Dutybound

by Mark Aaron Alvarez

  Ralphoro nodded in the faint glow and gazed into the giant dome above. “Just as there are four virtues of light, there are four sins of darkness. But you already know that. After all, you’ve encountered, what, three of them by now?

  “The darkness. When it first returned, the sins were concentrated within a single monstrosity that was fueled by a bloodlust, where all sin was existent—a war your father started when he took Moz’s high maiden for himself. But a single prayer and unity among people, orchestrated by your selfish mother, protected them from the monstrosity. And it was your power that protected them.”

  Ralphoro let out an uneasy cough that brought about a dreadful chill. “Your father corrupted the balance, not because he fell in love with an outsider, but because he used his gift of prophecy as a weapon for the master of Moz. Rogan Sanoon, your grandfather, had initially held notions of establishing peace with his northern neighbors. But when Stello followed Ara back to Moz and used his powers to prove his worth to your grandfather and his court, your grandfather chose Stello, and called off your mother’s betrothal to Sigranole. You can imagine that Sigranole was furious, so much that his hate and envy toward your father led to a military assault against your homeland. Within days, Pinea was on the attack, and Stello could foresee every move the Pinean armies made. In order to protect his love and his unborn child, he used his gifts to inform your grandfather’s armies so that Rogan could destroy his enemies.

  “Your father is in no way innocent, Lucia. His actions birthed the greatest evils Terestria had ever seen. And by the time the sins manifested themselves and entered our world, the rulers of both kingdoms had been slaughtered, their nations destroyed, and their people suffering. Until your mother’s little act of peace—”

  “How do you know all this? There’s no way you could—”

  “Well, because I was there.” Ralphoro chuckled. His laughter increased louder and louder, distorting his voice. The air soon cooled, and Lucia’s breath hung in the torchlight that was dimming by the second.

  ***

  “In the beginning there were two forces, both equal in power and in nature, uncorrupted and pure, each one revolving around the other. The true origin of these forces remains a mystery, but it is known that they are the reason behind the very existence of our world and dimension.”

  Ralphoro went on, speaking rapidly. His face was twisted and changing, shifting constantly. “In the beginning there was only light and darkness. Both existed in a balance, like brothers, bonded and dependent upon one another. But there came an event that altered everything—the clash.”

  Who are you? Lucia thought to herself, stepping back, her fear overtaking her as she watched the man change into this crazed lunatic, a far cry from the simple and kind old man she’d met hours before. Emma stood still, her gaze blank.

  “The forces merged at a point, creating a dimension where both could rule together in equal balance. The forces treasured this dimension as if it were a newly born child, and put priority on nurturing it. Even the darkness treasured its creation. The forces also worked together in creating a utopia for themselves, a home. Light took to the heavens, using energy and radiance to create the very sun and stars in the skies, blessing the dimension with warmth, while the terrain was materialized into the space that darkness had created, using matter to create mountain ranges that cast large shadows beneath the chasms and canyons of the earth.

  “The light would rule the day, while the darkness would keep its equal place within the shadows created by the daylight. And when dark ruled the night, the light would hold its dominion within the heavens as the stars and moon. They were balanced and equal. The terrestrial world was composed of darkness. The celestial world was composed of light. But in unison—their creations were to be shared and ruled by both.”

  Ralphoro lifted a wrinkled hand and pointed to the dome as his skin tightened around his bones. “Though they had created this place together, it wasn’t at all within terms of satisfaction. Light had taken to another creation of its own, one that would be blessed to live within its praise. It had taken the power of its radiance and breathed life into the oceans and placed them upon the land. Life was embedded with souls created of fragmented light—light that gave man the will to prosper as well as the morality and virtue that kept the early civilizations of the world together. These civilizations gave praise to their only creator, praising light for their very life and everything that its radiance had blessed them with. But this creation was not always appreciated.

  “The conscious of darkness felt a deep resentment for the life its brother had created. It had grown too envious, feeling an intense hatred toward the praise that light had received when the bounty of the earth—that darkness had created—was the very foundation of the world. So darkness took to its own creations, something to rival those of its brother so that it, too, could remain powerful. These creations, however, would not be meant to bring about love or praise or worship, as life and virtue were. Their sole purpose would be to breed fear, death, and destruction among the life that darkness loathed.

  “Envy, hate, pride, and greed—these four beasts were to be called Wym, Hatorium, Lykorus, and Ragium. The four sins of darkness. These beings were given one objective: to spread out upon the beings of light and taint their souls with corruption. Life would soon have to fall to the power of their sin, and ultimately lose the very will and right to live—leaving light no choice but to abandon its failed creation. Then it would be time for the darkness to take back Terestria. With the newly destroyed souls, tainted with the sins which had devoured them, darkness would be able to build enough power to destroy its rival, and take the whole of creation. The world would become a bed of darkness—lifeless, silent, and without radiance.

  “But with light’s precious creation at stake, it created a safeguard by making a covenant with the protectors. Their blood was blessed with the power of Runespeech, and the tribes of their world were given relics from the other world as a means to ward off the darkness. It was said that, if the protectors kept their faith and did not fall to the powers of destruction spread by the sins that darkness had created, all the souls of life would be spared. But only if the protectors remained untainted. The light believed, as long as its chosen people remained, that all life should be pardoned for the sins they’d fall victim to.

  “But now, the world is corrupted and the balance is no more. Darkness can do as it pleases and corrupt the earth. There is but one failsafe, the light’s last resort, crafted for the sole purpose that is to hold and collect what has been lost. When the power of the protectors becomes corrupted, and one of them lends their powers to the darkness, four virtues would be summoned to fight sin. These virtues would be born into the souls of four noble youths, each holding the power of a virtue strong enough to fight the darkness.”

  “As long as they hold a rune,” Emma uttered, breaking from her trance.

  “Right you are, my dear.” Ralphoro nodded. “And last I checked, you only have one rune and the Light Wings.” Ralphoro took up a torch and approached a relief opposite them, slowly illuminating it as the torch crossed over its shadows, exposing the relief’s form in colors of faded rust. The curves of the cut stone formed four monstrous images, and beneath those were images of something more divine in appearance, surrounded by depictions of light that had been stylized onto each of the symbols that lay under them.

  Lucia stepped closer to Ralphoro, aligning to his side and skimming her gloved fingers across the first of the images. It was something that seemed all too familiar, and as she looked deep into a pair of eyes that were cut and painted like bloodstones, memories of Aldric set a shroud over her. “This is the monster that attacked Aldric.” She glanced over to Emma, who looked at the relief with provoked eyes.

  “That is the sin of envy,” Ralphoro said. “Wym, the serpent that corrupts and destroys through the power of jealousy.”

  Luci
a touched her neck. “The hooded figure in Pinea. That was pride.” She looked to Ralphoro for guidance.

  “Why yes. Lykorus, the phantom. It has the ability to take on the forms of your greatest fears and can turn anyone into a coward. It’s sadistic, that one. It really did a number on your boyfriend, didn’t it? His pride is strong. Breaking him wasn’t easy.”

  Lucia began to realize that Ralphoro wasn’t who he said he was—it was all too obvious by now. He knew too much. The stories he spoke, the absolutes, they haunted her. He was trying to get into her head, and though she was scared, she tried her best to maintain her composure. She just hoped the others would find their way down to her before it was too late.

  Ralphoro took a slow finger and placed it onto the figure of a beast that looked almost as if it did not have a form, but was portrayed as a hooded shroud of smoke mixed into a mass of many parts. It was a disturbing mixture of deformed life.

  “So fitting for pride to prey on the fears of the weak,” Lucia managed to say. Then she saw it there, the demon with its large wings, the one that destroyed her home. “Hatorium, I presume.”

  “Correct,” Ralphoro said deviously.

  “And this one?” Lucia placed a finger on a figure that assumed the form of a human with a handsome exterior. It was almost mistakenly good. But unlike the seraph shown in much of the virtue’s reliefs, this figure had four batlike wings that sprang from its back, and horns on its head, signifying it was the opposite of the virtue above it.

  “The sin of greed, Ragium, deception in its purest form. Some would call it a devil, but in reality, it’s a Djinn—a being that promises you all the things your privilege warrants you . . . at a price. It knows no justice, no compassion, or need for balance. It feels only the thirst for more. It thrives on selfishness. Taken with its vanity, it consumes the souls of those it kills, taking their form whenever necessary.” Ralphoro’s shadowy eyes seemed to widen as his voice fell into a hoarse laugh.

  Lucia grew more uncomfortable as the laughing continued. She had to think quickly. There was no telling if the others were anywhere close by, and if she acted too rashly and underestimated the power of the protectors, she could put herself into the most dangerous of situations. She asked another question, stalling. “What are the virtues?”

  Ralphoro looked curiously toward Lucia. A wide grin stretched across his face. “I thought you’d never ask.” He moved his hand to the reliefs above those of the sins.

  Ralphoro pointed to a light with the image of a grand phoenix with tails made of clear magenta fire. “There is hope, the virtue of faith in all things good. They know no envy because they believe nothing is impossible and anything is achievable. They have unyielding, unwavering resolve in themselves and in those around them. Even more especially, in those they care about.”

  Beneath the next symbol was a gallant buraq draped in angelic armor, galloping gracefully beneath shimmering purple wings. “Of course, there is love, the virtue that knows the nature of true sacrifice. Loyal and to the utmost compassionate, they will do anything for those they care for.”

  Then there was an image of a courageous lamassu, releasing a beacon of shining blue light from its roar. “Temperance is the virtue of restraint. They are deliberate and act in moderation, perceptive of the outcomes of various choices. So they are not rash, but rather cool and collected, willing to accept responsibility for their actions.”

  Finally, Ralphoro pointed to the familiar image of the enchanting seraph, a jewel-like golden scale held within its gently carved fingers. “And lastly, there is justice, the virtue of balance. Justice acts only on reason, due to their incredible judgment. They separate truth from deception and will fight for what is right when no one else will.”

  Lucia’s mouth dropped as she finally saw the truth. She placed her hand over the small diamond in the Light Wings, feeling its warmth as it emitted a still and soft misty glow. She bit her lip. Slightly disturbed, she said, “These are supposed to be us.”

  Ralphoro nodded and faced Lucia, beaming. Emma remained silent, her head bowed as she listened. Tears ran down her face as Ralphoro continued.

  “A virtue’s power is not fully realized until they have in their possession a rune derivative to their respective virtue. They must then self-actualize and align themselves with that virtue, and channel it through Runespeech, which only one of you knows how to do. To awaken the powers of each virtue, that virtue’s strength must be at its fullest in order for the Light Wings to recognize its power and forge a link between them.”

  “But only protectors can use Runespeech.” Lucia’s hand shook as she placed it uneasily on the Light Wings. “How could the others do so, even with the rune in hand?”

  “That’s the big question, isn’t it? Hmm. Maybe the light gave you an impossible task, knowing that it’d have no choice but to relinquish its creations to the darkness in the end. I’m afraid that is the one secret I can’t share with you—because even I don’t know.”

  “You’re lying,” Emma whispered, breaking her silence. “You know exactly how the other virtues will use Runespeech. You said it yourself.”

  “Pardon me, my sweet. I don’t recall mentioning how the outsiders will use a power that’s not their own.”

  “By forging the link with the Light Wings. Lucia, you’ve been able to lend your power to them in the past, right, fighting the sins? It was the same with your mother during Frailty’s War. When they have awakened their virtue and forged the link, Lucia’s power becomes their own. They will summon the virtues using the Light Wings.”

  Other than the sound of dripping off in the distance, there was silence. Ralphoro grunted and growled before raising his voice again. “Again, you must fail me, giving away all our secrets. How dare you betray me after all I’ve done for you?!”

  Emma shook her head. “You are not the man who raised me. It took me a while, but I caught on. You like to talk, and flatter yourself by doing so. You are not Ralphoro. Ralphoro would never—”

  “Do what? This!” Ralphoro hurled his torch at Emma, who shifted aside and let it clash against the wall behind her. A shadow ran between them as the flames of the torches flared into a heavy spiral, knocking Lucia backward and onto her back. Her head pounded as the flames disappeared.

  “Lucia!” Emma’s voice echoed around the void.

  Lucia felt the damp stone floor of the catacombs beneath her. She touched her head, checking for blood. That blast was too powerful, she thought. What was that? Lucia felt nothing in the darkness. The faint glow of the Light Wings alone wasn’t enough to reveal the vast room, not without the aid of the torchlight. She remembered the shadow as it dashed ahead of them. Did the darkness set a trap? Her blood surged through her veins. “Ralphoro,” she whispered into the void as the damp air grew cold and stuck to her skin. She stood and took a step forward, trying to follow Emma’s voice as she called out to Lucia. She tried to regain her senses, her head still stinging from her fall. As she took her next step, the screech of shadows moaned around her.

  “Emma!” she cried, squinting in the darkness as her fear knotted into her muscles. The sound of scraping echoed in the distance along the stone walls of the catacombs. Lucia dashed around the darkness, frantically searching for Emma as the shadows collected around her.

  Emma was quick to see the moving light. She hurried to help her, but Lucia was panicking and moving too fast. “Slow down!” Emma called.

  Lucia could only hear the scraping in the distance. The sound of evil laughter intruded and distorted her mind. She screamed as a shadowy tentacle tightened around her legs, causing her to fall forward with a loud crash. “Help!” she shouted as she was dragged backward roughly. With another high-pitched scream, she released a bright light from the center of her chest causing the tentacles to wither backward in the pulsating light. Lucia felt the power of the Light Wings explode, filling her. She felt the hilt of her d
iamond sword as it formed in her gentle fingers, and with a loud grunt of anger turned her body and slashed at her feet, sending the shadows loose and into the darkness.

  Emma tried to run as fast as she could toward the glowing light as she saw it rise, almost as dim as a firefly, jolting across and rushing toward a turn she couldn’t see. “Lucia, come back!” Emma shouted, picking up her pace. But it was no use.

  The screeching of the shadows consumed Lucia’s senses, making it impossible for her to fully comprehend her surroundings. It was as if she were going insane. Every turn deceived her. The catacombs had become a labyrinth of despair.

  A hoarse laugh echoed from behind, sending an eerie chill through the air, freezing any warmth from within the darkness. Lucia was distraught, her feet numb as she ran and thought only of escape. I’m losing it. The strength drained from her again as she held the diamond sword in her hand. The light was there, but she couldn’t withdraw it from the abyss of this darkness, and with each second, the light drained her of her own life force. She sensed the shadows around her, hissing as the light hit them, and crawling from the crevasses of the tight corridor.

  “Emma,” she whispered to herself as panic shook through her body and her voice. The terror showed on her face as it grew along the edges of her skin. “Emma!” Lucia screamed, whipping around to stare into the face of a demonic serpent head with glowing, ruby-like eyes infused with fire. It jumped from the floor and snapped at her face, but Lucia’s reflexes were too fast. With the help of the Light Wings, she sent out a starlike volley, shattering the beast into dark particles and a flash of sparkling dust. She looked around, holding out her sword, forcing it to glow as leech-like monsters crawled toward her from all directions. “Emma, where are you?” she cried, slashing at her feet as the monsters zipped around her on a furious circuit, sending her into a stomping fury.

  Lucia suddenly remembered what Emma had said about the power of the dead protectors existing within the catacombs. As quickly as the thought presented itself, she began to pray, just as the tension of her breath rose in her chest like needles inside her throat. I’m a protector. My father was a protector. I can do this, she thought. “Ancestors, hear my plea. Lend me your strength. The Light Wings need you!”