They wouldn’t let her have it. She didn’t know if it was days or weeks that they kept her here, only letting her up to wash and occasionally eat thin soup. But there was always smoke, always chanting, and the elders constantly telling her that she was tainted, that she was evil, and they had to cleanse her. The smoke made her coughing worse, and the wound on her hand refused to heal.
When she closed her eyes and surrendered to the darkness, she remembered Chadstone’s eyes, and his hands on her skin, and the way he whispered her name.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
The Answer
One of the elders pointed a trembling hand. Someone had placed the crystal in a woven cage in the corner; it still gleamed.
“The thing is evil and will not be destroyed. Touching it will only taint you more,” the elder said.
Dakshana closed her eyes and remembered the swift lines on the crystal, how they twisted and turned and lived, and she remembered the pulse of a heartbeat against hers when she wore the crystal around her neck. The crystal was the answer.
“It’s not tainted,” she said. “What’s tainted is your selfishness and ignorance. Let me have it.”
“The thing is evil and will not be destroyed. Touching it will only taint you more,” the elder said.
Dakshana closed her eyes and remembered the swift lines on the crystal, how they twisted and turned and lived, and she remembered the pulse of a heartbeat against hers when she wore the crystal around her neck. The crystal was the answer.
“It’s not tainted,” she said. “What’s tainted is your selfishness and ignorance. Let me have it.”
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Screaming In Your Sleep
“See? She is mad!” an elder crowed.
“Dakshana, stop this,” Minka said. She lowered her voice and whispered in Dakshana’s ear. “We told the elders we were merely lost in the woods, that the dire wolf killed the hunter who courted you. They believe you mad. You’ve been screaming in your sleep about shadows and other worlds, about Chadstone.”
Dakshana’s eyes blazed with fury. “They know I’m not mad - they just don’t want to admit what they’ve done. What did you do with his name?”
Minka’s brow furrowed. “What?”
“Chadstone’s name. Where is it?”
“She means the crystal,” Srina said.
“Dakshana, stop this,” Minka said. She lowered her voice and whispered in Dakshana’s ear. “We told the elders we were merely lost in the woods, that the dire wolf killed the hunter who courted you. They believe you mad. You’ve been screaming in your sleep about shadows and other worlds, about Chadstone.”
Dakshana’s eyes blazed with fury. “They know I’m not mad - they just don’t want to admit what they’ve done. What did you do with his name?”
Minka’s brow furrowed. “What?”
“Chadstone’s name. Where is it?”
“She means the crystal,” Srina said.
Possession
The world swayed, and then went black.
When Dakshana awoke, her hand burned with fierce pain, as if the wound was infected. She coughed. Her house was filled with smoke. She tried to scream - her house was on fire! But then she realized it was heavier smoke than fire, as if someone were burning herbs. Spices.
A holy fire. The damned elders were cleansing her.
Dakshana struggled to sit up, and two people immediately leapt on her, pressed her back down. Srina and Minka. Traitors. Dakshana thrashed.
“She is possessed by demon spirits!” one of the elders cried.
Dakshana shrieked.
When Dakshana awoke, her hand burned with fierce pain, as if the wound was infected. She coughed. Her house was filled with smoke. She tried to scream - her house was on fire! But then she realized it was heavier smoke than fire, as if someone were burning herbs. Spices.
A holy fire. The damned elders were cleansing her.
Dakshana struggled to sit up, and two people immediately leapt on her, pressed her back down. Srina and Minka. Traitors. Dakshana thrashed.
“She is possessed by demon spirits!” one of the elders cried.
Dakshana shrieked.
Stay Back
Dakshana hadn’t realized the crystal cut her, was mingling rainbow-iridescent blood with her own. Her head was dizzy and she was feeling faint, and she began to sway on her feet. Minka took another step forward.
“You’re hurt. Let us help you -”
“Like you helped my parents?” Dakshana asked.
One of the elders frowned. “What about your parents?”
“You set them on fire!” Dakshana waved the crystal shard warningly. “You killed them because you were afraid of them because Ashoken lied to you! I know what you’ll do to me. Stay back.”
Minka shook her head. “Dakshana, you’re ill --”
“You’re hurt. Let us help you -”
“Like you helped my parents?” Dakshana asked.
One of the elders frowned. “What about your parents?”
“You set them on fire!” Dakshana waved the crystal shard warningly. “You killed them because you were afraid of them because Ashoken lied to you! I know what you’ll do to me. Stay back.”
Minka shook her head. “Dakshana, you’re ill --”
Thursday, April 2, 2009
All of Them
“Dakshana, please,” Minka said. She approached cautiously, hands held out, as if to placate a wild animal.
Dakshana brandished the crystal. “No. Stay back. I won’t let any of you touch me. You did this to me!” All of them had done it - Ashoken’s widow, the elders, letting him experiment with the shadow-beings, letting him kill her parents. And then they’d just stood by and watched her struggle to survive alone. If they’d watched, if they’d cared - she wouldn’t have been tainted with this magic, with the runes dancing up her spine, in her blood.
Her blood. Dripping. Dripping.
Dakshana brandished the crystal. “No. Stay back. I won’t let any of you touch me. You did this to me!” All of them had done it - Ashoken’s widow, the elders, letting him experiment with the shadow-beings, letting him kill her parents. And then they’d just stood by and watched her struggle to survive alone. If they’d watched, if they’d cared - she wouldn’t have been tainted with this magic, with the runes dancing up her spine, in her blood.
Her blood. Dripping. Dripping.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Thrice Dead
The elders stared at her, horrified. Some of the women and children were screaming and crying. They’d seen what she’d done, what magic she’d wrought. Minka and Srina broke from the crowd. Srina was crying and went to throw her arms around Dakshana, but - what if it was another trick.
Dakshana stepped back, bringing the crystal shard up like a knife. In the real world, it only gleamed dully, the runes dead, the name dead, the man - dead.
“Stay back!”
“Dakshana,” Minka began.
And then the elders spoke.
“She has been tainted! We must purify her!”
Dakshana shrieked, “Stay back!”
Dakshana stepped back, bringing the crystal shard up like a knife. In the real world, it only gleamed dully, the runes dead, the name dead, the man - dead.
“Stay back!”
“Dakshana,” Minka began.
And then the elders spoke.
“She has been tainted! We must purify her!”
Dakshana shrieked, “Stay back!”
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Binding
Dakshana spun, clutching the crystal shard as if her life depended on it, and felt it slice into her palm. That creature stretched a spidery limb through the portal, grasping for her. Fury and terror and hatred rose in Dakshana, and she responded the only way she knew how. She slashed the air with bloody fingertips, painting a narrow, lopsided cross, and screamed the name of the rune.
Binding.
The creature let out a howl. The gate slammed shut with a thunderclap. Liquid shadows spattered Dakshana’s face, and then she turned to face the rest of her village.
And wept.
Binding.
The creature let out a howl. The gate slammed shut with a thunderclap. Liquid shadows spattered Dakshana’s face, and then she turned to face the rest of her village.
And wept.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Gate Ripping
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, added, “thank you.” She dragged the shard down Chadstone’s forearm, and blood flowed. It wasn’t human blood, and it wasn’t black like shadows, like she’d feared it would be - it was bright. Iridescent. All colors and none at all. Dakshana dipped her fingers into the blood and began to draw, lines, runes, a spell.
The force of a gate ripping into the fabric of the shadow world’s existence knocked the creature back. Through the shimmering gap, Dakshana could see the world, her world, the real world, with genuine sunlight.
She stepped through.
Something tried to follow.
The force of a gate ripping into the fabric of the shadow world’s existence knocked the creature back. Through the shimmering gap, Dakshana could see the world, her world, the real world, with genuine sunlight.
She stepped through.
Something tried to follow.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sound of Breaking
A knife glittered into the creature’s hands. It slashed downward onto the slab of crystal. The sound of breaking rang in the air. A shard of crystal chipped off the slab. Chadstone’s body jerked upward, spine arching, and Dakshana felt something rip out of him.
She screamed. “No!”
The creature advanced. Across the cave, a shard of crystal glittered. Dakshana lunged across the floor on all fours, scooped it up. It was intact, engraved with runes. A word. A name. His name.
Dakshana crawled back over to Chadstone’s body. The creature raised its knife once more. Dakshana brandished her shard.
She screamed. “No!”
The creature advanced. Across the cave, a shard of crystal glittered. Dakshana lunged across the floor on all fours, scooped it up. It was intact, engraved with runes. A word. A name. His name.
Dakshana crawled back over to Chadstone’s body. The creature raised its knife once more. Dakshana brandished her shard.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Erase and Rewind
“Chadstone, no!” What had she done? She’d flung the crystal - she’d known it would hurt him, but she hadn’t thought it would --
“You did what you had to do,” he said. His smile was faint, tired.
The creature uncoiled and reared up. In one of its spidery hands it clutched a sheet of crystal that glittered with runes, runes bright as rainbows and shifting, alive. “We can erase you!”
Chadstone’s eyes slipped closed. He said, “I hope all memories of me are erased.” His head tipped back, and Dakshana watched the last breath slip past his lips.
The creature roared.
“You did what you had to do,” he said. His smile was faint, tired.
The creature uncoiled and reared up. In one of its spidery hands it clutched a sheet of crystal that glittered with runes, runes bright as rainbows and shifting, alive. “We can erase you!”
Chadstone’s eyes slipped closed. He said, “I hope all memories of me are erased.” His head tipped back, and Dakshana watched the last breath slip past his lips.
The creature roared.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Unmade
Time froze. For an eternity, Chadstone was suspended mid-air, blue eyes wide, lips parted, gaze skyward, as if he were looking into the heavens. Then he crumpled to the ground.
One of the others let out a shriek.
Dakshana dropped to her knees, crawled over to him. “Chadstone?” She brushed a lock of pale hair out of his eyes with shaking hands. His breath was light, shallow.
He was smiling. “You did it.”
“What have you done?” the creature shrieked.
“She unmade me,” Chadstone said. “You have your life.” He turned to Dakshana. “Thank you.”
She shook her head.
One of the others let out a shriek.
Dakshana dropped to her knees, crawled over to him. “Chadstone?” She brushed a lock of pale hair out of his eyes with shaking hands. His breath was light, shallow.
He was smiling. “You did it.”
“What have you done?” the creature shrieked.
“She unmade me,” Chadstone said. “You have your life.” He turned to Dakshana. “Thank you.”
She shook her head.
Answer All Along
Dakshana felt another heartbeat alongside her own, one just as erratic and afraid. And suddenly she realized she’d known the answer all along.
“A life for a life,” she said. She slipped the cord over her head, pressed her lips to the shard of crystal, and then threw it as hard as she could.
The sound of crystal shattering was stark in the air. Dakshana hadn’t thought she’d see horror in those ancient eyes, but it was there. Chadstone made a soft sound, like a sharply in-drawn breath, body arched as if he’d been struck hard across his back.
“A life for a life,” she said. She slipped the cord over her head, pressed her lips to the shard of crystal, and then threw it as hard as she could.
The sound of crystal shattering was stark in the air. Dakshana hadn’t thought she’d see horror in those ancient eyes, but it was there. Chadstone made a soft sound, like a sharply in-drawn breath, body arched as if he’d been struck hard across his back.
One Utterly Soulless
Chadstone faced his elders, cold realization settling into the pit of his stomach. It came with a sense of serenity he’d never known, a calmness and unity of purpose that he hadn’t thought possible for one utterly soulless. There was only one solution to this problem. They’d created him for the sole purpose of playing a game, made him the most ingenious and capricious shadow possible - and they’d made him well.
He lowered his gaze, as if regretful he was losing his game piece, and watched Dakshana from beneath his lashes one last time.
“She knows what she must do.”
He lowered his gaze, as if regretful he was losing his game piece, and watched Dakshana from beneath his lashes one last time.
“She knows what she must do.”
Life In Return
“She will give you two lives,” Chadstone said. “She knows what she must do.” He wasn’t looking at her, but his voice pulled at her.
A thousand years of ancient eyes turned their gazes on her, and she felt her heartbeat begin to stutter. What would they do to her if she didn’t give them a life?
Chadstone’s voice was smooth, almost hypnotic, and Dakshana felt her eyes slip closed.
“You have given her magic, and she must give you a life in return. And she will give it. Won’t she?”
Dakshana felt a single tear slip down her face.
A thousand years of ancient eyes turned their gazes on her, and she felt her heartbeat begin to stutter. What would they do to her if she didn’t give them a life?
Chadstone’s voice was smooth, almost hypnotic, and Dakshana felt her eyes slip closed.
“You have given her magic, and she must give you a life in return. And she will give it. Won’t she?”
Dakshana felt a single tear slip down her face.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Two Lives
Dakshana cast a wild glance at Chadstone, but he looked utterly unmoved by what he saw. So that’s what the soul of a shadow-being looked like, if it had a soul at all? Dakshana wondered what it had done, that it had gone from looking like Chadstone to looking like...that.
“You know the rules, young one,” the creature said, and oh, but its voice was still as lovely as a single star in an empty sky. “Life for life.”
“I do know the rules,” Chadstone agreed quietly.
“We gave her two lives, and she must give us one.”
“You know the rules, young one,” the creature said, and oh, but its voice was still as lovely as a single star in an empty sky. “Life for life.”
“I do know the rules,” Chadstone agreed quietly.
“We gave her two lives, and she must give us one.”
Sunday, March 22, 2009
But For The Eyes
The creature eased forward into the flickering glow of the blue flames from the torches that appeared in the walls with a blossoming of rune-magic. Dakshana watched those eyes - golden, ancient, knowing - come closer and closer. And then she saw the creature’s face.
She’d assumed it would look beautiful as Chadstone, for they were the same race, but he had said they wouldn’t look the same as him. She’d thought they’d at least look vaguely human.
What stood before her might have been humanoid once, but it had been bent and melted, twisted beyond recognition. But for the eyes.
She’d assumed it would look beautiful as Chadstone, for they were the same race, but he had said they wouldn’t look the same as him. She’d thought they’d at least look vaguely human.
What stood before her might have been humanoid once, but it had been bent and melted, twisted beyond recognition. But for the eyes.
Ever So Lovely
There came a rattling sound, like bone on bone - or, Dakshana realized, applause. Those creatures were mocking her.
“This is our finest challenge yet.” The voice was gentle, lulling - like the eyes of a snake lulling its victim into stillness. “Such a lovely soul, drawn in by the truest shadow we have made to date. She will taste ever so lovely.”
Dakshana wondered which rune would ruin the creature best.
Chadstone’s words confused her. “I don’t think she will.”
“Oh? And why not?” That mocking tone was dangerous.
“Because you will not taste her at all.”
Those words were dangerous.
“This is our finest challenge yet.” The voice was gentle, lulling - like the eyes of a snake lulling its victim into stillness. “Such a lovely soul, drawn in by the truest shadow we have made to date. She will taste ever so lovely.”
Dakshana wondered which rune would ruin the creature best.
Chadstone’s words confused her. “I don’t think she will.”
“Oh? And why not?” That mocking tone was dangerous.
“Because you will not taste her at all.”
Those words were dangerous.
Friday, March 20, 2009
What It Takes
"You have what it takes."
Dakshana couldn't stop shaking. Chadstone's voice made it worse.
That damnable stone chamber coalesced around her. She wanted to see some gods-forsaken sunlight.
Chadstone said, "You know what you must do."
He sounded calm, but the crystal at her throat pulse erratically, like someone's frightened heartbeat.
Dakshana climbed to her feet, still shaking. "I do."
A chorus of hisses, whispers, rose along the edges of the chamber.
After a moment Dakshana could see hundreds of pairs of eyes, jewel-bright and death-shadowed, ancient, hungry, cruel.
She said, louder, "I have what it takes."
Dakshana couldn't stop shaking. Chadstone's voice made it worse.
That damnable stone chamber coalesced around her. She wanted to see some gods-forsaken sunlight.
Chadstone said, "You know what you must do."
He sounded calm, but the crystal at her throat pulse erratically, like someone's frightened heartbeat.
Dakshana climbed to her feet, still shaking. "I do."
A chorus of hisses, whispers, rose along the edges of the chamber.
After a moment Dakshana could see hundreds of pairs of eyes, jewel-bright and death-shadowed, ancient, hungry, cruel.
She said, louder, "I have what it takes."
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Hazy
What came next was - hazy. Hazy with heat waves slithering up from the ground where dozens and dozens of bodies lay dead, bleeding, burnt or both. Dakshana reeled from the stench of charred human flesh, and she fell to her knees, staring at her own hands. Hands she’d used to kill these men.
The world around her shimmered out of being, and she didn’t know when he’d died, when he’d been struck in her sudden lunge into mass slaughter. Dakshana bowed her head and wept softly. She’d killed them the way Ashoken had killed her parents.
She was a monster.
The world around her shimmered out of being, and she didn’t know when he’d died, when he’d been struck in her sudden lunge into mass slaughter. Dakshana bowed her head and wept softly. She’d killed them the way Ashoken had killed her parents.
She was a monster.
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