52ndth/Kincadohoyom
1/ Silken Light. 2/ The Vacant Spirit. 3/ Lover of Slave. 4/ The Soaring Swords. 5/ The Twins of the Secrets. 6/ Edge in the Shores. (2019-12-30)
1/52 Pierce the Veil
/1/ Silken Light
The sun on the silk over the window, the fabric glows and dances taunting the shadows on the castle wall, the warm summer air drifts new blades of grass and tempers flames beneath the steam of baking grains. King and queen prevaricate melodic thoughts in fancy and in spiraling play tangle themselves in the window silk and fall wrapped laffing with the morning birds. A shadow travels from the trees of forest edge to the foundation, soon hissing and raspy clasping at the walls and dragging her feet the shadow witch makes handfuls of sand into the smithy coals, and pulls molten glass gloves, when caught by the smith she burns thru his chest to claim his heart. The witch charges royal chambers, only waves of shadow between tall walls and thru royal halls. Searching for the murderer palace guards warn the royals, to find and fight the Netherwitch, her blood mixes with glass, remelting into a black mossy sphere, they fly to her as she pummels and persists. Queen takes infant to flee, but from three there is one king facing the witch, the bright darkness from the green glass orb. He swings sword, electricity scalds the steel, his arm numb the sword drops unable to feel, but is able to strangle her to the ground, bashing her temple with the orb. He is thrown, as she rises. Her scar vents black smoke and she becomes a gathering of fog on the ground as the king rushes to her to attack again. The smoke fills the sphere.
/2/ The Vacant Spirit
He throws the sphere against the wall, the residue of the sulfur so potent it burns his hand, he pours wine over it and drinks, looking for the queen and child finds none, panic beyond fear he eventually kneels and prays, manic beyond peers he gathers the shards of the sphere as advisors perseverate stages of calmness before her clears all he can find and with bloody hands gathers in fabric and runs to the stables, ordering the fastest horse and squires able to follow fervent ride and as many knights to follow their trail by mark of arrows each turn for the riders behind each turn. He hangs over the saddle at quick speed stopping at in the shadowy woods, he arches over horse as a broken soul, then falls to the ground from the sleepless toll, and marches cradling the shards of the dark sphere shoulder first thru the door. The cabin thicker than the walls as the light echoes thru sound of astral halls, he screams for the tenant wizard and the sound of cavern brings with thunder and tremor as dust falls thru cracks in the single level cabin. The fireplace dies quickly out, the windows close themselves, and a wizard brightens a lamp. The king demands answers for his fraught misery, magic pins the king’s men against the walls, he unfurls and looks at the pouch covered in dried blood, puts the fabric on the table, takes the king’s wrist, stabs his hand to the table, pours the cold green and black shards onto the wound. The king screams, and in the moment sensing needles pouring thru his wound, a place of echoing lightning and mirroring darknesses where time is wind and place is swift river, he sees and chases his queen holding child, close enough to hear them in the swirling maelstrom, only to return to the cabin conjurer. He does drop to his knees forcing his hand onto the table and shards refusing the vision’s end. Merlin asks if the king saw them, learning so, declares they are held on a dark world beyond any shore of Midgard.
/3/ Lover of Slave
In the netherrealm, the queen looks for landmark, the air with lines of smoke like painted rivers a magenta glow, the sound of stirring coins becomes a demon stirring them on throne of stone with low back and long bench, a sluggish slouch and lazy stare only eyes glowing from beneath black hood. A tossed coin becomes rising black smoke that forms shape then the body of the Netherwitch, two more as three witches make her dream and take the baby, only to wake her from illusion. A screaming queen held by smoke, watching the witches chant whispers of forgotten languages to the child. The demon is gone, appearing behind the mortal queen, places fingers on her temple and they close their eyes, a lack of words from both as she reads thru implanted dreams without reflex and captor enjoys.
/4/ The Soaring Swords
A room of infirmary beds in barracks rows, nurses pouring sips of white water, by a day they rest and wake, tired men slowly gaining strength with each breath, at sunset they mount and ride each step stronger warriors and weaker horses, brashly charging a camp of nomadic witches and shamans, capturing the warlocks and priestesses, freeing the human sacrifice, defending themselves against attacks from the cult. The king’s men’s wounds heal when cuts become fresh webs of silk as they search for vases and bottles. For each one smashed, acolytes become aggressors, violence awakens villains, fight against foes summons a netherwitch champion, forty four men fight the netherwitch, they are cut down between their healing wounds and dwindle forces until nine men surround a body, thinking it the king the demon approaches as the king axes the netherwitch’s back and takes its unholy heart.
/5/ The Twins of the Secrets
Merlin takes the heart and performs a spell, the skies spin and a tornado the size of a country begins circle surrounding, darkness swallows the heavens and a sound fills the breathable air and the power of life begins tearing the wind-filled shadows, thunderous avalanche shakes the ground in rising as a needle sized hole of light reaches into the sky and celestial doorway opens, Merlin paralyzes the king, who curses Merlin with worthy words of pure contempt, staring into the gateway at the wizards dark eyes and pale face. The door closes, and Merlin attacks his foe, the hood reveals his demonic twin.
/6/ Edge in the Shores.
They face each other and walk slowly counterclockwise, Merlin asks what his goals are, the Demon denies any plans are in effect, Merlin approaches and the demon hugs him, they trade insults of familial terms, Merlin disappears by falling into the ground feet first, appearing as smoke behind the demon, cuts throat and draws blood. Doppleganger, evil twin, holds his throat and holds his throat, summoning spectres and smoke with his hand he waves them chase Merlin, laughing thru blood and healing himself in disbelief. Merlin takes the bloody knife and cuts his own hand, holding out a glow hypnotizes the shadows, they run faster than ever had, toward the demon double and attack him, he summons new smoke to defend himself against a second wave and hacks thru the first, first in anger, then with rage, then with amusement. More puppeted puppets attack and the demon raises stronger minions of red stone and yellow veins and bluest eyes like rivers of night, as more come he fights with the demon knights in the final circle of hell. Until his demon blade falls and time slows, Merlin raps the blade in his fist and stabs his darkened twin in the heart, pulling aside the bone left and right, gnashing the way of tooth thrashing the way of claw faster than necromancy can heal.
Merlin takes a glass bottle and fills it with his defeated foe’s motionless blood and then summons fire burning the body. The shadows run to him growling and caterwauling, but he holds the bottle and his hand glows, they cower reverently and crawl backwards slow into the winds of darkness. He returns to Midgard and the towering light fades into a breaking dawn, as the blue fog fades and the loud rain wanes the queen screams for her child, with winds of change and echoed pains the child cries for its mother, the knights thank the king for the battle, and the king thanks Merlin for their safety. Merlin begins to bless the land to ward against the return of spirits, as the others leave he drinks the demon’s blood, his hair slowly changes color like a wick setting in ink.
1/ Silken Light. 2/ The Vacant Spirit. 3/ Lover of Slave. 4/ The Soaring Swords. 5/ The Twins of the Secrets. 6/ Edge in the Shores. (2019-12-30)
1/52 Pierce the Veil
/1/ Silken Light
The sun on the silk over the window, the fabric glows and dances taunting the shadows on the castle wall, the warm summer air drifts new blades of grass and tempers flames beneath the steam of baking grains. King and queen prevaricate melodic thoughts in fancy and in spiraling play tangle themselves in the window silk and fall wrapped laffing with the morning birds. A shadow travels from the trees of forest edge to the foundation, soon hissing and raspy clasping at the walls and dragging her feet the shadow witch makes handfuls of sand into the smithy coals, and pulls molten glass gloves, when caught by the smith she burns thru his chest to claim his heart. The witch charges royal chambers, only waves of shadow between tall walls and thru royal halls. Searching for the murderer palace guards warn the royals, to find and fight the Netherwitch, her blood mixes with glass, remelting into a black mossy sphere, they fly to her as she pummels and persists. Queen takes infant to flee, but from three there is one king facing the witch, the bright darkness from the green glass orb. He swings sword, electricity scalds the steel, his arm numb the sword drops unable to feel, but is able to strangle her to the ground, bashing her temple with the orb. He is thrown, as she rises. Her scar vents black smoke and she becomes a gathering of fog on the ground as the king rushes to her to attack again. The smoke fills the sphere.
/2/ The Vacant Spirit
He throws the sphere against the wall, the residue of the sulfur so potent it burns his hand, he pours wine over it and drinks, looking for the queen and child finds none, panic beyond fear he eventually kneels and prays, manic beyond peers he gathers the shards of the sphere as advisors perseverate stages of calmness before her clears all he can find and with bloody hands gathers in fabric and runs to the stables, ordering the fastest horse and squires able to follow fervent ride and as many knights to follow their trail by mark of arrows each turn for the riders behind each turn. He hangs over the saddle at quick speed stopping at in the shadowy woods, he arches over horse as a broken soul, then falls to the ground from the sleepless toll, and marches cradling the shards of the dark sphere shoulder first thru the door. The cabin thicker than the walls as the light echoes thru sound of astral halls, he screams for the tenant wizard and the sound of cavern brings with thunder and tremor as dust falls thru cracks in the single level cabin. The fireplace dies quickly out, the windows close themselves, and a wizard brightens a lamp. The king demands answers for his fraught misery, magic pins the king’s men against the walls, he unfurls and looks at the pouch covered in dried blood, puts the fabric on the table, takes the king’s wrist, stabs his hand to the table, pours the cold green and black shards onto the wound. The king screams, and in the moment sensing needles pouring thru his wound, a place of echoing lightning and mirroring darknesses where time is wind and place is swift river, he sees and chases his queen holding child, close enough to hear them in the swirling maelstrom, only to return to the cabin conjurer. He does drop to his knees forcing his hand onto the table and shards refusing the vision’s end. Merlin asks if the king saw them, learning so, declares they are held on a dark world beyond any shore of Midgard.
/3/ Lover of Slave
In the netherrealm, the queen looks for landmark, the air with lines of smoke like painted rivers a magenta glow, the sound of stirring coins becomes a demon stirring them on throne of stone with low back and long bench, a sluggish slouch and lazy stare only eyes glowing from beneath black hood. A tossed coin becomes rising black smoke that forms shape then the body of the Netherwitch, two more as three witches make her dream and take the baby, only to wake her from illusion. A screaming queen held by smoke, watching the witches chant whispers of forgotten languages to the child. The demon is gone, appearing behind the mortal queen, places fingers on her temple and they close their eyes, a lack of words from both as she reads thru implanted dreams without reflex and captor enjoys.
/4/ The Soaring Swords
A room of infirmary beds in barracks rows, nurses pouring sips of white water, by a day they rest and wake, tired men slowly gaining strength with each breath, at sunset they mount and ride each step stronger warriors and weaker horses, brashly charging a camp of nomadic witches and shamans, capturing the warlocks and priestesses, freeing the human sacrifice, defending themselves against attacks from the cult. The king’s men’s wounds heal when cuts become fresh webs of silk as they search for vases and bottles. For each one smashed, acolytes become aggressors, violence awakens villains, fight against foes summons a netherwitch champion, forty four men fight the netherwitch, they are cut down between their healing wounds and dwindle forces until nine men surround a body, thinking it the king the demon approaches as the king axes the netherwitch’s back and takes its unholy heart.
/5/ The Twins of the Secrets
Merlin takes the heart and performs a spell, the skies spin and a tornado the size of a country begins circle surrounding, darkness swallows the heavens and a sound fills the breathable air and the power of life begins tearing the wind-filled shadows, thunderous avalanche shakes the ground in rising as a needle sized hole of light reaches into the sky and celestial doorway opens, Merlin paralyzes the king, who curses Merlin with worthy words of pure contempt, staring into the gateway at the wizards dark eyes and pale face. The door closes, and Merlin attacks his foe, the hood reveals his demonic twin.
/6/ Edge in the Shores.
They face each other and walk slowly counterclockwise, Merlin asks what his goals are, the Demon denies any plans are in effect, Merlin approaches and the demon hugs him, they trade insults of familial terms, Merlin disappears by falling into the ground feet first, appearing as smoke behind the demon, cuts throat and draws blood. Doppleganger, evil twin, holds his throat and holds his throat, summoning spectres and smoke with his hand he waves them chase Merlin, laughing thru blood and healing himself in disbelief. Merlin takes the bloody knife and cuts his own hand, holding out a glow hypnotizes the shadows, they run faster than ever had, toward the demon double and attack him, he summons new smoke to defend himself against a second wave and hacks thru the first, first in anger, then with rage, then with amusement. More puppeted puppets attack and the demon raises stronger minions of red stone and yellow veins and bluest eyes like rivers of night, as more come he fights with the demon knights in the final circle of hell. Until his demon blade falls and time slows, Merlin raps the blade in his fist and stabs his darkened twin in the heart, pulling aside the bone left and right, gnashing the way of tooth thrashing the way of claw faster than necromancy can heal.
Merlin takes a glass bottle and fills it with his defeated foe’s motionless blood and then summons fire burning the body. The shadows run to him growling and caterwauling, but he holds the bottle and his hand glows, they cower reverently and crawl backwards slow into the winds of darkness. He returns to Midgard and the towering light fades into a breaking dawn, as the blue fog fades and the loud rain wanes the queen screams for her child, with winds of change and echoed pains the child cries for its mother, the knights thank the king for the battle, and the king thanks Merlin for their safety. Merlin begins to bless the land to ward against the return of spirits, as the others leave he drinks the demon’s blood, his hair slowly changes color like a wick setting in ink.