Shadows of Home

by James R. Vernon

  While fingers continued to pull off dead skin, Dao approached.

  "By the gods, you look horrible!" Ean could only watch as his ally took in what had been done to his body. "Does that even hurt? You're standing there like you don't realize you look like a steak thrown in the fire, pulled out when it was good and black, rolled in the dirt, then tossed right back into the fire. How are you not--"

  "Silence, corrupted man! Do not presume you may speak to me!"

  Dao shrank back from the force of the Zekarian's voice .

  "Oh, wonderful," he muttered. "It's you. And here I thought things couldn't get worse."

  The Zekarian seemed to ignore the man as fingers began to pull away at the dead skin covering his torso. Because the Zekarian didn't look down, Ean couldn't see how much dead skin was cleared off. It stopped at his waist, which would have made Ean groan if he could move his mouth.

  You are the basest of creatures. You think of physical extremities that have nothing to do with punishing those who dare stand against us.

  The Zekarian personality turned its attention back to the complicated construction it was creating with his power. When Ean held as much energy as the Zekarian currently held, it felt like he was trying to grasp a rushing river. It would squeeze through his fingers while almost dragging him along at the same time. For the Zekarian, he wielded it without effort—twisted it into knots and shapes, which Ean hadn't even known was possible. He was caught halfway between amazement and fear.

  A loud moan caught the Zekarian's attention. He looked towards the source, allowing Ean to see their attacker struggling to a sitting position. A snarl split his lips, showing off a ragged collection of yellow teeth from underneath his beard.

  He would not dare attack us again.

  Ean was amazed at the other consciousness’s naivety.

  Sticks and twigs around the man burst into flame. The fires rose, feeding off the grass and small pieces of wood around them as they pulled together into five larger pyres. When each was the size of a small bonfire, they lifted into the air, pulled together into five circular orbs, and began to circle around the head of the still sitting man. Faster and faster they spun, until the man thrust out his palm and flames shot towards Ean.

  Whatever the consciousness was doing, it was still able to siphon off a small amount, like it was pulling thread from a cloth. Just as the balls of flame were about to strike, the threads of the Abyss formed five shields just large enough to block the orbs of fire. They struck harmlessly against the shields, which then engulfed the fires and smothered them out.

  "I'll burn you and this whole village to the ground!"

  Streams of flame shot from the man's fingertips. As they cut through the air, they split in two, then split again, until forty burning lances lit up the clearing. Some struck the shields around Ean's body. Dao had to dive out of the way of others. The majority, though, went past both of them unheeded. Most passed harmlessly by on either side of him, leaving bright trails in their wake as they sped off towards the buildings on the edge of the village.

  Most.

  The rest of the flames sliced through Ean's body, tore through his front and exited his back. All he could do was watch as his body was pockmarked by the fire, the wounds only registering the tiniest sensations to his consciousness. The real pain must have been intense, however, as the Zekarian struggled on wobbly legs to stay upright. Hoping beyond hope, Ean tried to force through the mental prison Zekarian had placed him in.

  He was surprised to find he had succeeded.

  Through the force of his will, Ean wrestled back control of his body. Pain flooded his senses, but it was a dull throbbing as his body already worked hard to heal itself. Not knowing how much longer he could hold on, Ean barked an order to his ally.

  "Dao, go help the villagers with the fire." Zekarian might want to wipe out the whole village, but Ean would prefer if as little damage was done to the innocent villagers as possible.

  Dao gave him a skeptical look. "But--"

  "Do it! Before the other personality returns!"

  The blue-skinned man didn't look convinced, but he sprinted off towards the village anyway.

  As Ean struggled to fend off Zekarian's attempts to take back control, he turned his attention back to the more physical threat. Too late, all he could do was watch as a thread of flame cut straight through the right side of his stomach and out his back. The intense pain of the hole burnt through his body and dropped him to his knees. How could the Zekarian stand his ground against multiple injuries while Ean could barely handle one? Trying to keep from passing out, Ean tried to keep his entire focus on staying in control.

  You refuse to let me unleash my wrath? Let us see if you are strong enough to bring order to chaos.

  The power Ean held, the energy Zekarian had twisted to its own designs, rushed out and around him. A maelstrom of energy rushed all around him, pulsing between azure and a bright purple color. It blocked out most of his vision, the outside world only becoming visible when small holes appeared in the threads that lasted less than a few seconds at a time. Any time one did open, he caught glimpses of flames streaking towards him, but they never seemed to penetrate the storm raging around him. A comforting thought, if it wasn't for the fact the Zekarian still held control over the raging storm around him. Ean doubted the storm was meant solely for his protection, which meant despite its immediate benefits, Ean had to gain back control.

  Ean was used to physical battles, had fought them most his life and lost the majority. But he at least knew how to fight those battles now. Fighting something who resided in his own mind was new territory. He knew his connection to the Abyss came from deep inside him, from some opening the tattoos that covered his body provided, but he couldn't touch it. There was a wall there, a shield that covered his inner connection to the Abyss, and it continued to cover the energy as it flowed out of him. Intuition told him it was at his source that he had to regain control, but he had no idea how. He beat his mind against it, tried to exert his will, but Zekarian had a grip as strong as iron.

  You are pathetic. The voice in his head was laced with contempt. You wish to save the people of this village? Save them from yourself.

  The shield vanished. Ean ignored the feeling of dread that rose at the Zekarian's sudden release of his power and grasped frantically at his connection to the Abyss. The sheer magnitude of what the other personality had held was more than he could handle, and it lanced out of his mental grip, the storm around him streaking together until it reached a point a few feet in front of him. Just as Ean was able to get the power that raged inside him within his grasp, the sphere of energy shot away. At first, Ean thought it was an attack against Dao, but the orb streaked past him. Just as it reached the edge of the village, the orb exploded with a light brighter than a thousand torches combined.

  When Ean's vision cleared, his worst nightmare floated in a mass of crackling energy out in the middle of the clearing. Where the orb's energy had been a moment ago, was a massive black hole with a corona of pulsating midnight blue and violet. It seemed to cast and draw in light simultaneously. Triple the height and twice as wide as an average man, it hovered in the air, its pulsating glow both comforting and terrifying at the same time. Besides Sadiek, the floating gateway was the last thing he had ever wanted to see again.

  The Zekarian, in its last act of contempt, had created a Scar.

  Chapter 8

  Even a good twenty to thirty paces away from where he knelt, Ean could still feel the waves of Abysmal energy flowing out of the Scar. It was the same unchecked energy that twisted humans into monsters, turning them into flaming beacons to the Seekers of Alistar. While Ean was able to control the ebb and flow of the energy, keeping it totally contained except in the direst of emergencies, the Scar was different. It constantly released the power in every direction. Although the levels were low, there was a cumulative effect. Ean had no idea how long a person had to be exposed before he or she began to change. However,
the Seekers would pass a death sentence on a person for absorbing even the smallest amount.

  And that was only one of its dangers.

  By the reaction of everyone else in sight, comprehension of these new dangers were just starting to sink in.

  The villagers stopped trying to smother the flames eating away at their homes, some pausing with buckets held mid-throw. The combination of the light from both the flames eating at their houses and the newly formed Scar made them easy to make out now. Dao had paused halfway between Ean and the burning houses. The man's back was to Ean, but it was obvious where his attention was focused. Even Ean's attacker had stopped launching his streamers of fire. He looked at the pulsing gateway to the Abyss with a mixture of confusion and awe. The flame at his fingertips flicked but did not die. Everyone was entranced by the glowing gateway of Abysmal energy.

  Ean had been through this before, so he knew how it would unfold. As expected, it took a moment for the expressions on the villagers' faces to transform from awe to fear. As for Ean, the pain crowded out every emotion.

  A Scar. A flame-hurtling bounty hunter. One thing at a time. He had to survive.

  Focusing the energy he still held, Ean directed it inward towards where the pain was the most intense. No relief came, but he could feel the magic start to do its work. Organs regenerated. Burnt tissue dropped away and was replaced by new. Skin expanded and started to fill in the gap that had been burnt clean through him. It only hurt slightly more than the injury itself, but it was a pain that would eventually fade away.

  A flash of red caught his eye, and Ean threw up a shield just as five darts of fire crashed into it. They exploded like a shower of shooting stars, igniting the surrounding grass.

  "What the hell are you?" the fire-tosser yelled as he advanced on Ean. He was only about a stone's throw away, if Ean had the strength to throw anything. The stranger's hands were palms up, tiny flames floating above them. "You're going to make me burn this whole town down. I'll blame you, of course. Don't want a--"

  He cut off as a blur of light blue crashed into the man and took him off his feet. Azalea and the man tumbled along the ground, flames shooting up as they went. They rolled a little bit further until Azalea ended up on top.

  "Pathetic little human with a touch of power," she growled. She raised a hand into the air, her long nails glistening in the firelight. Before the hand could drop, all the tiny fires in the grass leapt to life, lancing through the air towards her. With a yelp, Azalea dove out of the way. She hit the ground on all fours and scampered for a few paces before getting to her feet and turning around.

  While she was tumbling, the flames merged into a giant ball directly over their attacker—right where Azalea had been a moment before.

  The stranger rose, a humorless grin illuminated by the floating flame. "Your little girlie friend better watch out. There isn't a bounty on her, but that doesn't mean I won't cook her for free."

  "Little girlie?" Azalea growled. "Ean, I'll take care of him. You need to close that Scar."

  I need to close the holes in my body, Ean thought but still managed to get to his feet.

  "Take care of me?" The man twirled his fingers. The floating sphere of flame began to spin as well.

  "Yes. Are you deaf or just stupid?"

  With a snarl, the man launched the floating flame directly at Azalea.

  "Stupid then." As large as the fireball was, Azalea was still able to dodge out of the way. She hit the ground and rolled right to her feet. Azalea dodged again as tiny strips of flame struck where she had been standing only a moment before. The surrounding grass where they struck was scorched away, leaving burnt or burning grass and a dark gray smoke. She dodged two more attacks before casting a furious glance in Ean's direction. "Move, you idiot!"

  Ean did as he was told, just not in the way Azalea had wanted.

  As the man launched another attack towards Azalea, Ean charged him. The pain in his side flared with every step, but he pushed his body as hard as he could. It was enough. Just as the man realized he was under attack, Ean slammed into his side, driving his shoulder right between his hip and ribs. A satisfying grunt was his reward as both men tumbled to the ground. They rolled about, Ean trying to get on top while the man seemed to grow hotter with every turn. Finally, they came to a stop, with Ean in the dominant position. The man stared up at him, his mouth a mixture of pain and anger.

  "I'm going to burn--"

  Ean silenced him with a well-placed punch across the man's chin. His head lolled to the side and he remained motionless.

  "I think I've heard enough about you burning things."

  With the man taken care of for the time being, Ean stood. Or at least, he attempted to stand. He barely got to his feet for more than a moment before his legs gave out from under him and he fell to the side. He smacked onto the burnt ground, which only managed to enhance the pain wracking his body. As he lay there on his side, Azalea walked up and tossed a bundle of clothing at him.

  "As fun as it is to watch you roll around naked, you should probably cover up. Took these off a clothesline, hope they fit." Azalea glanced over at the unconscious man. "Did you snap his neck?" Azalea had somehow made it to his side.

  "No, but he shouldn't be a problem for a while now." Not trusting his legs, Ean struggled to pull clothes on while still on the ground.

  She let an exasperated sigh. "Again with being merciful--"

  "Not the time," Ean replied. "We have more pressing matters."

  Now clothed in a simple long-sleeve shirt and pants, Ean turned his attention back towards the village. The Scar lit the area with a massive azure light. "Help me up."

  Strong hands gripped his arm. Nails bit into skin hard enough to draw blood. Joints groaned as he was yanked to his feet.

  "There you go, master," Azalea said through pressed lips. "Anything else I can do for you?"

  He gave her a withering stare, but only for a moment. "Come on."

  The Scar glowed like a miniature star a few feet about the grass, wordlessly calling Ean to come closer. While Ean had been fighting, the villagers had shifted their fire line so it could snake away from the glowing azure light while still being able to pass buckets of water from the town wells to the buildings that were aflame. It was surprising they hadn't just abandoned the houses and fled. The poor people must not realize that even with the distance they had put between themselves and the gateway to the Abyss, they still ran the risk of the energy absorbing into their bodies. Fighting the pain of both his wounds and his body's attempts to heal itself, Ean began a wobbly march towards the Scar.

  He had to close it before too much damage was done. Of all the places he had been, the people of Rensen had shown him more acceptance in the few times he had passed through than the majority of people in his home village of Rottwealth had ever given him. The least he could do was protect them they best he could. Thankfully, closing a Scar was something he had already done and shouldn't have a problem doing again.

  As he moved within a few paces of the Scar, he felt a pulse emanate from it. The Scar flashed brilliant purple and surged in Ean's direction.

  Bracing for the worst, Ean was happily surprised when harmless imps began pouring out of the breach.

  At least, that's what Ean thought at first. The creatures were not the same muddy brown as his friend, their skin a light blue, almost gray color instead. They acted different as well. While the brown ones he had freed at home had been skittish, practically afraid of their own shadows, these imps sprinted about like they had been locked up for years and just set free. Ean watched as they scampered about, climbing up walls, getting in the way of the villagers, and knocking over anything their small bodies smacked into.

  "Why are you just staring, you thick-headed halfwit!" Azalea yelled as she shoved his shoulder. Her tone lightened as the pain of his wounds doubled at her touch. "Close it before more get out."

  "They're just imps, they can't be that--"

  "No, you moron. They'r
e Para'ject Spek. Burst imps."

  Despite not seeing the problem, Ean continued on towards the Scar. "They don't look threatening to me." Three more of the strange imps exited the Scar and scurried past him. One stopped for a moment to give him a confused look before scampering on.

  "I can't believe how ignorant you are sometimes. If you care so much about the humans of this village, you can't let a single one of those creatures live." As she finished, they reached the towering azure Scar. Another imp burst from the portal, but Azalea snatched it up by the neck before it got far. The creature squirmed around in her grip, stubby claws trying to slash her arm, but the leather clothing she wore was thick enough to deflect the blows. The creature let out a squeal as Azalea tightened her grip, then went limp as the Yulari give a sharp twist of her wrist and the imp's head snapped to the side at an unnatural angle.

  Ean stuck his hand directly into the Scar. "Enlighten me."

  "Burst imps draw in Abysmal energy until they get full, then they release it in a large burst. Or they release what they have if their skin is punctured deeply enough to be fatal."

  "How large?" He felt the center of the Scar through his connection with the energy and wrapped his fingers around where it should be. Exerting his will, he drew the mass of energy that kept the Scar open into himself. The pure energy felt good, like a hot bath on a cold night. It warmed his body while the glow of the portal waned. With one last, deep pull of the energy, the opening to the Abyss gave off one last pulse of energy and then folded in on itself. When it finally winked out of existence, Ean return his attention to Azalea. The Yulari had moved to his side, but her eyes were constantly moving, scanning the area.

  "Enough to knock a human off their feet."