Darkened Pillars

[Kuzuru]

Tides of darkness flowed across the horizon. It was if Omni himself had spilled a jar of ink across the Ashen Steppes. They marched from the direction of the Koopa Kingdom. It was a small force compared to the overwhelming horde that drove itself against the Koopas, but it was large enough to cause a stir within the Coyotle ranks. Even the Empire’s constant harassment paled in comparison to the chittering masses set against them now. As they marched they smothered the world around them, growing stronger with every passing moment. The Coyotle warriors moved to meet them on the open fields of the Steppes. It was some distance away from the village that the two forces clashed.

Cinder held her own against the oppressive wall of bodies thrown against her. Her weapon, though a fraction of its former size, carved through the tide with ease. However it was not the individual skill or lethality of each darkspawn, but rather the sheer number of bodies that filled their ranks. For every corrupted being Cinder brought low three took its place. The young Coyotle warrior paid no mind to her kin. They fell and they triumphed, but that was the way of the warriors. Their lives were forfeit for the greater good of the tribe.

The natives fought valiantly against the encroaching darkness, but valiance could only carry them so far. Fatigue took its toll on the defenders. Cinder watched as her fellows were slain over the course of an hour or so. Friends that she had grown up with slaughtered before her very eyes. Ahanu watched with a grim countenance. Before long the warriors had been reduced to only a handful of the most tenacious Coyotles. Darklings trickled past the defenders, unfettered now to raid the village proper. Ahanu whispered a prayer and moved to the forefront of the village. Cinder swore and disengaged, falling back to defend the village.

“Brothers and sisters,” Ahanu called, his regal voice cutting over the din of battle, “remember the teachings of the Elder Ones, so long as your pillar stands do not raise arms against another living being. For violence is the charge of those that have lost their path and its wicked ways may only be wrought by those forlorn individuals. Although we may forfeit our lives today we shall live forever in the Great Outlands!”

As he finished his piece the young Cinder Salt rushed past him. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.

“Cinder, where are you going?” He asked, and added, “are you fleeing? Have I misjudged your return?”

“Ahanu, we need to leave, the storm that is upon us is to great to weather,” he answered, “our warriors are being slaughtered and everyone else will soon follow suit if we do not flee!”

He sighed and shook his head, “we would never make it, with the children, elderly, and infirm in our ranks we would never be able to outrun them.”

“So we will leave them behind, otherwise our entire race will be erased from the map” she said.

Ahanu’s voice trembled as he replied, “we will live together or die together, Cinder, and I am astonished that you would even suggest such a monstrous thing, now return to the battle at hand and serve your purpose warrior.”

The two locked eyes for a moment before Cinder’s eyes flicked back to the approaching creatures. She snatched her arm away from Ahanu and took a few steps back.

“My purpose is to protect this tribe,” she said, “and if the weak must die so that the rest may live, well, then so be it.”

Without another word she turned and ran towards her goal. She ran through the heart of the village, rushing past those that she had sworn to protect. Cinder did not stop running until she had reached the sacred stone pillars on the edge of the village. These pillars were constructed by stacking thin discs of stone upon one another, and each pillar represented a member of the tribe. It was believed that one’s column was linked to the spirit of the earth and in turn their spirit was grounded in the mortal world. Those whose pillars had been toppled were no longer bound to the mortal world and their bodies were interred into the warrior caste. She staked her sword into the ground and walked up to the nearest pillar. Cinder sighed and then pushed against the stacked stones. They collapsed easily and she moved on to the next column.