Requiem's End

"Gareth, hide!" my mother screamed.
    Hiding under the stairs in a cupboard where our winter clothes were kept, I closed the door of the cabinet just as the front door exploded into shards of oak.
    "Azriel, Mirian, I want you to join me, so we may fix this broken world," the strange voice said.
    "No, Tyberius! Your ideals are sick and twisted!" my father shouted.
    "My ideals, twisted? No, no, no, you've got it all wrong my old friend. This world's ideals are twisted! I will correct them, but I need an army. Now, join me willingly or I will make use of you by my own means," Tyberius told my father.
    I heard the sound of blades being drawn. No one could match my parents in a sword fight. He's going to die, I thought.
    "My, my, I was hoping you would join me willingly," Tyberius said.
    Lightning sounded just outside the door, and the outer room flashed in a dark red hue.
    Tyberius laughed as he said,  "Enjoy Death's Requiem my old friends, it is truly sad that I must do this."
    I heard the running footsteps of my parents. Why are they fleeing? I thought. After a moment, I fell to the ground hearing the screams of my parents as the requiem was played on Tyberius' instrument: a sound fit for a demon's ears. My vision faded as I hit the ground.

    Gasping, I awoke from the dreadful nightmare, sweat soaking me. I walked over to the basin full of water and washed my face. Dominique was standing in the doorway, her eyes full of worry.
    "You had that nightmare again didn't you?" she asked.
    "Yeah, I'm going into the yard," I said, grabbing my sword and bow.
    "All you do is train! If you're not training, you're working or sleeping!" She screamed as I closed the door. You could hear the tears she was shedding for my anguish.
The sun was high in the air as I walked toward the area where I trained, the breeze was warm, and the trees swayed, like they were dancing. The quiet of the country calms me, as I draw the bow string back, releasing the arrow it held. The arrow flew and hit the target a sliver away from dead center. Drawing back another arrow, I release it. Landing on top of the arrow before it.
    Finishing my training, the sun began to set; the trees casting shadows that loomed over me, like Death's thousand hands. The moon began to rise, and the stars started to dot the blackened sky as I was walking home. The scent of a freshly cooked meal drifted across my nose as our small house came into view. The door stood open and the silhouette of her figure was standing there.
    "Gareth. . .I'm sorry I acted selfish earlier," she said in a sorrowful tone.
    "It's fine," I replied uncaringly, "What's for supper?"
    She said, "More stew, we should go see Artithaniel tomorrow, our supplies are dwindling and our money is almost gone."
    "Alright," I answered, walking through the door.
We ate in silence. Dominique would look at me every now and then with a sad expression, but I was too busy thinking of my revenge. After supper we went to bed.

    Before the sun rose the next morning I was awake and packed for our trip to Artithaniel's tavern. I stood in the doorway where Dominique was asleep and watched her. When all this is done I will express my love for you but until then you are just a tool for revenge, I thought as I looked upon her small body and long hair. Her ocean eyes began to open, so I vanished from the door.
Dominique walked out a minute later and said, "Good morning, Gareth, I see you're ready to go."
    "Yes," I replied, "We will leave once you are ready."
    "Then I'll start by making breakfast," she said happily.
    We chatted while Dominique made breakfast, my ash eyes never left her body until she turned around with breakfast in her arms.
    "How do you cook so fast, Dominique?" I asked.
    She replied, "Like this," waving her finger in the air and seeing a small flame appear, "Did you forget I became a master of fire while we were separated?"
    We both started to laugh and eat. When we finished eating the sun was halfway to the top. We left along the dirt road towards Negret. When we were able to see the top of the castle we knew we were almost there, but the smell of blood hung in the air. Further up the road a man was lying there.
    "Dominique, someone was attacked up the road, have your staff ready and let's go see if he's still alive." I said.
    "Okay, Gareth," she answered.
    Drawing my sword I ran towards the man, as an arrow flew past my face.
    "Who's there!?" I shouted
    A scream came from Dominique and I turned to see five men around her and three holding her down. I rushed towards her, but another arrow flew past me. I turned to see the man who was once lying on the ground, holding a bow. I dropped my sword and grabbed my bow, aiming at the man's head. I let the arrow fly, it struck the man in the chest and he fell motionless. Picking up my sword again, I ran towards Dominique who managed to burn the men holding her.
"You little bitch!" cried the man holding his face, "Stop struggling and come with us! He demands it!" 

    I intended to find out who He was. So I lunged my sword into one man's throat. He dropped to his knees making gurgling sounds. I pulled out my sword and the blood sprayed out. The others turned to face me, anger resided in their eyes.
    "You got a death wish, kid!?" One of the bandits said.
    "No, but all of you do," I replied.
    The man stepped back a bit, while the others thrust their blades at me. I jumped back avoiding them. Dominique had been ignored by them after the splashing display of their friend's blood. One of them managed to slash my thigh, it was a small gash but it slowed my movement, so instead of jumping backwards I jumped into them, stabbing one in the stomach. I'm sorry mother, father, I can't get my revenge for you now, I thought. I looked up and a wall of burning orange had surrounded me and the man I had under my sword, it slowly expanded and the screams of the bandits on the other side signaled to me what had happened and I smiled. When the wall dissipated I saw Dominique standing there. The man I impaled spit his blood in my face with a sneer.
    "You should be dead, you bastard!" I yelled, turning my blade in his stomach.
    "Guuyyaaaaaahh! He will show you true despair, just like in the past," He said as he finally died.
    I pulled my sword out of his stomach and looked at Dominique.
    "It was Tyberius who sent them!" I shouted.
    "Gareth look at the man you killed," She said pointing to his body.
    I looked down at him, but there was only dust. I turned and looked at them all, but only piles of dust remained.
    "Corpses. . .They were corpses," I said painfully.
    The wind blew and took the dust away in the air, the sounds of the wood created a special hymn for the dead. We continued our walk to town, a depressing trip. When we got to the gates music could be heard. I went into my bag and pulled out small corks and shoved them into my ears to block out the dreadful sounds of the instruments.
   
Inside the town people were bustling full of life. In the plaza there was a bard playing a rather peculiar instrument, but the people seemed to like him a lot. I didn't pay attention to him after observing his instrument and walked into Artithaniel's tavern. It smelled of dust and ale, the men and women in here were full of scars and they all watched as Dominique and I walked through the door.
    "Ah, Gareth, Dominique, how are you today?" Artithaniel said with a smile.
    His head skimmed the roof as he walked over. He bent over to shake my hand and kiss Dominique's.
    "Artithaniel, my friend, have you got a job for us? We're low on money," I asked.
    "I've only got that bounty left," He replied, "I even have information on it."
    "That is great news!" I shouted.
    He stood there looking down towards me, his facial expression made me sick.
    "Now listen here, Gareth, I knew your mother and father well, and they wouldn't want you to do this for them," He said, "So please stop this madness and retire from bounty hunting and live peacefully with Dominique here."
    Dominique's face went red after that comment, she was probably hoping I would agree to this.
    "I will not give up my revenge! You should understand my pain the best!" I shouted furiously at him.
    "Indeed I know your pain, and that is why you should listen to me," He said sorrowfully, "Before you ruin your life."
    "Stop it, just stop it!" cried Dominique, "Artithaniel, he can handle himself so please give us the information."
    Artithaniel sunk a bit and reluctantly pulled out a scroll from inside his coat and handed it to me.
    "One of my informants sent this to me last night," He said.
    "Thank you, my friend, I will finally kill him. The bounty for six-hundred-thousand gold pieces is now mine!" I shouted and the people of the tavern turned pale. 

"Let's go, Dominique, we have preparations to make," I said, as she followed.

Walking out of the tavern I opened the scroll and read it to myself as Dominique guided us back towards our home.
To Artithaniel Kenith,
I located Tyberius Kane at the crypt in the abandoned graveyard, inside the forest. He has a small army of undead puppets here so I dare not go in. I could faintly hear a hymn of some sort before I was seen, it sounded like he controls them through music. That is all I found out so far, I'll continue to observe this area for more information. 

Sincerely,  Magorath 

    When we got home I showed it to Dominique, after she read it she looked at me.
    "Do you really plan on taking on a small army of the undead?" she asked.
    "If it comes to that, I will," I said, "But, I plan on getting around them unseen."
    "How do you suggest we do that? she said.
    "I don't know yet," I replied.
    We sat down at the table and ate supper early, stew again. It tasted exquisite for being such a simple one, having only beef, potato, and onions in it. Once we were finished supper I set out toward the abandoned graveyard.

It was dusk when I set out, the red sun created a fiery sunset. The fringe of the forest was around fifty yards away from our home, the trees became silhouettes and the eery fingers of death grew as I walked closer and closer. 

The forest was thick and very little of the waning sunlight made it through all of the trees. After the sun no longer entered the forest, I crept quietly. The smell of rotting flesh had stained the forest. 

“The patrols must reach all the way out here,” I said to myself. 

The darkness hindered only me so I had trouble sneaking around all of the patrolling bodies. Thankfully their stench could help me avoid them, until I could see the moonlight reflect off their armor. I was nearing the graveyard by now which made stalking around more difficult because death's smell surrounded the area now. I walked silently hiding behind the trees as I came closer to the graveyard. While I was stalking, a glint of moonlight reflected off the black armor of a patrolling corpse right in front of my eyes. I stopped abruptly and broke a branch. Panicking, I ducked behind a rock quickly before the guard could turn around. I could hear its footsteps drawing near. It must have heard me, I thought. I picked up a rock and threw it where I had come from, it fell into some dead leaves. The guard stopped a few paces away from where I was and went to look where the rock landed. With this chance I ran as quietly as possible towards the graveyard.

The wood was completely dark when I reached the graveyard. The pale moonlight made the place feel gloomy, as the smell of rotting corpses burned my nose. The shadows of the gravestones were pitch black and the sounds of footsteps came from around the graveyard. The bodies of those once deceased men and women walked around, patrolling the grounds for intruders. This will be harder than I originally thought. A twig snapped behind me pulling me back to my senses. I drew my sword and got ready.
    "Woah! I'm on your side," The man said, "I'm Magorath, Arty said you'd be comin', just didn' know when."
    Sheathing my sword I replied, "I'm Gareth, do you know how many entrances there are to that crypt?"
    "Only the front entrance, it's vast on the inside with no rooms, it'll be a straight battle an' you’re outnumbered tweny to one, I'd say," Magorath answered with a shiver.
    "This will be a battle worthy of my vengeance," I said diabolically.
    Magorath starred in utter horror at me, he looked away quickly and looked at the graveyard.
    "Two o’ the guards be missin’!" He shouted running off into the blackness of the forest.
    Shit! I stood up to run when I heard a song beginning to play. Looking at the entrance of the crypt, I saw a man standing there robed so that only his hands were seen. The flashing of dark red lightning came from his hand and a blackened instrument with a skull on the end appeared out of the lightning, Magorath was dragged by two of the undead in front of the Tyberius.
    "So, this man was scouting my little army, you say? Then let us make him a part of it!" Tyberius cackled.
    I plugged my ears quickly and relived my nightmares as I collapsed to my knees, gritting my teeth as his requiem stole the life of Magorath. When the requiem was finished I unplugged my ears, he started a new song. It was a hymn and its light melody rose Magorath's body from the dead. I gazed upon it with rage, but holding in my hatred, I dashed off as Magorath's finger pointed toward the area I was in. I'm going to kill that bastard! I swear it!, I yelled inside my head.

I never stopped running until the door of my home was closed, Dominique ran up and hugged me as my body went limp. Her tears dripped over my shoulder, and her hands dug into my back tightly.
    "You were gone a long time, I thought something had happened," She weeped.
    "I met up with Magorath while scouting, he was captured soon after," I said holding back my tears, "He was killed and joined the ranks of the undead in Tyberius’ army."
    "Did you watch that happen, how can you be sure if you hadn't!?" she cried out.
    I answered her softly, "I watched the execution, but in doing so I learned something that will help us tactically."
    "Someone died and you don't even shed a tear! How heartless can you be?" She said letting go and running to her room.
    Her comments wounded me deeply, but I couldn't take in everything she gave because I had a mission to complete. I got up slowly looking toward her closed door, dusting myself off as I walked to my room. I looked in my mirror, my dark blue hair like the fur of a demon, my eyes emotionless, Am I really a monster? I pondered, Did I give up my humanity for revenge? I'm no better than the man who killed my parents, but to hunt something you must become the very thing you hunt! I ripped off my clothes to wash my body thoroughly, this may be my final bath.
 

    Next morning I awoke to the smell of fire, rushing out of my room I saw Dominique cooking in the kitchen, she turned around and blushed furiously.
    Turning away she said, "Good morning, Gareth, why did you rush out here?"
    "I smelled something burning, so I thought someone set the house on fire," I replied.
    "Could you at least get dressed next time?" She said. 

Looking down I walked back into my room and dressed. Wearing my finest set of clothes I came back out and fastened my sword to my belt.
    "We must hurry and eat today, Dominique, I have to go over the plan with you," I said.
    "What plan?" she asked.
    "The plan to get into the crypt," I answered.
    "Oh," She replied, Sadly.
    We ate breakfast quickly, after that I drew a rough outline of the graveyard and the movements of the guards.
    "Alright, so this is the only entrance to the crypt," I said, "So to get through it in the safest fashion, we must kill all the guards outside so that we don't get attacked from both sides."
    "Okay, but how do we take them out?" she asked.
    "The same way we killed the bandits yesterday, I will go out first and distract all of them, while you conjure a powerful spell to incinerate them," I answered.
    "What happens if you get caught in the blast?" she said worriedly.
     I replied, "When your spell is ready shout out now and I'll jump into the crypt's entrance and keep them from hiding in there."
    "Okay, what do we do after taking out the guards?" she asked next.
    "Then you will join me inside the crypt, I'll take the lead because the hallway can only fit a single person at a time, then if we encounter anyone I'll gut them with my sword and you can blast their head off," I said, "Once we get into the crypt we will try to stick together, if we are separated send up a flare and I'll fight my way to you while you defend yourself."
   
After fine tuning our attack plan we set out towards the graveyard when the sun was past its highest point. The trees shaded us from the heat while we walked, Dominique used her dark red staff as a walking stick.
    "After this is over, Dominique, we'll settle down for good," I said.
    She looked at me and smiled, her smile warmed my frozen heart for a second. The graveyard came into our vision and we prepared ourselves for a vicious fight.

I leaped into the yard of dead souls to find that a hundred undead men and women stood in orderly fashion, like an army waiting for orders. Out of the crypt's entrance came the body of Magorath motioning me to follow him.
    "Dominique, come here!" I yelled at her.
    She walked up to me and gasped at the sight, her hand grasped mine as we walked towards the entrance, glancing towards the army of the dead to make sure we don't get attacked by them. Once they reached the entrance Magorath motioned to them again, a light was at the end of the crumbling tunnel, the smell of dead bodies was even more disgusting as we got closer to the light.
    Entering the vast chamber of the crypt, Magorath exited, leaving us there by ourselves. It felt as though the darkness was gripping at us, Dominique grasped my hand more tightly. All the torches in the room lit up and an altar was up ahead of us, sitting on top of it was Tyberius who removed his hood.
    "You're Tyberius!?" I yelled.
    It was the bard from Negret, his long raven-like hair flowed out of the hood, and his crimson eyes pierced through you, like he was looking through to your very soul.
    "Oh, indeed, Gareth Tallon, I have been watching you for a while now. I was a friend of your parents, you know," he said.
    "You are no friend of theirs, you murdered them!" I shouted running towards him with my sword drawn.
    Out of the shadows my parents emerged, their swords blocking mine. I stood there in awe.
    "Mother, Father!? Didn’t he kill you when I was a child!?" I said.
    "Gareth! They're dead, look at their feet!" Dominique yelled.
    Looking down I saw that the skin was peeling to the bone and no blood was coming out, I nearly puked as a centipede scurried out of my mother's toe.
    "My, my, it is so hard to keep the body from decomposing after ten years, it was a miracle that only the feet have started," Tyberius said, "Now, Gareth, you and your little friend can choose to live and serve me or become like your father and mother."
    "Why would we serve you, you're insane and you killed Gareth's parents!" Dominique cried out.
    "Because I intend to fix the ideals of the whole world!" Tyberius yelled.
    "What needs fixing in them?" I said calmly.
    "I used to have a daughter, Gareth. She'd be around your age, young lady." He said, "But she was murdered along with her mother, just because her mother was a half-breed."
    "You slept with a Mannenkel? How is it possible for a half-breed to give birth? The royal families always tell us that they're unable to procreate," I said wonderingly.
    "That is why I must change this rotting world, even if it means killing everyone!" He laughed.
    "You would kill everyone, just for the sake of a petty half-breed and her daughter being killed?" Dominique said furiously.
    "You little wench! They were my reason to live!" He shouted, grabbing his instrument, "Taste an eternity of death, you bitch."
    "Cover your ears, Dominique!" I said covering my own.
    It was too late though, Dominique dropped to the ground, blood streaming out of her eyes and ears. Her body slowly raised after falling and I grabbed my sword, slicing the heads of my undead parents off.
    "Bastard, you will pay for killing her, and my parents!" I said harshly, grabbing my bow.
    Drawing back an arrow I aimed at the dreadful instrument he uses and released my arrow as a ball of fire struck my left arm. I screamed out in agony as my arm incinerated, cauterizing the wound. I looked over as the body of Dominique fell once more.
    "You bastard, my Al'tan is broken! All that time I put into raising this army has been for naught!" Tyberius yelled.
    "Ha! ha! ha! Now you will pay for killing everyone I've ever loved!" I yelled back, grabbing my sword.
    Red lightning streaked out from Tyberius' hands, the lightning aging my mother's body as it hit. I better not get hit, I thought dodging the lightning, I ran towards Tyberius.
    "I will kill you boy!" He said viciously.
    A bolt of red lightning came straight at me, with no time to dodge I raised my sword. Blocking the lightning the sword shattered like glass, shards of steel flying everywhere, a piece hitting Tyberius in the knee. He fell to the ground screaming in pain. A piece lodged itself in my right eye and I staggered forward dropping the hilt.
    "Tyberius, you will die by my hand!" I yelled, grabbing an arrow from my quiver.
    Tyberius struggled to look at me, his face full of fear. staggering towards him I stabbed the arrow up through his jaw into his head; His blood leaking out everywhere it could.

After killing him I slowly stepped back, falling onto my back after a few steps, I laid there for a moment, crying out in sorrow, and agony. Then I walked over to my mother's headless corpse, I grabbed her necklace that had been on her the day she died, and I put it around my neck as a keepsake. I walked over to my father next, on his finger the family's ring was still attached. Pulling it off his finger I kissed it, then placed it upon my finger.

Lastly, I walked over to Dominique's body and knelt over it, a tear dropping onto her pale cheek, death had taken her from me. I embraced her frigid body, and cried. I looked into her blue eyes one last time before closing them, and kissed her frozen lips, to seal my love to her eternally. I grabbed her bracelet and placed it close to my heart before putting it in my pocket.
   
"His Requiem has ended, you'll never have to hear it again," I said to all of the dead.
    I slowly stood up and walked out of the crypt, I walked towards Negret, my vision blurry and my head pounding from the loss of blood. No, I must get there, I must get people to bury the dead, I thought. Forcing myself to move onward, I used my shirt to stop the bleeding in my left arm.

As I trudged toward the town I kept thinking about my life with Dominique. You are a real monster! You let everyone you ever loved slip into death's grip, I thought. You could have saved Dominique from this fate by letting go of your revenge, you could have kept her out of it, you could have done this job alone. I plagued myself with these thoughts all the way to the tavern.

    Once I reached the tavern I could hardly push open the door, but I managed to get in. I reached the middle of the floor and collapsed to my knees, holding the bloody stump of my arm, tears cascading down my face.

    After that I retired from bounty hunting and lived in my house quietly, everyday I felt the heart-wrenching pain of Dominique's death, visiting her grave in the backyard of my house everyday, next to my parents. Day by day I remembered that icy kiss.

    "The requiem has ended, and the silence of death is all that remains for those who survived."