, which I know is from my barbaric excitment. I grip the centre of the tangled weapons, tug the warriors in, unlatch the dagger in my boot and spin my body with my legs outstretched at their heads. Red, sticky liquid and foam spurt out from their throats.

"Guess I wasn't color-blind, after all," I tease the standing corpses. Ten waves left. I hop away from the circle of dead men to see someone completing the job of lopping off their heads. Hm, was that a chain? Assassins and ninjas stand in a crisscross columns from me. Unlike the warriors, they wield chains, daggers, shurikens and kunai knives. They are smarter: Their columns overlap one another in complex, swarming labyrinths. They obviously are trained for contingency purposes. They also have plates of armor, smaller than the knights', but made of the same material nonetheless - although its hardness forces me to use more energy than expected, it won't save them.

[CoolNard]

"Not bad. Come!" I commend and urge them. I deflect their shurikens with my own, and parry their kunai knives and daggers with Zeus and my dagger-boot. They are fast but having fought my Seven Sins in one sitting, I merely have to keep my eyes opened this time. In a multi-flashing streak of black, purple and sparks and flying cloaks and projectile weapons, a kunai comes within a breath from the bridge of my nose. My eyes cross from the intensive concentration on it and everything slows down by a hundred times. I grin, tasting the dried blood in my mouth, then I flick a shuriken up, which taps the kunai knife from below... And deflect it, to the ninja pouncing at me from the roof behind. With this strategy, I adjust my speed and steady my deflections to mince them off without wasting my own weapons. Not to mention, their contingency plans did not account for a faster creature than themselves - a monster. Without warning, I easily dissolve into their quantities, with Cloaking, and stab one after the other, throwing their dismembered remains out or puppeteering their unconscious bodies to attack the rest of them and, in the process, having each further mangled by their horrified allies. Even as professional killers, some drop to their knees in fright, others scale the buildings in a hope for a tomorrow. But I won't let that happen; they don't deserve that freedom. Minutes later, I have a twenty-assassin unit lying in rows, in crisscrosses.

"I said 'come'. I don't remember asking you to run. You'll die for tarnishing the assassin name," I satirically say, to no one alive, in particular.

Weird, no one is attacking me anymore. I tilt my head, as a dog would when it's confused, and flaunt a casual glare at the retreating brigades. The commoners have either escaped or fainted from witnessing the melee, so that makes... I do the calculations on my fingers: Five more waves... Everywhere is filled with corps... No, carcasses. What's wrong with butchering animals that only served as meat? I can't tell if I've calmed down or not, my vision is a perpetual red, regardless. It's good that they have evacuated their women and children from this savage trauma, I didn't want to hurt any more than I already have...

"Division Dreadnought!" The refulgent commander orders, holding up his trident with a decisive air of finality.

"Explosive arrows at the ready!"

"Level three spells in compact phase!"

"Anti-dragon cannons locked on!"

Those are the voices of the bowman and mage lieutenants, and the residue of the soldiers who have regrouped around their commander's chariot.

"Target Swiftant!" The commander swings his trident downwards so it's pointing directly at me. "FIRE!!!"

My sakkat lies on the ground, scorched.

[Kanji_The_Wanderer]

Yogensha awaits. Patiently. “This isn't optional Tatsu. Our fusion is imminent. You will gain all of my abilities, all of my specialties, all of my possessions, everything will be compounded into one. You will remain you, more or less everything about you will go unchanged, after fusion I will cease to exist. My soul will give itself unto you, and forge a new being. One who would walk through time and space. You will be a summon, you will hear the calls of those in need, you will feel more than you could ever dream of....”

I clench my fists. “I don't want this! I never asked for any of this!” I grit my teeth. My muscles tingle with anger.

“What you want, what you ask, is no longer valid.” Come Tastu, I grow impatient, the end is nigh, I can finally be free of this.”

Yogensha drops his cane, and sways back and forth, moving towards me, closer and closer. With arms outstretched he pulls near. His wrinkled fingers quivering with anticipation, his arm shakes as he raises his hand up, closer and closer... Mere inches away... I turn my head, shut my eyes tight, biting my lip. I can feel his breath, he is grunting, and his pain is all to apparent.. He grabs me around the shoulders, his grip is tight, he digs his nails into my skin, the heat of his palms rush through me. I am cold and chilled, but I begin to sweat, this mixed series of emotions makes everything move in a blink of an eye. I open my eyes and the two of us are in flames, still, I cannot move, the fire doesn't burn. His hands are the source of it all. The flame engulfs everything. The black of the void begins to brighten, the whole world is on fire. Stars in the sky twinkle through the blaze. The moon rises and sets, then rises once more, in a matter of seconds, days pass us by. Or was it really happening? I couldn't be sure. Nothing made sense, I lost focus of what was reality....Then, the smell of nirvana, the palpable sense of satisfaction, that bleak emotion of joy. It was all mixed. Nothing made sense... Then I realized, and looked down at Yogensha.
“I am evaporating, being swallowed up by the ocean of your soul, I am boiling out. I feel this pain. It will be the last thing I will ever feel, though it hurts, it feels good.” Yogensha struggles to speak out. “This is it Tatsu, this is the moment....”

Night turns to day. The flames shoot into the ether, hover there for a moment, then spin into a million beams of energy, they loom there, spinning, inward and outward, contracting and receding. Until finally, a sun is born from those energies.

Red, yellow, orange. My vision is blurred by a sea of flames. Purple, green, blue...Everything is melding together. It is too bright to look, I can't see anything...
After what feels like an eternity, I open my eyes, and find myself lying down on a bed of grass. My head digging into a rock. I raise my chin and the first thing that catches my eye is my left hand. Four rings are placed upon my fingers. The same rings that Yogensha was wearing. I push myself up, my vision spinning, I feel nauseous, my surroundings whirl into focus... I see a dark shade, and notice a red robe hangs down in between my arms. This is...I stand upright and grab at the crimson garb. This is the robe that Yogensha was wearing over his others. The collar is embroidered with the summoner's seal, laden in fringes of gold. Looking around the grass I was lying on top of was the only grass present.

The grove had been completely demolished. All the trees were burnt and dead. Everything was fallen over, reduced to ash. I look at the horizon. From what I had seen, the majority of Shinkirou was in flames. It took me no time at all to realize that the barrier around the city was down.

“How long was I out?”

I try to move my legs forward, but my knees buckle and give out, I fall forward, catching myself with my hands. I felt so weak, it felt like my soul had been ripped from my body...But how can I know what that feels like? It was hard to stand. I could hardly walk. I felt pathetic, like toddler learning how to make his first steps.. Shuffling my feet through the ash and dirt, I haul myself to a fallen ranger station. Glass and debris are everywhere. No signs of life. No corpses, it was completely silent... In the glass I saw movement, I inched back to see what it was that had caught my attention, it was myself.

I had now gained the robe of Yogensha. The crimson robe, sat loosely upon my cloak, and the rest of my clothing, my hair has gotten longer by a few inches, it now hangs just below the collarbone. The black pupils of my eyes are gone, the blue iris that was once there, has been pushed to the center, making up new pupils. The once blue irises are now yellow, as was once Yogensha's. The sunlight glistened in my eyes. They shined dark.

Then I recalled something important.

“Quickly. I must find Swift ! .....”

[CoolNard]

“Kamikaze, do you swear not to do anything crazy when we get to Asgard?” Suzette suddenly says, her voice shuddering a little.

Her question... Didn't she trust me? Is she afraid of me? She was never fearful when I was in Swiftant.... But at the same time, Swiftant's will pushes the answers out from my mouth.

“I will not Suz. I was told to listen to you and that is what I will do.” I smile.

Will I? Suzette takes her off mine and holds onto Flearin's reins. Maybe... If I was with her more instead, Swiftant would be rubbed out from the picture. Or I could kill him when I get the chance... But wouldn't it be easier if I made sure no one else cou...

"Mmmm... Hmm.... Hm... Mmmhmmmm... mmmmm..."

What was that?

"Hmmm... Mmmm... Mmm..." Suzette hums.

The most melodious song I've ever heard, no, it wasn't the song, it was the sound making it... I rest on Suzette's back, seeping in the vibrations of her voice as she hums. It is louder than my pain, yet, so much more comforting. If I heard the lyrics, surely it would be the first time I could be at peace.

"Could you sing it for me? It sounds lovely," I tell her, surprised that the words come out so freely. Perhaps this, too, is Swiftant's will?

“Sure.” Suzette pauses and goes silent for a while. I can tell her eyes are closed in concentration.

“Long ago and far away, things I often dream of. There is a place for you and I. Staying strong in love’s pure light. Dream away my sweet child, Dream until you dream no more, then one day when you shall dream, you’ll dream some more.”

For the first time, I sleep in peace. Floating away in her aroma, her soft, silky brown hair stroking my face, comforting me. Her lullaby.......

Why should Swiftant have all the fun? My love for Suzette doesn't lose out to his. Am I destined to live in the windows of his eyes, forever looking at something I can't have, something I can't do? The times I can almost taste those lips, but they're not on mine... They've come so close, too close. I'm not satisfied, being an offshoot of him, along with all with the other aspects. We, the seven roots of man, orginally: Wrath, Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Envy Sloth, and himself - Pride; now internalized by Swiftant as: Anger, Coldness, Cunning, Evil, Revenge, Self-reproach and Prejudice.

He should know best none of us can tolerate conforming to authority. We yearn to be ourselves, but by being ourselves we are Swiftant, isn't that paradoxical? It's not that we can't keep up, we don't want to. We have refused and resisted Swiftant from the time of our awakening. It would be less painful if I killed them all and walked a deserted fate, less tormenting than watching how Suzette and Swiftant make out and pour their hearts out to one another, watching the person you love and the person you couldn't be giving into each other, taking from one another. It's an unbearable pain of eternity.

"Kamikaze... Kamikaze... Kamikaze!" Suzette calls me up. Flearin has stopped.

"Your sakkat has fallen off, go grab it, I'll wait here." Strange, it's never fallen off before...

"Thud."

"The string I had on Mother's flute... broke?" Suzette wonders aloud.

The flute Aisha gave Suzette, as well... What on earth happened in Shinkirou? I squint in the direction of the city. These aren't the protocols to a good omen.

[SweetSuicide]

“Kamikaze!" I call to him. I stopped Flearin. He must have fallen asleep during my song. His eyes looked up at me. For once, I didn’t see any pain in them. They looked very peaceful. Is that what Swift had meant when I was to ease his cries? Kamikaze became more aware of what was going on so I continued. "Your sakkat has fallen off, go grab it, I'll wait here.” He hopped off and when he did it shook me a little and I felt something swing down and hit my thigh.

“The string I had on Mother's flute... broke?" I grabbed the flute before it fell any farther. Aisha told me this string wouldn’t break. Ever. Unless but she never finished telling me what that unless was. I played with the flute in my hands until Kamikaze returned. He had a troubled expression in his face but I didn’t want to press it because as soon as he had climbed back on Flearin, his expression changed and became peaceful again. I leaned down and told Flearin to go and off we went again.

We ran for about another hour or so until we got to Asgard. Flearin stopped. I looked up. I was in total shock with what laid before me. There was nothing left of the city, except for the castle. The whole town was burned down to the ground. I hopped off Flearin and took a few steps forward. I started to cry a little. Too late.. We’re too late.. I looked around. There was nothing left. Not one thing. I felt Kamikaze walk up next to me so I quickly wiped my tears away.

“We’re too late. There’s no one here.” I’m almost positive he could hear the shaking in my voice.

“There’s still the castle.” His voice tried to have any hope that I had lost. I looked up to the castle. It stood there in the distance. Looking not harmed at all. That gave me a tiny spark of hope. Maybe there were some survivors after all. I’m sure the castle would have enough food and water to last a few hundred people a few weeks until help came. Maybe Kamikaze and I could be that help. I started to run without even thinking of what dangers could be waiting for us in the castle.

As I ran I started to notice that the ground was stained red. The grounds out here in Asgard were never red, but always a dark brown. I had traveled through the woods of Asgard many times to know this. The red must be blood.. there must have been a great battle here then.. I tried not to think of all the innocent people who might have been killed as I kept running up to the castle. As Kamikaze and I approached the castle’s moat I stopped short. I couldn’t go on. There, laying in the moat, were bodies of men, women, children. All dismembered and destroyed. The water was blood and not water any more. I knew that there was going to be no one alive in the castle after that sight. I turned to Kamikaze.

“Do you want to go in? This just proves that we have come all this way for no reason.” I hung my head and said a prayer for all the bodies that laid before us. I felt his hand slip on top of my hand. I looked up at him.

“We have to go in. That is what we came here for. To see the King. We have to go in. What if he is still alive? What if he is just too much of a coward to come out because he knows he failed as a leader?” I don’t know where this new found confidence had come from but I was renewed again and we found the bridge to cross into the castle. There wasn’t much of a bridge left. It was about three planks of wood barely held together. I was about to go forward, but Kamikaze stopped me.

“Let me go first. I cannot die and I can find the strong points so you can cross easily.” I stepped back and let Kamikaze go across first. He moves so quickly and gracefully. It’s like he doesn’t even touch the wood as he went across. He turned back to me. “Okay, you’re turn.” I took one step….

[Kanji_The_Wanderer]

I made my way to the heart of Shinkirou where the flames were most prevalent. The town square, and the governor's residence were relatively intact. A few split beams and several collapsed arches had fallen into the streets. There were still no signs of life. I halted my advance by a low brick wall. A few abandoned carts, and jugs cluttered my path. At the far end of the square rubble obstructed all passage. I could see some mangled corpses of soldiers and mages alike. From where I was standing I could tell that their wounds were inflicted by Swiftant's weaponry...

I proceeded slowly towards the governor's personal gardens, based on the current state of the structure, it was possible that there may be a survivor inside. At the threshold of the antechamber, I made out a faint cry. I could barely make out the voice over the roar of the flames. It would be impossible to traverse this area under such conditions. I would have to exhaust these flames before I could investigate further. I reached into my pouch and slipped out a piece of parchment, I was preparing to write out a water spell, but when I grabbed for the parchment, the page had disintegrated in my grasp. I was stunned by this, I couldn't quite understand. Something like this had never occurred before. Even if the parchment was faulty, it would simply fail to conjure a spell, but this, turned to ash? Why?

Could it be possible that my powers have evolved again, and my magical-might was overbearing for just a simple medium? Was it possible that my magics were restored?

I decided to conduct a test. On my palm, I wrote the character for the water spell, I then clasped my hands together, in between the crevices of my fingers, a blue light began to resonate. I released my grasp, and a volley of water shot forward toward that raging fire. The flames hissed and quickly turned to mist under the rapidly spreading waves. This surge of power thrilled me, I so effortlessly extinguished those flames. It would have taken me two, or three parchments with advanced spells to put out all that so quickly. Having consumed Yogensha, it would seem that my latent powers have been unleashed, and they have tripled, at least. My current findings could wait, I had more pressing matters to see to. With a course now laid out, I moved hastily into the gardens. I followed the voice to destroyed stairwell. “Hey! Are you in there?!” I shouted out, cupping my hands around my mouth to amplify my voice.

“Yes, yes, I'm in here! Quick, please, I can't move...” The voice was of a man

“Just hang on, I'll get you out!” I took up Sora and clutched the hilt tight, I released a portion of my energy into the sword. The blade pulsated with a warm yellow glow. Thus endowed, Sora sliced through those metal stone slabs with ease. Once the path was cleared I made my way down to a small room inside a middle-aged man was trapped in a corner with a large column over his leg.

“Please, please help,” he cried out. “It's most surely broken.”

I raised Sora and chopped away that fallen pillar. “Here, let me help.” I lifted him onto a platform. “Yes, it is indeed broken, I am no medic but I know basic first-aid, let's tend to that.”

“Much thanks,” the man sighed.

“Who are you anyways?” I stated.

“I am, well-was, the governor of Shinkirou, not much felt of a city to govern....”