Unchained, He Stands...AloneThe horizon: an endless veil of darkness flowing from one shade into another, stretching across the boundaries of all existence, always there, forever an eternally calm in the midst of this full moon night; a symbol of how things always were and always will be...constant. That same full moon glints and casts its revered glow upon the soft, dark earth; the light never conflicted with the darkness but rather melting with it to form the harmonious blanket of night, a familiar sight of peace for many.
There is but a slight whisper of wind in the air, a touch not unlike that of a loving mother or mate as they caress their loved ones. Slight rustling accompanies the wind's whispering, another familiar sound for most; possibly someone out hunting or an innocent creature swiftly fleeing into the night. It is the same cycle of life that has been there always, a guide throughout the ages.
But if one were to but glance towards a certain spot in the distance, a place respected beyond comprehension, its people proud and fierce; but above all loyal and honourable, Within that sanctuary few dare tread near any more, there is a slight haze there, barely visible to even the keenest eye. It is within that haze a lone figure kneels, head bowed, eyes tightly shut as drops of moisture and black liquid sorrow stain the cool earth with the pain of countless years compacted into droplets of intense fire, forever blazing for all of time.
The figure kneels there as an eternity passes in but an instance, the area around him forever as it was all those years ago. His scales glisten in the moonlight, those white rays creating an aura around the raptor, an aura of infinite beauty and sadness. Flecks of red deeply dyed onto his garments and the crimson marks his life had left on his scales however shattered any illusion one might have; for this figure was one who even in his weakest moment could shatter any other creature with ease.
A being to be feared and respected above all yes, but one that if you saw now you could not help but feel pity and remorse for. And if you had the misfortune of knowing his terrible tale and what cruel twist of fate had delivered him to where he was now, then you yourself would collapse into a heap, tortured by such visions of horror and eternal despair. But he was not broken so easily. Enduring a thousand pains that nobody would ever begin to comprehend, travelling across lands non had ever returned from, ending the lives of those who were once believed to be invincible in mere seconds...A raptor assassin like no other, one fuelled by the happenings of the past, his motivation his reason for living.
A rabbit stops in its scurrying to glance at this figure for a moment, its ears twitching slightly before it looks away and hurries into the darkness once more. The wind is silent and the moon seems to fade away into nothing as the raptor opens his eyes, a fire burning there as he is kept here forever, chained by the memories of the past. The world flickers and suddenly fades back into existence, but not the same world that had been there always...
The horizon was alight with flashes of light as it changed to blood red, chaos and turmoil the markings of the land as it was shrouded in a very different darkness. The wind roared and howled in agony as fires burned throughout the land, the same small creatures fleeing, only to meet their demise as a great shadow engulfed them one by one. And there...in that place most revered and respected, the home of the proud raptors...that sanctuary for the race, their home, their world...
He ran there swiftly, claws at the ready to defend his home, his tribe and his mate but all he saw was death and more death. A thousand curses laid upon the ground and all that ever was had been reduced to mere ashes in the midst of each roaring flame tainted with a pure darkness that seemed to strike at your very heart and poisoned the very air itself merely looking at it. A shape twisted by the fire stood out in his eyes, one that he was certain of what, or rather who, it was...and that thought froze even him. ''...?'' a silent question that rested on the tip of his tongue, not once to be utteredâ€as that shape faded along with the rest of this nightmarish world that tore his soul and made him sick.
Silence again, the wind whispering more soothing words as the skies greeted his return. He was here again, kneeling in the remnants if what had once been his homeland. Countless aeons had passed since those events so long ago that had changed his life forever but he had still come back here and these chains he wore forever were heavier than ever, a burden only he could carry. It was hard to believe that this area could be so peaceful after all that had happened, all the time that had passed...all that he had done. He tilted his head up, an image of the one he loved so dearly reflected clearly in his eyes. Pale moonlight bathed him as he bowed his head again. A single leaf was blown across the landscape and it came to a rest at last by his side.
The raptor raised himself and in a single motion that seemed to rip the very fabric of time and space itself, he broke free of the chains that had tried to hold him for so long. He is Tezztor Ne'taku, a raptor assassin like no other.
Unchained he stands...alone.
This piece is a birthday present of sorts for Tezztor. It's the first piece of writing I've done in far too long now (I really should update soon) but I'd like to think that I did his scalesona some justice with this piece.
