Episode 13: Cursed Valor

Martinez fell to a knee in overwhelming panic and devastation. He held his heart like his life felt as if it would end there. He looked up to Malakai like he truly was the evil one. Only, Malakai is the bearer of the terrible news. He held Rhea tightly and had her not look towards the upcoming carnage.

“Even I can’t stop this power,” Malakai muttered.

The crew begged their devasted captain. He looked to the black orb becoming flames surrounding them. The single Diborn monster sat behind the shadows of destruction with his blade scarring the main deck's floor as it dragged on.

The monster's voice echoed plainly as the screams were being turned down a volume, one by one. “We are Diborn. No heroes. Men and women cursed to do horrific things for a while only obsessed with power.”

The crew beat on the orb wall more than ever as they could hear him dragging the blade closer. The monster of the blade burned the ship with greater black flames, which caught under the remaining crewmates. Martinez watch as his eye reflected the horrors. Each crew member remaining in the orb burned alive. Their faces melted off like mix on the stove. Their bones and skin turned to black dust as all that was left was the burned ship.

“And you Diborn. You know it too. We are monsters. We are Diborn.” The monster faintly said before disappearing in a large smoke around the ship.

A black smoke scattered into the sky as the being disappeared into the forever forest towards the Pale. Malakai let go of Rhea and saw just what needed to happen. His face became determined as he looked at his lover and nodded his head.

“I know,” Rhea said. “Go.”

“Watch over him,” Malakai whispered.

He moved towards the burning ship and called upon a faint white smoke. His hand held the smoke tightly as he closed his eyes. Malakai could understand the pain of both sides. Martinez lost everything. He couldn’t even acknowledge Malakai leaving. Yet only three words left his mouth in disbelief. Almost in disbelief.

“We are monsters.”

The white smoke followed behind the darkness heading towards the Pale. Where Kharon already killed hundreds of men. Malakai began to wonder in his gassy form when the carnage would stop and when life would be simple for his kind. The powers given to them by the Lotus is no blessing. These powers were truly curses. Men and women cursed with being a Diborn are not truly evil. They are humans suffering from a power too great their minds and morals are taken away and given a new purpose.

The white smoke finally caught up to the black smoke, and both ended their trails in the center of the Pale’s forever forest.

The black smoke transitioned back into a panicked man. No monster. No Diborn. A panicked man who had no control over what followed one moment ago.

“What happened…? What did I just do!?” He questioned himself. He looked down at a small puddle seeing his torn face. He threw the blade to the side. The blade now dull and gray like the ashes of the crew he turned. The power seized to be capable of controlling a person any longer.

Malakai flew down right below the man with his silver sword out.

Jericho looked at the man in distress. “Wait! Wait, brother. You know – “

Malakai shoved a kick into the rib of the Diborn. The kick had so much force behind it that the man went through five thick oak trees. His body created a small crater from it falling so hardback. Jericho attempted to regain himself on a cracked tree.

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“Wait!” Jericho pleaded. His hands continued to flap in the air hoping his brother in a Diborn would stop.

Malakai showed no remorse, he punched the Diborn in his gut, where his ribs cracked so loud that a neighboring village could hear it. The birds even flew into the air from the sound alone. Jericho coughed gasping for air. Malakai finally stabbed through his right knee, then kicked Jericho’s knee sideways to dislocate it. A regular human would scream in pain for days, yet Jericho only moaned for a couple of seconds.

Jericho dragged his body back into a small puddle. “I had no control.”

Malakai angered put his blade to the throat of the threat, Kharon. “You tried to massacre a village just a day ago before I stopped you. Now, you kill an entire crew who took you hostage. You have no control. Period.”

“That blade I picked up. It has a voice of its own. A Lotus Blade. How can we beat the control of that, my fellow brother.” Jericho asked in worrisome of the blade to his throat.

“You control it or don’t take the power given to you. Now, your name.” Malakai ordered, showing the blade to Jericho’s neck more.

Malakai’s anger poured out despite his usual calm demeanor. He unleashed the frustration and hatred he held in for so long for other bearers. If the other Diborn failed to answer Malakai likely would cleave its head off and mark off another bearer. Jericho saw those same eyes and put it together.

“You are Buhamad. Hunter of the Shardbearers. And the Empire's lapdog.” Jericho scoffed.

A dark cloud formed above them. A storm was long overdue hailed down a storm for the ages. The rain like small flintlock rounds fell on the two, but neither moved. Jericho’s hair fell down his back from the great winds, while being drenched. Malakai didn’t move, but his body stiffened.

“I am no lapdog. I am Malakai Blade. Bearer of Buhamad. And I will be the one who destroys all the Shardbearers, then the Lotus Blades. That is what my life means to me. Not serving a blade.”

Jericho paused in awe for a moment. His face flushed in shock as he could feel his stomach sink in uncertainty. Malakai noticed the man and held his blade to his throat. Jericho only got on both his knees staring down at his reflection. He saw two young boys in a crowd looking at the old Legend King of the world and smiled.

“Something funny?” Malakai asked.

Jericho chuckled then raised his head to an old friend. “Who would have thought, that becoming Legend King meant being the beacon of the dawn of a new era.”

Malakai gasped. “How do you… wait. No, it can't be. Jericho?”

Jericho smiled at his old friend. Then his eyes watched as the harsh storm fell upon them. “What a way to meet my end, and also my goodbye to you. If it had to be someone, I wouldn’t want it to be anyone but you Mal.”

“But…” Malakai hesitated.

“That blade controls me deeply. I cannot beat it. Kill me and rid of it. For the new age.” Jericho asked.

Malakai dropped his blade from the neck of Jericho. His shoulders shrugged lower than usual as he became unsure of what he needed to do. Jericho wanted to meet his death; he was ready for it at this point.

“You said all Shardbearers and Lotus Blades. Eventually, that means you and I must both die. Better now, then later, right?”

Malakai didn’t react. He sheathed his sword and offered his hand to Jericho in place of a quick death. Jericho fell back in disbelief as his old friend welcomed him back with open arms it seemed. “Or how about we both make amends in this life? It may have been years, but things haven’t changed. We need each other to accomplish our dreams of a better life for this world.”

Jericho couldn’t fathom the gesture. “But, I killed all those people.”

“I will teach you control,” Malakai stated.

“What of the captain?”

Malakai helped Jericho up. “Rhea is with him. He knows not of your identity. Better we keep this power and everything to us for now. We need you deeply to destroy this power. You understand?”

Jericho unknowingly nodded after hesitating for a moment. He latched his hand onto the wrist of Malakai and hugged his former brother.

Malakai applauded. “We will make this right.”

Jericho closed his eyes for a moment and finally was relieved. He smiled. The forces of nature changed as the storm stopped. As he opened his eyes he could see the blade light up slightly as well as the rings around his eyes.

“That we will make this world anew!”