The rage so prevalent
A taste on my tongue
Not the owner of this body
But of someone millennia young
Someone whose hatred has festered andgrown
Someone whose sanity has been kept bypatience alone
One after the other
Cut down by a blade
At the end of a handle
A sickle made of microscopic graves
Millions and millions of tombstonesstacked
A new one added by every slash
Finally he arrives to a woman on theground
“Where is the child?!” Hisvoice piercing, sounds
“WHERE?! The token was not paid!
The contract unkept!
Too long have you Seers soundly slept!”
Looking to the woman she holdssomething close
Swaddled in cloth
As the voice smiles “Host.”
His hand reaches out, it grabs andpulls
As a baby begins crying
Lungs loud and full
“No!!!” The woman cries
As the last sight I see
Is her lifeless body reaching for herbaby
Instantly, I'm thrust back to me
As I stumble backward to the ground tobreathe
My heart pounding
My body shakes
Struggling to my feet
I understand this place
A home once where Seers slept
Now their graves
Their tombs bereft
Trial14: The bigger picture
The moon shining down
To this street of the dead
One thought running through my head
That baby... was me?
Am I the one...?
Was I the one for whom all of this wasdone?
And why?
Why did he call me a host?
And the man who's body was beingcontrolled...
At least I know that it can't be Jack
It was definitely a man...
Swinging that... that...
Instantly, I bend over and hack
The images burned into my mind
Making me sick
The rest of the truth I may not evenwant to find
Leo was right, this place is beyondsaving
“Why bring me here?!” Icall to the wind
My soul gazing
“What was the point?
What do you want me to know?”
The air remains still
As I shiver, queasy and cold
Suddenly a large gust blows through
Etching in the wall words to view
The mistakes of the past guide theway for the future
Broken promises old
Make way for a hero newer
Mend the brokenness
That shattered bonds
Rekindle unity and sing the song
“What?”I mumble
“What thehell does that mean?”
As another gust &more words to read
Your punishment is still underdeliberation
It may yet help you bring salvation
Piece together the tragic history
Then seek to unravel the Seer'smystery
Parentage, family, purpose, and goal
This is your story to be told
The priestess of winter followsclosely behind
Stick closely to her
And answers you'll find
“What?”I call
“You'resaying Jack is coming here?”
The air still andsilent
As the confusionand frustration manifests a tear
“Damn it!”I scream
As one truth ringsclear
I'm on the righttrack
My answers arenear...
Trial 15: Shade
The moon glaringoverhead
My strengthreturning
Passion churning
The ambition within me being fed
Invigoration - No more vacation
The weight on my shoulders - No longerlead
A spring in my step
Light as a feather
Time to get going - I feel better
Up to my feet, I pull myself
As quick as it comes
It swiftly leaves
As around Leo darkness breathes
A living shadow hallow, yet whole
Draining the warmth around it
Everything going cold
It slithers and slinks
Good feelings it drinks
A beastly silhouette
Eyes of crimson
Instinctively cold
On my own instinct I call out, bold
“Get away from him!”
It glares at me, giving a hiss
Moving fluid
Lucid, it's focus fixed
Staring me down
It's testing me
Trying to figure out just what I see
Slowly it wriggles it's fingers so
Reaching closer to Leo under moonlightsglow
My mana begins flaring up as I glare
The Shade threatened by my stare
Quickly acting, it's about to strike
As Leo's unconscious among the night
Testing me further – It's daringme
To make a move...
It knows I see
Reaching out quickly to grab the boy
As my emotions flare it plays coy
Finally I've had enough of this
I take a step
As again I hear it hiss
It begins shifting quicker
Against darkness black
It bears it's fangs ready to attack
As suddenly it vanishes into the ground
It's shadowy form about to pounce
Moving ever quick, coming for the kill
As a chill on the air
Ice forming on the window sill
Suddenly, she appears
Flying in on the breeze
Like everything else the Shade beginsto freeze
“Finally, I found you.”Jack greets
“No surprise that you found yourway to these streets.”
“Nice to see you too.” Myresponse taunt
“Where's the boy?” Sheanswers back
“Tell me he didn't get caught.”
I point behind her
She can barely make him out
“What? Did you make him pout?”
“Not exactly.” My toneirritated
“He passed out.
Now he's being targeted
By a Shade that needs to beeliminated.”
She lets out a chuckle
“Well, don't let me interrupt.
Go ahead, show it your stuff.”
Scanning the area
“I was about to until you camealong.
I'm happy to see you don't get mewrong.”
I catch sight of it again
Slithering around the boy
I begin stepping toward it
As it lets out a noise
The sound eerie...
Like a lion's purr
But more creepy
Then something occurs
It slinks back into the ground
Into the shadows
Slithering proud
Suddenly, behind me I hear it crackleand pop
Jack has it frozen from the bottom tothe top
“That won't stop it for long.”Jack's voice tight
“We need to get Leo into thelight.
The longer he remains under darkness &night,
The more the Shade's grip gets tight.”
“Well, let's go.” I sayabout to pick up the boy
Suddenly, fire begins to deploy
A trail of flame
Starting about the length of my arm
Igniting a blaze around us
But not causing us harm...
Then from the flares
A flaming fox appears
Growling at us and showing no fear
An elemental familiar
A guiding spirit for a mage
And this one?
Has us locked in a fiery cage...
Trial16: Little boy lost
The embers flicker – Illuminatingso
Lighting the night – The darknessglows
As an implosion of flames echoes togreet
I watch as the redheaded O.D. emergesonto the street
“Frost!” She calls, angerstill pulsating
Manifesting a flaming whip
Not even hesitating
In an effortless motion she lunges atJack
Flinging the whip with a crack
Binding Jack with the flames
Thinking only of saving Leo
I shout “Enough with this game!”
A concussive blast emanates from myeyes
As every ember and flame extinguishesand dies
Still unyielding she reignites the whip
Again wrapping Jack with the same oldtrick
Immediately, Jack releases the ice heldShade
The flames catching it's eye
It hisses and tames
Threatened by the fire more than eitherJack or me
And the poor redhead can't even see
Instantly the creature furiouslyslithers
Striking at her, but she's no quitter
With a fireball blast she knocks itaway
As it squeals and wriggles, writhing inpain
This chick has a one-track mind
I've got to get her to see Leo
“Jack! Buy me some time!”
“No problem.” Jack says
“I'll just stay here and toy withher a bit.”
I rush over
