Chronicles of Myth Volume One: Twisted Daydreams

Scene Forty-four

"Thane, can you tell me something"? I looked at Galahad nodding my head before turning back to the desolate horizon in front of us, "What is this place"? "An abyss, a prison, despite how it looks this place is my sanctuary, my home". "Funny you should say that, the way I see this place; it was my form of repentance, I was reborn here as a different man... if you can believe it, I used to worse as a person than I am now". "As for you, Thane... did put your personal demons to rest"? "A long time ago, before I got involved in all of this; I was a very different person yet not a single day goes where I regret my choices before". Dense iron particles gathered to make sand, a dust devil past by us as we walked toward the priory in the center of the wasteland, the ground beneath us was rugged and lifeless; not even the desert brush remained here, above us the clouds stormed, thunder clapped across the sky with the lightning tracing through the air; "I'd never thought we end up back here, did you"? "History repeats itself, Galahad; especially the bad blood between two enemies". Walking onto the ruins of the priory we faced each other and bowed, we sat on the ground and placed our folders in the pyre; "A bond of blood", "A bond of steel". "We are flesh and iron". We lit our matches and placed them on top of the folders, a warm glow of orange burned brightly; I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes; Galahad did the same. A few moments of quiet past and sounds of cawing birds echoed around us, the dead tree rustled with a light breeze; the ground was frosted over and cracked as I stood up, Galahad faced me and took a grapplers stance as he got on his feet; "Nothing fancy, just a test of our strength and wits". "It's not a fight, it's going to be a beat down". I raised my fists in front of me, Galahad rushed toward me on all fours and planted his hands into the ground to follow into a dropkick; I ducked under his kick and grabbed him by the greying fur on his back, I threw him across the ground and sent him crashing into a nearby decaying stump.

"We have one of two options, we either die or disappear into the nothingness". I held out my palms and diverted Galahad's fist, I pulled his arm and stomped on his elbow joint, snap; I sidestepped him as timbered over and pierced my hand through his side, gripping three of his ribs I yanked them out his side and impaled him through the throat. "When concerning ourselves in the midst of chaos I'd much rather disappear than become him". Galahad leaned over me and grabbed me by the head, I was tossed into the air and flung through the air with a clothesline punch; I smashed into a dead oak tree, I sat up from the mold left from my impact, I shook my head and was shoulder tackled back to the ground as Galahad threw me through the already weakened tree, I rolled out the way and kicked his left hamstring, I scrambled up and punched him between in his right side. I backstepped and blocked his kick with both palms extended out, I held his leg between my left arm and side, I swung down my fist and shattered his kneecap, I let go of his leg and waited for his straight punch, I ducked under his arm; placing my hand at his shoulder I threw him over me with a backwards roll. He landed on his back and laid on the iced over ground, "Just like old times, huh"? I helped Galahad to his feet, "I never thought be we'd be fighting on the same side in a million years". "Neither did I, yet here we are burying the hatchet". I took a deep breath and unzipped my jacket: I let the cool air hit my chest, my soaked sweater made the front of my tingle, I shivered at from the bone chilling wind as the shock spread through my body; "How can you fight in this weather with a just vest and those silk pants; I mean the fur does it even help, you're a damned ape not a polar bear". Galahad took off his red vest, the wave etchings rippled as it settled in the snow; tightening the rope for his dust colored pants, the baggy legs clung to the shape of his legs; Galahad retied the laces on his gray track shoes. I raised my fists and took a breath of crisp air, my lungs burned from the chill; "When you suggested advanced training, I'd never thought we'd come here of all places". I said raising my hands to block, I caught Galahad's roundhouse kick by his foot; "Honestly I'd come here for some peace and quiet before all hell broke loose", I stepped back letting my arm drop to the side, Galahad planted his feet into the ground and met my fist with his palm, the ice on the ground cracked apart and crumbled away from the resounding impact of the tradeoff, what remaining strength I had left my body and my limbs went limp; I fell on the ground with deep cuts all over my body, I pressed my bloodied palms into the snow and got back up, I shook off Galahad's previous attack; I drew my sword and saw Galahad's blades manifest in the air around him; ten large cleavers with a glossy black metal for the curved blades, the pink diamond handles were shining with my blood, at the base of each sword there was a glowing deep red gem; my blood was absorbed through the tangs of the blades making the edge shine bright red. "Declaration of War". I braced myself and parried off the four incoming slashes with my longsword; Galahad planted eight swords into the ground and held the remaining two firmly in his hands, he spun around as he walked toward me; I backstepped away from the hurricane of metal, as he slowed down I thrust forward and skewered him through the chest; "Providence". I pulled out the sword and placed it on my back; "I believe I've won our little game". Galahad put away his swords and stood up, he picked up his vest from the ground and wore it over his fur; "I'm sick of fighting". I looked at Galahad and knew what he'd meant; all our lives people like us were responsible for fighting the battles of others, that hunters were responsible for keeping the things that go bump in the night away from the rest of the world, regardless if we are good or evil as people. "Why do we end up fighting the battles of others, even though we never get involved in the first place Galahad"?