WHEFORE HAVE WE SINNED

When is rain the heaviest? When the sea-storm crosses the blind edge between the water and sand and storms beaches like cannons? Or when the funeral pyre burns away under its grand umbrella? Or when one ought to tread mountains underneath its besiegement? To some one, to others none; yet, rain chooses not the moment to fall, as it has no thoughts of its own. Whether to sully the day or not is not in its mind – as it hasn’t one. Yet, it still falls. Skyfire Paradise had felt the thunders of rain before, and is feeling them today too. Grey clouds lined up across the horizon like well-structured army, showing no gaps through which the golden sight might pierce.

Beneath the clouds, bearing the brunt of the heavy rain, Thalia and Parsia stood side by side, behind them alignment of tens of thousands of souls, ready at arms. War had encapsulated the World – and their little Kingdom, however hidden in the depths of nowhere, belonged to that same World. They all knew it was only a matter of time; yet, not even a day had passed since the swords were crossed and hearts were pricked before darkness came surging forth toward them. However, they both had braved even heavier storms. Both their bodies bore enough scars to stiffen the laughter of the devils themselves. They were first to charge out and wait, bravely taking the front.

Rain blasted against Thalia’s silver-coated battle armor, her hair hidden underneath her feathered helmet. A brilliant, diamond spear stood upright in her right hand, her glistening eyes focused wholly onto the distant swarm. Next to her, a man adorned in golden armor from head to toe, with crimson cloak fluttering behind in the rain, appearing as imposing as the sun itself. Although he had a brilliant scabbard tied to the side of his waist, he never planned on using the sword within it to battle.

“How many?” Thalia asked as the space next to her tore open and a slightly youthful man came out.

“… over two million.” the youth reported; both Thalia and Parsia sucked in cold breath as their brows furrowed. Two million? Could he have miscalculated? Those were their first thoughts. After all, their small kingdom was but even a smaller corner in the War, and should at best just be scuffled over. Yet, the enemy brought such strong force over without reservation.

“…if we’re getting two million,” Parsia suddenly said, looking up at the sky solemnly. “I can’t even bear to imagine how it’s like for others.”

“Hm,” Thalia nodded. “If they can hold, why can’t we?”

“Looks like we’ll have to ask our friends to come out, after all.” Parsia said, chuckling.

“Will they even listen?” Thalia asked. “Outside of the Spirit, I haven’t seen the rest in almost a year.”

“They’ll come.” Parsia said. “Why do you think they stayed here instead of roaming elsewhere?”

“… yeah.” Thalia nodded lightly, as her thoughts surged backward through time. She quickly shook her head, dispersing them; it was no time to be distracted.

“… there’s a really strong one among them,” a familiar crimson-haired child suddenly appeared between Thalia and Parsia, startling them both. “Unless Dragons come out, we stand no chance.”

“Eh?” Thalia exclaimed, glancing at the swarm again. “False God?”

“Probably.” the child shrugged his shoulders as he replied.

“Can’t you fight him?” Parsia asked.

“… fight? Sure. Just like a bird can fight a lion. Doesn’t mean it would do me any good.”

“Will those two come out?” Thalia asked.

“They will. I think…”

“… you haven’t been in touch with them either?”

“They’re Dragons,” the child said, helpless. “They either fight, or they sleep. Apparently, they like sleeping far more.”

Just then, the incoming swarm suddenly stopped as a solitary figure walked out. Seeing the child furrow his small brows, Parsia and Thalia closely examined the figure; however, they couldn’t feel any powerful energy from it. That was how they categorized the newcomer: it. Both his eyes were closely shut, lips were sewn, jaw elongated, skin pale and ash-colored, with hair sticking out like wires at the top of its head.

“… tsk, tsk,” the figure clicked its tongue as it looked at the child, completely ignoring both Parsia and Thalia. “To think one of my own blood would one day stand opposite of me.”

“… what do you mean one of your blood?” throughout the years he spent with Lynne, the False God had developed a rather sharp tongue that he wasn’t afraid to use. “Did you look yourself at the mirror? If I were of your blood, I’d have killed myself in my mother’s womb.” the other side simply chuckled; yet, that short chuckle sent shivers down both Thalia’s and Parsia’s spines.

“Blood is thicker than water, little one,” the figure continued. “There is still a chance.”

“No thanks.”

“You can feel it too, can’t you?” the figure said. “They have never been closer!! Aah, how I wish they’d wrap their arms around me and squeeze me dead!! They are calling us, little one!! Can’t you feel it?! Your blood boiling? Your mind always wandering off to the distance far beyond your reach? Aah, they cometh. They cometh!!” although both Thalia and Parsia found the newcomer to be slightly insane, after looking at the child’s expression, they said nothing; the latter’s face was slightly disfigured, as though he was struggling against something. “Ha ha,” seeing it, the figure laughed out creepily. “Of course you feel it!! We came of them!! We are them!! Ha ha, don’t you want it? I know you do! We all want to go back home!! We were unjustly banished, left stranded on this mortal plane! How can we be content?! We are higher! We are more!! What for do we struggle against these pitiful mortals? Come, little one! Join me!”

“…Sin?” the child muttered out weakly; he still appeared to be struggling against something.

“…your will is formidable, little one.” the figure almost appeared to be smiling, despite inability to move its lips. “And your heart… although appearing fragile, why can’t I break it? Ah, ha ha ha, so it’s like that. Interesting, interesting. That fella really gave us a headache toward the end. How’d he get so strong, eh? Strange, strange!! No wonder you can’t be broken! Your faith is stronger than your sin! Strange, strange…”

“Who is he?” Parsia finally asked.

“… False God of Sin, Njo.” the child said, his expression finally relaxing. “Be careful you two. I was wrong. Even two Dragons might not be enough to deal with him.”

“What do you mean?” Thalia asked hastily.

“He means, little girl,” the figure finally turned to Parsia and Thalia. “That I don’t exist. I am projection of your hearts! Whatever you feel is what I am! Whatever you think is what I say! Blasphemy!! No, merely the truth! Are you worried? You are. Your hearts are pulsating!! Aah, I can feel your blood boiling! How exhilarating! Aah, truth be told, I didn’t wish to be here. After all, this place is that fella’s home. Who would want to go provoke that lunatic? Aah, but I couldn’t not come!! This place… it harbors so many sins!! Sins!! Your sins!!” the figure appeared to be going insane as it screamed word after word, louder and louder.

“Snap out of it you two!!!” the child immediately beckoned as he hit Parsia and Thalia hard enough for both to grunt out in pain. “He’s speaking directly into your mind!! You can’t let him!”

“… by that… fella… do you mean… Lynne?” Thalia suddenly asked, startling the crimson-haired child. Alas, it was too late; a brief glint flashed through Njo’s eyes as he steered them toward her figure.

“Your mind, little girl, is a place to behold indeed,” Njo spoke; however, this time, only Thalia was able to hear him; by then, all other sounds were shut off. She couldn’t hear desperate cries and calls of Parsia and crimson-haired child next to her. Only that voice, which appeared soothing and calming to her, as though she was back in her mother’s arms. “So many memories… so much beauty. So much tragedy, pain, struggle, yet… there’s also happiness, joy, and love. And there is also doubt. There’s grief. There’s guilt. There’s sense of betrayal. There’s conflict. What wretches wrung your beauty askew, young one? Aah, him. Look at him. That bravado. Indifferent smile. Eyes clearer than morning dew. What hasn’t he seen? What hadn’t he done? Look at him. In those eyes the truth was lain, knitted with threads of pain. Look at that pain, young one. What do you know of his pain? What do you know of his heart? Of his thoughts? Of his soul?”

“…nothing…” Thalia muttered weakly.

“Nothing!! Absolutely nothing! Yet, he never said anything. How could you know anything, then? You couldn’t! You can’t! Why pierce a sword of guilt at your heart undeservingly, child? Why beckon the distant woes for answers, when answers rise for naught? Wherefore suffer in silence, wherefore struggle in grief, wherefore drown in sorrows? Look at him, child. Embraced with Gifts as though Divined, given all and everything… and yet, he desired your heart. But, when he had it, he turned his back so hollow, and sped to the stars. Wherefore, child? It is not those that leave who suffer the most, but those whose tears stain the soil beneath as they watch their beloved depart. Yet, he could have stayed. Yet, he had not. Wherefore, child? In cold and frost heart cannot feel; yet, in fire and blaze it cannot calm. It is his sin, child. It is your sin. It is their sin.”

“… sin…” Thalia muttered.

“Crap!” the child suddenly exclaimed. “She’s been wrung. RETREAT!! EVERYONE, RETREAT!!”

“What? What’s going on?! Explain!!” Parsia asked, his expression full of worry as he glanced between Thalia and that distant figure who hadn’t moved an inch for a long while now.

“Can’t you figure it out?! False God of Sin. Sin? Get it?!” the child said. “Any single thing you ever did in your life, which you considered your wrongdoing, can be exploited and brought up as though it were a sin worthy of greatest punishment!”

“…what the hell does that mean?!”

“She’ll lose control!! If we can’t snap her out of it, she’ll lose her mind completely!!” only then did Parsia finally understand. However, how would they snap her out of it? What was ‘it’ anyway? While these questions plagued his mind, the other side has yet to stop talking softly into Thalia’s mind.

“… the carvings sated, the prayers plagued, the songs unsung, the smiles twisted, the whys and wherefores, the battered and abandoned… none stood a tree taller nor a peg shorter than his brilliance. For as hard as his eyes like sun shone, so much the darker was the shadow he cast. And so much graver was his sin. And yours, child, for clenching onto that sinful shadow, for deceiving innocent hearts, and for plaguing yours in mistruths. Wherefore, child? All stand equal before judgment. Affright, torn asunder, while bane spills out like water and coats the bodkin like your blood coated his. In the end, child, a buss of death is but a parting gift of dark fools, while only sins of plunder beseech truly. Child, sinned have you.”

“…yes.”

“Thusly repent, and ere you know, expiry shall cleanse you whole.”

Just as Parsia called out her name, Thalia’s body finally twitched; his eyes kindled up with joy, yet, a mere moment later, his expression fell. Thalia’s eyes began burning in brilliant purple as smoke diluted her gaze, leaving behind scorching marks on her cheeks.

“How sinful of you,” a silent whisper suddenly entered Njo’s ears, causing him to finally open his eyes and look around. He felt something akin to inborn dread wash over him, as though the true God of Death was looking over him at the moment. “Little one. However, worry not; I won’t cleanse you. I will simply annihilate you.”

Njo suddenly felt warmth akin to being burned by the sun itself. He suddenly screeched out in hallowed pain as his sewn lips parted. A moment later, his entire body was engulfed in white flames which turned into a massive, sky-towering pillar that breached the clouds and burst apart the rain. Beyond it the sun shone lonesome, blasting its rays onto the shadowed land. It neither rained nor poured no more. Where Njo once stood now only fleeting ashes floated, as though guideless in their plight.