Sword of Light

Adrian,

I need to see you. Please come to the ruins. I have something you must see.

Sincerely,
Sierra.

That was what the letter had said. It had been slipped under the door to his apartment. Having read the letter from his teacher Adrian frowned, trying to figure out why she had called him back as he rode silently through the woods. He'd met with the female demon hunter at the ruins and she had told him to head into the woods. He was following her directions but other than the occasional direction she didn't say a word. It was beginning to irritate the paranormal researcher to no end. But he knew better than to question the judgment of his instructor.

"South East!" Sierra called over the roar of the wind.

Adrian shifted his weight on the bike, continuing forward a bit as he turned, heading deeper into the woods than he had ever been before. The woods were getting denser, barely any room for the bike to move, but he was making it through fine, for now. But before long he slammed on his brake, turning his body and the bike, into a skid. He lost his grip on the bike that continued ahead of him. As he rolled, he came up suddenly, summoning the Devil's Teardrop and slamming it into the trunk of a tree to stop himself. His free hand instinctively went to where he thought Sierra was, but the demon hunter was hovering just off the ground a few feet back.

He wasn't sure what had happened, he'd seen something pass in front of him. It was big. Bigger than the demon he'd fought on his first trip out here. He wasn't sure if he was going to like this. His eyes narrowed as he turned his body to face the floating demon hunter, his arms folding over his chest as he waited for her to speak.

She cast her eyes on him and sighed nodding as she returned to the ground, "I know. You're not happy. And yes, you're going to be any happier in a few minutes. Normally I would have waited until you had returned to us of your own will to show you this. However, you need to do this. If I don't show you tonight, you wont like where we end up."

"Why?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"I have foreseen my death at the hands of a man in black."

"You're going to die? When? I'll protect you!"

"I'm afraid you can't, my friend. You'll be otherwise occupied. Up ahead the trees will form a fortress. Hidden within is a blade that can cast aside the darkness within your soul. But in order for you to obtain it... You will have to be chosen by the blade. Your grandmother found it before she left for the city. We pledged to never remove it from this holy land, but without it's power the world may come to an end. Go. But you should know, the blade will not accept you unless you forsake the darkness that has gripped your soul."

"I guess I can't go on my bike, then?"

"No. Now go, demons approach. I'll hold them at bay for as long as I can."

Adrian stared at her, sadly. Turning he walked away, heading deeper into the woods the direction Sierra had indicated before. He wandered southeast the Devil's Teardrop in his hand. It wasn't until he entered the grove that he noticed the design. The trees literally lined the place, a shrine set in the middle of the area. As he approached he grunted, feeling as though he had walked into a brick wall. Stepping back he frowned, looking at the shrine, before he brought the Devil's Teardrop around as hard as he could.

To no avail. He felt the blade slam against whatever force had stopped him, from continuing forward. He even felt the impact displace itself along the weapon and his arm. He dropped the sword and stumbled forward, his eyes widening as he entered the area. He frowned, reaching for the sword, before his eyes narrowed. It wouldn't come to him. He couldn't even will it to his hand. Sighing he turned back to the shrine. Whatever was in there was rebuking his sword. He hesitantly reached for the doors of the shrine. Opening it his eyes widened. Lodged in the stump of a tree was a sword.

The handle was made of the whitest ivory he had ever seen. Scrimshaw, at least that's what it looked like. The handle was designed in a simple span of Angel wings, extended out from the center. He stared at it, his eyes wide, before he heard something large coming. Whatever it was it was stomping it's feet, making tons of noise. He looked behind him, his eyes raising up.

It was fifteen feet tall, and at least seven feet wide! Three monsterous eyes gave it sight, each glowing with the fires of Hell itself. A trio of forked tongues hung from it's one open mouth. It's body was covered in lizard-like scales, and a pair of horns came down, framing it's face from the sides of it's head. A third horn thrust out at a forty-five degree angle from it's forehead. Behind it was a long, thick prehensile tail. He stared up at it, in shock, taking it all in. His grandmother had made reference to a creature like this. She had called it Akuma. Samurai-like armor adorned it from the waist down, bringing to mind the passage his grandmother had written.

Of all beings in the world of demons the only case I have ever found of a human becoming a true demon is in the case of the ancient warlord Akodo. He sold his soul, mind, and body, to Satan for power. As with all deals with the devil, this backfired. The devil twisted the warlord's wish and he was cursed. Akodo was indeed given the power to control the world. But in return, his body was warped into a beast most foul to expose him. He lost everything. His army turned on him, his bride slew herself, and in the end, he was driven mad with grief. In his place was born the Akuma.

Adrian had never thought it was real! It was much bigger than he had imagined it! He backed up suddenly as the claw-like hand of the Akuma reached for him. He brought his arms up, his eyes squeezing shut as he readied for the powerful blow. But something stopped it. He cracked an eye open to see the barrier that had barred his sword, was barring the demon. But not entirely. The demon was much stronger than his sword, and was literally pushing through the spiritual shield. It would break any moment!

Turning he grabbed for the only weapon near by. His hand gripped the ivory handle of the sword in the stump. But as soon as he felt his fingers circle around it he blinked, finding himself somewhere else. Crystal walls, polished to a mirror sheen reflected his image. He stared at himself, not sure what to do. He recognized the room easilly. It was the room he'd seen when he had failed Sierra's test. But somehow, this felt different. Natural. As if he'd been there many times before.

"Long have I awaited this, the day you would come. A tragedy unfolds now, that pains me more than you could ever know. To end it, I will gift to you my light, though in so doing I condemn myself to sorrow greater still. But the hour is late. No other road remains. The time has come. Bid farewell to your bloodstained past. Forsake the darkness you once embraced or the light will find no hold! Defeat your darkness! You and he are one no more!" echoed a voice he knew all too well.

But at the words spoken by his grandmother he saw his reflection summon the Devil's Teardrop to it. His eyes went wide before he looked around. He had no weapon of his own! He backed away, before he saw it coming to him. From one of the crystals beyond his mirror-self a sword came. It came right to his hand, his fingers curling around the hilt before he lept backwards. His blade came up, intercepting the lunge attack his mirror-self had made.

"You can't beat me! I know everything you'll do! Every fighting technique you have ever tried! Every spell you've ever mastered! I'm much stronger than you are!" his evil counterpart said.

"You only know what I allow you to know. Nothing more!" Adrian responded, his eyes narrowing.

The two of them threw one another away. Adrian rolled away, grinning as he came up, his blade flashing out toward his enemy. But as he cut into the flesh of his mirror self, he felt the pain exploding inside him, blood coming from His shoulder. His blade had cut into the other man's shoulder but been wounded himself? He didn't understand, the world reeling as he backed up, panting as he stared at his opponent.

"You just don't get it! You can't fight me!" the evil one shouted.

That was it! Adrian knew what to do. He brought his blade up in a salute, not moving as he waited. He felt the other man's blade drive into his shoulder, and cried out when the pain flared in his shoulder once more. He panted staring at himself, smirking darkly.

"No... I can't fight the past. And the past can hurt. But you're nothing more than part of me! I can't kill you any more than you can kill me. But I can at least make up for the mistakes I have made in the past!" Adrian said, grinning as his opponent vanished.

He fell to his knees, panting, his eyes closing as he smiled, ready to die then and there. He was at peace, for the first time in a long time. He felt true serenity, nothing more and nothing less.

"Your virtue is proven! I will instill you now with a hallowed light, formed of my very soul. May it be your strength, though it be the last of mine..." his grandmother's voice echoed once more.

The world around him vanished. He was once more in the Western Woods, his hand gripping the sword in the stump. Goranova, the sword of light, gave slightly. He felt the sword shift in the petrified wood blessed by powers far superior to his own. He set his jaw and grit his teeth, pulling with all his might. He felt the crystal blade give and come loose as he gave it everything he had. He turned, as he drew the weapon back and brought it around in a swift arch. He grinned the blade cutting right through the beast's wrist.

Akuma screamed in pain, as it grabbed the stump that was once it's wrist, it's hand turning to dust as blood spurted from it's stump. Adrian ran forward, grinning as he willed the Devil's teardrop into his free hand. He charged forward, the Devil's teardrop flashing first, before his body turned with the blow, Goranova coming around after. The Devil's Teardrop had cut into the leg of the beast, but the sword of light cut right through it like a hot knife through butter. As it fell Adrian lept forward, both swords flashing out in an X slash. He felt the Devil's Teardrop cutting lightly, dealing shallow wounds to the demon but he could also feel Goranova's blade biting deep into the demon's flesh.

He fell to the ground, panting as he stuck the blades of his swords into the ground. He breathed heavilly as the beast turned to dust, blowing away in the wind slowly. His body was weak, though. Tired. It took everything he had to use the swords to stay up as high as he was.

"I didn't think you could pull it from the stump." came Sierra's voice. "You've proven that even a soul as corrupted as yours can be saved."

"I don't understand." he said, weakly looking up at her.

"You've done quite well, bringing me the sword of light. I couldn't approach it but you could. You have done well. Now hand it over." the demon huntress demanded.

"..And if I say no?"

"Who do you think told the Akuma to come for you? You're in MY world now, Adrian."

"You were my friend... My teacher. Why now?"

"I was never your friend. And I needed you to take the sword."

"Good to know Sierra... But you're not Sierra." he said, forcing himself to his feet, Goranova coming up suddenly, flashing through her body.

The illusion vanished, the demon falling to the ground. Adrian stood over it, frowning as he watched. Letting go of the Devil's Teardrop he ran back the way he had come, his mind racing as he went, wondering, hoping that Sierra was okay.

"SIERRA!" he shouted, looking around, panting.

"I'm over here! Stop being so loud!" she called.

Kneeling beside her, he smiled, looking at the woman who was sitting against a tree. He shook his head at the sight of her before he held out the newly acquired sword to her.

"No... It's yours. You drew it. We all tried, and none of us could do it. Let's go back now."

Adrian nodded, smiling as he helped the seer up to her feet, looping one of her arms around his shoulders, the other slipping around her waist. He breathed slowly as he helped her hobble to where the forgotten bike was. It was going to be a long trip back home. But for the first time in a long time Adrian didn't feel any kind of fight in his heart.

(WC: 2,312)