Post by Ardenator on Dec 16, 2008 21:35:56 GMT -5
Hey all, this is something I was kind of working on to purge some emotions. Tell me what you think, criticism much appreciated. I'd like to improve my work 
Aiden stood, clutching the broken sword with both hands. Behind him lay an unconscious woman, strangely beautiful in the dim light. Before him stood an Angel, terrible and majestic, clad in golden armor and brandishing silver sword and shield. It’s skin seemed otherworldly, disconcertingly bright, as if a light was shining on it from some other place. It’s face bore no expression: it simply stared at him. Somehow it was even scarier.
The broken warrior stood his ground, doing everything he could to keep from shaking. It’s so cold… He knew that wasn’t just it, though. He was afraid. Afraid of the Angel, afraid of losing the woman, afraid of everything. He was a coward, and had been all his life. But he wasn’t going to run anymore. He couldn’t.
“You can’t have her!” he cried, “She’s mine! Stay away!” Tears began to stream down his face. He was almost pleading now. “Stay back! I won’t let you have her!” The Angel took a step forward.
He shifted back. “You can’t take her away from me! You can’t! I won’t let you!” It took another step.
The warrior closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, and pushed down the fear. He forgot the Angel, the cold, his broken armor… Suddenly he was elsewhere. A green field, ringed by trees. A girl lying in his lap, whispering lover’s murmurs…
He was in the dojo, the school where he had been taught martial arts. His master was there, speaking in his ear as he landed blow after blow on the heavy punching bag. You can learn the moves, you can perform them perfectly, but that doesn’t make it an art. A Warrior has heart. A Warrior has soul. A man isn’t a man unless he has something to live for, to fight for, and to die for. What do you have, Aiden?
He opened his eyes, and met and Angel’s gaze. He stood up tall, fully facing the approaching being. He’d been a wretch all his life. No one loved him, not even himself. None except for her. She had been there for him, when no one else had been. She had accepted him, when not even he could accept himself. She was what he had.
She was all he had.
He spoke again, barely a whisper. “I am Aiden Baoont, Warrior of the Rainy Shore, and if you try to take her, I will kill you.” The Angel paused in mid-step, and it’s expression seemed to falter at his menacing tone, for just a second. It finished its step, but Aiden noticed the hesitation. Perhaps it could feel fear, also. If it didn’t, it would soon.
He bent his knees slightly, and took a mid-guard. He began to bounce slightly, falling into his fighting stance. “I love her, Angel.”
The Angel’s stare changed. It seemed to lock onto his gaze, as if just noticing he was there. “You will die,” it stated, through what sounded like multiple vocal chords. The sound was terrifying.
Aiden didn’t budge. “Maybe, but it’ll be the hardest, most painful, terrifying fight you’ve ever fought. You’ll remember this day Angel. You’ll remember me. You’ll die too.”
“I cannot die, mortal.”
Aiden began looking past the Angel, allowing his enemy to settle in his peripheral vision. “By the time it’s over, you’ll wish you could.”
For an instant, the being’s face seemed to change again, then all was still. It began to silently charge, lifting it’s sword and shield. He heard the words of his master in his ear.
Fight, Aiden. Fight for what you love. Never quit. Never surrender…
And then it began.
Aiden stood, clutching the broken sword with both hands. Behind him lay an unconscious woman, strangely beautiful in the dim light. Before him stood an Angel, terrible and majestic, clad in golden armor and brandishing silver sword and shield. It’s skin seemed otherworldly, disconcertingly bright, as if a light was shining on it from some other place. It’s face bore no expression: it simply stared at him. Somehow it was even scarier.
The broken warrior stood his ground, doing everything he could to keep from shaking. It’s so cold… He knew that wasn’t just it, though. He was afraid. Afraid of the Angel, afraid of losing the woman, afraid of everything. He was a coward, and had been all his life. But he wasn’t going to run anymore. He couldn’t.
“You can’t have her!” he cried, “She’s mine! Stay away!” Tears began to stream down his face. He was almost pleading now. “Stay back! I won’t let you have her!” The Angel took a step forward.
He shifted back. “You can’t take her away from me! You can’t! I won’t let you!” It took another step.
The warrior closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, and pushed down the fear. He forgot the Angel, the cold, his broken armor… Suddenly he was elsewhere. A green field, ringed by trees. A girl lying in his lap, whispering lover’s murmurs…
He was in the dojo, the school where he had been taught martial arts. His master was there, speaking in his ear as he landed blow after blow on the heavy punching bag. You can learn the moves, you can perform them perfectly, but that doesn’t make it an art. A Warrior has heart. A Warrior has soul. A man isn’t a man unless he has something to live for, to fight for, and to die for. What do you have, Aiden?
He opened his eyes, and met and Angel’s gaze. He stood up tall, fully facing the approaching being. He’d been a wretch all his life. No one loved him, not even himself. None except for her. She had been there for him, when no one else had been. She had accepted him, when not even he could accept himself. She was what he had.
She was all he had.
He spoke again, barely a whisper. “I am Aiden Baoont, Warrior of the Rainy Shore, and if you try to take her, I will kill you.” The Angel paused in mid-step, and it’s expression seemed to falter at his menacing tone, for just a second. It finished its step, but Aiden noticed the hesitation. Perhaps it could feel fear, also. If it didn’t, it would soon.
He bent his knees slightly, and took a mid-guard. He began to bounce slightly, falling into his fighting stance. “I love her, Angel.”
The Angel’s stare changed. It seemed to lock onto his gaze, as if just noticing he was there. “You will die,” it stated, through what sounded like multiple vocal chords. The sound was terrifying.
Aiden didn’t budge. “Maybe, but it’ll be the hardest, most painful, terrifying fight you’ve ever fought. You’ll remember this day Angel. You’ll remember me. You’ll die too.”
“I cannot die, mortal.”
Aiden began looking past the Angel, allowing his enemy to settle in his peripheral vision. “By the time it’s over, you’ll wish you could.”
For an instant, the being’s face seemed to change again, then all was still. It began to silently charge, lifting it’s sword and shield. He heard the words of his master in his ear.
Fight, Aiden. Fight for what you love. Never quit. Never surrender…
And then it began.