Fiction:The Shattering/Shadows of the Melody

Hateful Shadows
Raloth'Shan was a captain of a Visterra class vessel moored in orbit on a planet within the territory of the Coalition. It had been several months patrolling the void of emptiness that was commonwealth space lanes and many of the crew felt they could do with a few weeks' shore leave. Two weeks in and the captain decided to visit a bar in the heart of the metropolis. An establishment famed for good company, fine strong beverages and a comforting attitude towards aliens. While some questioned the existence of the Unified Andromedan Navy, others embraced it. Nut in this particular bar, it was best to keep such talk to oneself.

The captain himself; a middle-aged Artharon with a dark gray coat, a short beard and a tattooed scarred face, drank an alcoholic beverage, looking inside the glass. His mood wreaked of misery and drudgery as he sat slumped at the bar counter.

Captain - ''Which day is it? One hundred and... gah. I've lost count. - the captain drank some more - I hate my job.''

The local bartender, an Oriito who had migrated from the was cleaning a glass when he heard the captain mumbling. He let out a cough, attempting to draw the captain's attention. The captain turned to the bartender with a hostile glare, the look in his eyes indicating that he had little interest in social contact.

Raloth'Shan - What? Bartender - ''You seem a little down. Something niggling at your mind?'' Raloth'Shan - ''I'm tired. All these months, patrolling... and nothing happened. Not a pirate attack on my watch, not an anomaly, nothing. Not even an illegal vessel. I hate it. My family is a family of warriors. I do not want to die like that, rotting alive out of boredom...'' Bartender - ''Naval melancholy huh. I see it a lot. Here''

The bartender pulled the rag out of the glass and poured a dark frothy liquid into the cup from a tap, he then pushed theglass towards the captain with a smile on his face.

Bartender - Its on the house. Raloth'Shan - Thanks, mate.

The captain grabbed the glass and took it all in a single, audible gulp. The bartender smiled. As the captain slammed the drink on the counter he heard a resonating thump. A disorienting feeling suddenly came over him as the glass rang discordant within in his ears.

Raloth'Shan - ''What...- the captain's voice became slurry; whispers poured into his head. By my ancestors' tail, what is this damn melody...

The bartender's voice became distorted and echoing as he spoke, his speech becoming less coherent. The room shifted and warped around him.

Bartender - Only the glass....hitting the bar...not that melodic...is it? Raloth'Shan - ''The voice... gah! - the Artharon shrieked in pain - Thousands of voices, speaking of tens of thousands of needles peeling the surface of the heart that is black eyes, salt pouring into the wounds of screaming children...'' Bartender - ''Can't...have been...that strong...

As the voices rang though his mind a central one began emerging, whispering "shameful" "a disgrace" "you are no warrior". Raloth'Shan doubled forward holding his head and drilling into his brain. They kept whispering, their words piercing like daggers into his mind.

Raloth'Shan - ''Show me your face! Do it, coward! If I die, I'll die standing!''

As he snapped, the captain felt himself tossed by a large hand grasping his shoulder. He was pushed to have his back rest against the bar and he ended up staring into the eyes of a Draconis who looked at him with disgust. The creature's eyes shone like icy blue lanterns, his scales were a glossy black that covered his body, but the skin and the scales were arranged in such a way it as as though they were secured atop an exoskeletal frame of sorts. Raloth'Shan's melancholy and irritation became fear as his mind reformed the strange creature into something he knew.

Raloth'Shan - ''You... you... are a demon! Kern'el'jasan, the fiend of ash and rock! - the captain drew his blade, having mistaken the Draconis for a creature from his people's mythology - Challenge me! You will not take me alive!''

Kern'el'jasan pushed the captain back and took several steps back, letting out an echoing and sinister laugh as he spread his arms wide.

"Kern'el'jasan" - ''Then I challenge you, dear captain. Prove to me that you uphold your family's lineage. Or I shall devour you here and now.''

The captain stood where he was, beset by doubt. Fear overtook him, fear of things he did not believe - things he could not even concieve - before he came to him. Reluctantly, as if his hand was forced, he took an energised blade from a sheathe on his belt, waving it in front of the Draconis demon.

"Kern'el'jasan" - A warrior feels no fear, weakling! Captain - ''I... do not!''

The captain said this defiantly but unsincerely, running towards thecreature posing as Kern'el'jasan. Then, suddenly, another voice screamed inside his mind, much more powerful that the one that belonged to the Draconis - and much more ancient.

'??? - ''Look at you. Fear blocks your every thought, destroys your fury, your braveness, what makes you a man. Is it true? Is it that easy to make you feel fear?''

The demon laughed and positioned himself in a defensive stance. He lifted his arm to block the captain's stumbled sword-swing and left its blade buried in his arm. As it rested there, the plasma field began to flicker and the clawed palm of Kern'el'jasan rushed towards the Artheron's chest, much to his shock and aversion. The voices continued speaking, filling his head and goading him to delve into his fears and hates.

??? - ''Relinquish your fear. Drown it in your fury. Drown it in pain. Only then you shall be able to vanquish your greatest foe.'' Raloth'Shan - ''Drown it...? Who are you?'' ??? - ''Give up your fear, and truth shall be revealed to you. Open your mind. Let your fear go. Let it go. Let it go.''

The captain had long since left reality. As the world around him twisted with a thousand voices singing inside his head, the entire bar crowd watched as he stumbled, flailing his sword, panting and throwing himself about. Patrons began to laugh at him and he began to hear it, a mocking laughter that seemed to resonate form the demon standing in front of him. it was taunting him, insulting him. The laughter echoed in his head, joining the cacophonous chanting that accompanied the voice.

Raloth'Shan - ''I do not fear you! I hate you. Do you hear it, Kern'el'jasan?! I HATE you! HATE!''

The captain roared as he slowly lost his mind, relinquishing his soul to Mali'Nar corruption.

??? - ''Yes. Open your mind to hatred and it shall destroy fear. And you shall have your victory.''

Kern'el'jasan jumped up onto the bar's top and growled towards the captain, smoke leaking from his skin as he jumped pack down and swung his arm to claw at the captain. The captain by now had descended into raving madness, now screaming incoherently. The Artharon charged at his demonic enemy, thinking of nothing but destruction - as the voice told him. Kern'el'jasan became surprised at the Artharon as the captain wildly swung his sword, hurting the creature more and more as he cut into limbs before finally sending a strike into the demon's thigh, sending it collapsing to one knee. The demon held up his hand, wishing for mercy from his opponent.

"Kern'el'jasan" - ''You have bested me mortal. And I have your respect...please...I ask for a favour before you finish me.'' Raloth'Shan - ''Yes... yes... my mind is free now! I know no mercy! I know no fear, no shame! I am hate made manifest!'' ??? - And thus, your mind opens to us.

Kern'el'jasan looked at the captain and smiled devilishly at the Artheron before thrusting his arm forward and wrapping his hand over the captain's face. The captain felt himself slipping, his world growing dark as the beast gradually disappeared in black smoke in front of him, his entire world fading to black...yet the body still stood, the eyes glinting as he opened them and he looked around at the mess he had caused while he was in a drunken and maddened fury. All this time one of the Commonwealth marines who had been drinking at the bar had been tryingto talk to him.

Marine - ''...Captain? Captain?''

The captain shook his head and looked towards the source of the voice. he cleared his throat as his vision returned to normal. Yet something about him was off. Despite the amount of drink he had consumed, the captain appeared stoic. While it could be assumed he had a strong liver for such things, he also appeared disinterested, vacant as he looked towards the marine.

Raloth'Shan - What, what is it? Marine - ''You... were swinging your sword all over the bar. Must have been the drink.'' Raloth'Shan - Yes, yes those months on patrol must have weakened my tolerance to such drinks. Bartender - ''Have you gone completely bonkers!? One of you is going ot have to pay for damages, you sodding shore-leave drunkards.'' Captain - ''I'll have the bill sent to you. Marine, gather the others, shore leave is over.''

The marine saluted and promptly left the bar. The captain took a quick and stern glare at the bartender, something about his expression prompted the Oriito to quickly stop talking, shutting his mouth quite abruptly. A moment after the bartender had done so, the captain gave him a smug smirk before leaving the pub himself.