SINS OF ASH PROLOGUE: THE ASH DANCER

Death is the one thing that makes life fair for everyone. Everyone can die. When people go to war, they go with the belief that their enemies can be killed. Sometimes they themselves forget that they are also bound by the same laws of the world and encourage others to follow them. When the people around them die in surprising, twisting agony, they suddenly realize the folly of their beliefs. Of the lies they were told and willingly spread. Glory and fame. Riches and prizes. So why then, do they continue fighting? Why would they not just all stop and return back to their lives?

It is because of revenge and hate. It takes possession of them like a drowning man desperately seeking air. Like a spark of flame in barren woods, spreading everywhere and engulfing all sense of reason or empathy. Thus, they continue fighting. Even when body after body of their comrades drop lifelessly to the uncaring ground, still they fight. It is only until there is one left, one single lucky individual who survived the slaughter and now realizes there is no one left to fall but him. And so they stare at their enemy, begging for mercy, pleading for forgiveness, all the rage within them finally burnt to ash. Their enemy stands before them, taking in their cries, and responds with nothing but the same malice that was originally show to them. War is a cycle with unending death. The only way to make it end is by introducing someone to make death unfair. A person powerful enough to turn the tide of war, rekindle the ashes of rage left by the fallen, and burn away the enemy once and for all.

The command center of Lexenos shook as tremors raced up its walls, the suspended candelabras above dangling against each other and threatening to spill their flames. The doors behind her flew open and the hasty steps of First Officer Emi rushed into the room.

“Intruders in the hold, General Mara,” Emi said, slightly out of breath. “A contingent of Guardians. They snuck through the outer perimeter but were caught near the entrance. They’re currently forcing their way up here.”

Mara Sov opened her eyes and stared out past the domed and jutted buildings of the city and into the red sands of the Blood Wilds. The moon was high in the sky, illuminating the night with an ethereal and shimmering glow as the red vapor wafted up and coalesced in the air. An aura of the divine and earthly, just like the Guardians.

“How many are there?” Illia asked off to her side. The short pre-teen already had her sword out and embers danced along her black uniform as she strode from the dais and down its steps.

Emi’s booted steps came to a halt as she stopped before them. “We’ve identified six of them. My soldiers are harrying them, but I told them not to get directly in their way,” she answered.

Mara stood up from the high-backed chair, her black cloak swirling as she spun around to face them. “Order them to retreat outside and surround the building with long ranged weaponry. I’ll take care of them.”

“We’ll take care of them,” Illia interjected, casting a look in her direction.

Mara ignored her while Emi pretended not to notice. She saluted Mara and her eyes burned with repressed malice despite not being a Flame Dancer. “Burn them to ash, Mara,” she said.

Mara grunted and Emi turned around and closed the doors behind her as she left the room, already shouting orders to those around her. The candles above were still shaking from the previous tremor so the lights were shifting around the giant walls of the octagonal command center. The only other source of light was the moon radiating through the giant observatory window. Shadows snaked around the otherwise plain interior as Mara glanced over at Illia, the shadows not deep enough to hide her dissent.

She crossed her arms, released her sword into nothingness, and dug the heel of her boots into the ground. “I’m staying with you,” she said.

“I need you outside with Emi and the soldiers. If one of the Guardians tries to escape, there needs to be someone to stop them and defend the others. That’s your role in this,” Mara explained.

The walls shook again and the doors banged against their hinges, the tremor sounding closer than before. Illia shook her head. “We’ll defeat them here. They won’t get the chance to escape outside if we work together. I can fight; I want to!”

Mara sighed and crouched down while putting a hand on Illia’s shoulder. They were on the same level now and Mara looked into her pale red eyes, anger covering the thin layer of anxiety hidden within.

“Do not worry about what anyone else may think,” Mara said, her voice soft. “I know you’re capable but this is not the time for you to fight. Leave that to me so you can continue training. There’s no shame in this.”

Illia threw her hands down in frustration. “All I do is train and spar with others! I can do more. Please, let me show you I can do more.”

The familiar conflicted feelings that had been lurking in Mara’s heart came rising up again at the sound of Illia’s pleas. She pushed them back down though and calmed her mind. Now was not the time for uncertainty. Death was coming and Mara needed to meet it. She could not risk Illia in this.

She squeezed her shoulder a little harder, tight enough to be firm but not to hurt. “Anyone hiding outside or who makes it out is yours but six of them is too much. We each have our roles to play and arguing now will endanger the lives of everyone else. Do you understand?”

Illia was ready to argue once more but couldn’t make it past Mara’s stare. She let the unsaid words fade as she sighed and nodded, accepting her orders. As soon as she did though, she glanced towards the door and began mapping the best route to getting outside without being seen. She turned to the observatory window, her face thoughtful.

“I’ll position myself at the base of the window once the perimeter is established. No one will escape,” she affirmed.

Mara smiled. Illia was very capable and worked hard in her duties to improve herself. More than anything she wanted to fight, but once she accepted the decisions of those above her, she carried them out with precision and set herself for what was to come.

“Good. Get going now. They’re almost here.”

Illia nodded and ran towards the doors. She opened them and made her way through, but before she closed it, she said, “You’re going to tell me about the fight when you’re done!” and left, shutting the doors behind her before Mara could say anything.

Mara’s thoughts were kind but they, along with her smile, faded as another tremor, this time much closer, shook the building. It sounded like thunder. Mara glanced around the room, recently built so there was nothing on the lower floor. The dais above had a chair with a thick back and a desk in front of it. A few drawers, cabinets, and nothing more. Very little for anything that was supposed to resemble a military office. Just like it was meant to be.

The shadows danced around her scarlet hair and Mara looked up at the golden chains suspending the candelabras. Without those lights the room would be difficult to see in, especially if one did not have time to adjust their eyes to the dark when the rest of the building was well lit. Mara summoned her sword into her right hand, a dark red and gray blade that was semi-translucent and smoking embers. The flames above flickered and with a wave of her longsword, the lights went out as clouds covered the moon.

A few minutes later, the doors blew open and nearly flew off their hinges as they rattled and banged against the walls from a gust of wind. Five people, four men and one woman, rushed inside and spread themselves out into an outward facing dome, swords held in front of them. The shadows stretched across the black interior, disturbed and morphing as the intruders slowly stalked across the room. The light from the hallway was not enough to illuminate more than just the immediate entrance and the dim glow of the moon was veiled, but the white cloaks worn by the invaders pierced the darkness as they stalked towards the overlook and the chair turned towards the window. Hanging on top one of the candelabras, it was too dark to see what was written on their backs but the swords they carried were enough to identify them: Guardians.

“Mara Sov,” one of them yelled. “For crimes against the kingdom of Arcadia and as general for the traitorous kingdom of Adamance, you are hereby sentenced to death under the ruling council of Eternum by our hands. Surrender, now!”

The man who yelled gestured towards the overlook with his sword, dark blue in color-a Wave Dancer. The others shifted their positions until they surrounded the overlook, two people on each side of the stairs and what she assumed to be their leader at its foot. The other swords glowed bright with divine energy. A steady spark of yellow light on either side of the stairs with another blue glow on the left and a green glow on the right. Two Thunder Dancers, another Wave Dancer, and a Wind Dancer.

Letting loose a battle cry, their leader ran forward and speared the head of the seat straight through with his sword. The empty seat swung forward off its feet until its back reached the end of the Wave Dancer’s cross guard and was immediately toppled as he swung to the side to release his sword.

No more charades.

Before they could reason it out, Mara dropped from the candelabra and brought her sword above her head in a two-handed grip. Her sword ignited, flames pooling around the blade and trailing in a sweeping inferno that brought light to the shadowy room.

Flame Dance, Third Form: Cruel Sun! The second Wave Dancer only had time to look up with wide eyes and a gaping mouth as Mara brought down the fury of a setting sun upon her. Mara slammed her blade on the Wave Dancer’s back and she crumbled to the ground in bleeding flames and crushed stone, her aura sparkling a bright blue across her body as it nearly broke with that attack.

Before the flying chips of stone could settle, Mara turned and swung her still flaming sword at the Thunder Dancer next to her. He was fast enough to bring his sword up to block, but she knocked it aside with her own then immediately swung for his neck. She connected and his aura flashed a bright yellow as he slammed against the side of the overlook and crumpled.

Time was up and the remaining Guardians finally reacted. The other Thunder Dancer and Wind Dancer sprinted towards her while their leader leaped straight for her with blinding speed, thrusting at her neck. Mara raised her sword and batted him to the side with an even quicker parry. She heard the sound of lightning crackle and felt wind pushing her hair to the side. Mara spun, black cloak trailing with the flames of the sword, and saw a crescent shaped bolt of jagged lighting and wind coalesced into a sharp arc headed straight for her.

Flame Dance, Fifth Form: Enveloping Flames! She swung her sword in a large concave arc in front of her, flames following the path of her sword until they connected and flooded inwards to fill the gap. A standing inferno of flames coalesced to make a shield covering her from head to toe as it withstood the impact of the enemies’ attacks. The lightning crashed into the shield with a lion’s roar, shaking the building once again. The wind dissolved against the flames, fueling it, making the shield even bigger.

Mara turned once more and saw their leader throw something in the air in front of himself. It was a large watering cask and before it could fall, he jabbed at the cask and it exploded in a burst of water as he made contact. The water expanded to match the height of her shield and fell straight towards her. The flames of her shield were about to die down so she reignited her blade and jabbed at the oncoming water. The water exploded into hot steam that quickly expanded and engulfed the room with a burning embrace. Mara’s aura took a hit as it protected her skin from the blistering heat but it held strong. She doused her flames and leaped backwards onto the overlook.

She grabbed the fallen chair with her off hand and threw it towards the two fallen Guardians. The movement distorted the steam and as it reformed, the chair was cut and stabbed into two pieces. The crackle of lightning through the steam let her know that the Thunder Dancer had moved in to assist their leader. Through the corner of her eye, she saw the steam distorting on the other side of the overlook but not in a disorganized way. The steam billowed and pulled into itself, warping around the Wind Dancer and following his swinging sword.

He was going to pull in the steam and launch it at her. Before he could throw it, Mara gripped her sword with two hands, turned to the side, and held it below her with the point facing backwards.

Flame Dance, Second Form: Blinding Sunrise! She swung her sword upwards and a blistering arc of flames shot out of her sword and collided with the steam pooled around the enemy’s blade just as he released it. The elements collided and both the flames and gathered steam exploded onto the Wind Dancer.

He screamed as the combined attacks shattered his aura, green sparkling shards scattering to the ground as the overwhelming heat, now concentrated completely onto him, engulfed his front and began burning him alive.

Hearing a thunderclap, Mara swung around and barely managed to bring her sword up in time to block the Thunder Dancer’s overhand as he leaped onto the platform. Lightning vibrated across his sword, yellow bolts pooling into one and lighting them both up with a glow that had no warmth. The Thunder Dancer’s face was slick with freely dripping sweat and his eyes were tight, but he still swung his sword at her.

Their blades connected, but he had the advantage of momentum. With a loud bang, Mara was flung back and off the overlook. She landed on her side with a grunt, but she rolled with the fall and immediately got back up to parry another thrust by their leader. As she did, she noticed a stream of water following his blade. With a quick turn, he swung his sword at her and the water, following the trajectory of the blade, shot towards her in a wide arc.

She didn’t have time to block or dodge so she jumped back to gain distance, letting the attack hit her. The water cleaved itself in two, the scythe-like point disintegrating upon contact, and Mara’s aura sparked bright red around her in a crystal-like pattern. The water felt as hard as any metal and were it not for her aura, she would have been cut in two.

The Thunder Dancer began running towards her so she ignored the pain in her gut and jammed her sword into the ground and set it ablaze. Mustering her strength, Mara pooled out the flames and shot them upwards. Emanating from her sword, she was covered in a circular wall of scorching flames that were constantly streaming upwards and out of the floor, evaporating the water that lay at her feet with beats of sharp sizzling like a spider’s flurry.

She dug her sword out of the ground and before the flames could dissipate, she swung her sword around and the wall of flames shot out in an arc towards the others. The Thunder Dancer was forced to stop and jump back onto the overlook, but their leader slid underneath and rushed her.

His onslaught of quick jabs and thrusts were met equally with her own as they danced around each other, him unable to break her defenses and her maneuvering herself back towards the center. She dodged his strike and was forced to raise her sword as he completed his turn with a straight kick. She caught his boot with the flat of her blade and jumped back to open up more distance between them.

Lightning lit up the room on the dais and she glanced to the side to see the Thunder Dancer coated in strands of lightning that were jumping around his body, circling his legs and snaking around his upper torso and arms. His yellow eyes flashed golden and like a piece of lightning jumping to an exposed metal rod caught in a storm, he leaped at her with blinding speed, even faster than before.

Mara ducked and felt the lightning graze above her like a razor-sharp edge against skin as he flew over her. He landed and with unnatural speed, spun around and engaged her. His attacks were now faster than his leader’s and sliced at her from every seeming direction.

Reigniting her blade, aggressive fire met rapid lightning and sprayed across the room as their blades made contact each time. As fast as he was, she was able to match him strike for strike. A quick turning of her blade threw him off balance but before she could capitalize on the opening, their leader attacked her and she was forced to pull back.

They began encircling her and Mara let flames trail all along her blade as she moved in and out of attack. With a force of will, she made the flames retain their form and threw hard lines of exploding fire at them to damage their auras while she blocked their attacks.

Bright yellow and blue crystalline lights sparked around her as she damaged their auras. They had maneuvered themselves until they were on either side of her and they both rushed forward to attack her. Mara ducked low and pushed off one foot and rebounded so that both of them were now in front of her.

Flame Dance, First Form: Burning Crescent! Both feet now planted firmly on the ground, she violently twisted her hips and with the flawless effort born from thousands of practiced swings, she brought her flaming sword in a heavy arc that collided with both enemy Guardians and sent them flying against the overlook walls in a heap of burning flames. The Thunder Dancer’s aura exploded into thousands of little yellow fragments and the lightning coating his body faded as he fell. The Wave Dancer’s aura looked ready to burst as it cracked and splintered all over his body, but it remained intact as he tried to get back up.

They both looked at her, gasping for breath and chests heaving. The Thunder Dancer’s eyes were filled with terror now that his aura was exposed and the Wave Dancer was looking grim too. Except, it didn’t seem like they were looking at her but rather past her. The Wind Dancer was burning and writhing in agony across the floor on the side, the two she initially dispatched were still down but were slowly rousing themselves, and then the two remaining Guardians in front of her on either side of the stairs. Five enemies, but Emi had reported an eye count of… six!

Without bothering to check first, Mara spun around and narrowly blocked a thrust to her head as the sixth Guardian, a woman wielding a blue rapier and wearing the same robes as the others, jumped into the room. After pushing her blade aside, Mara jumped back, but the newcomer swung her sword around and the torrent of water that had been following her leaped at her command and went crashing down on top of Mara. Mara dove to the side to avoid the giant mound of water as it crashed against the floor and carved a crater into the stone ground. With an upwards swing and a jab, the water rose back up in a spiraling column that looked like a contained whirlpool with a needle on its end and whipped towards her.

Mara cast her sword in flames again and striked at the oncoming jab of water. She cut through, but the water quickly reformed and redrew as the Wave Dancer was now using her sword like a whip to cut her down with the water. Mara danced around and batted the water whip away but couldn’t find the opportunity to head in close nor force the water to evaporate; the Wave Dancer’s hold on it was too strong. Eventually she was forced back and the Wave Dancer held the torrent of water aloft as her companions rejoined her. The two Guardians she had hurt at the beginning had now regained their feet and were looking towards her, ready to make a final stand now that the odds were back in their favor.

Surrounded five to one and with her back against the wall, Mara watched as what could only be called confidence slowly entered their faces. They had held one of their own back and given her most of their water for a surprise attack. She bided her time and waited despite Mara cutting down her friends and was rewarded with an attack that should have massively damaged her aura and sent her reeling were it not for Emi’s accuracy. Smiles creeped onto their faces and starving hope lit up their eyes as they looked at her.

Let them suffocate in their hope. Sword held aloft, Mara let ash fall from her sword.

Pieces of ash began materializing and drifting out of her blade, the dark red and gray glow emitting a dark light with no warmth. Mara watched the hope wither as one Guardian took an involuntary step back, another bared their teeth in a grimace, and the others glanced towards their fallen comrade; the Wind Dancer who had stopped screaming and now let out pungent smells of burnt flesh and boiling blood.

“Finish what you started,” she said to them.

The Wave Dancer with the water whip cursed and swung her sword in an arc that launched the torrent of water at her in a mirrored motion. The others quickly followed and in less than a second, two bolts of lightning and another wave of sharpened water came for her. The lightning ran through the water, enveloped it, and held its form as a series of circling rings around the wave so that now two powerful bursts of charged water were headed straight for her.

Mara took up her sword and swung it in front of her with a full twist of her hips to complete the full range of motion. Ash now poured like water from her blade, falling slowly and almost hanging in place as a wall of ash and cinders stood in front of her. Through the myriad of burnt particles, she could see the water and just before it made contact with the wall, Mara yelled. As one, the particles lit up, glowing a bright yellow and orange before they all exploded into a shower of flames and sparks that disrupted the water and sent veiling steam into the air once again. The burning of water hissed in her ears and with a boom, Mara leaped at her enemies.

Ash Dance, First Form: Burning Cinders! Mara completed her jump by swiping at the Wave Dancer who controlled the now destroyed water whip. Ash trailed in front of her as she knocked the enemy’s rapier aside and cut through her aura twice with fast strikes. The Wave Dancer blocked her next attack and jabbed at her face again. Mara ducked and spun on one heel, the embers of all those she had slain following her blade as she set them ablaze once more.

Like a match struck on oil, the fire exploded and followed the trail of ash that started from her leap, spinning with her and knocking back two other Guardians. Caught in a wall of flames, Mara pressed her attack on the Wave Dancer, blade and ashes twirling together like lovers at a dance as she broke through her defense and landed another strike across her sternum. Her aura flashed a bright blue and Mara could see the cracks spreading everywhere, threatening to shatter completely. With a final flourish, Mara reignited the ashes and watched as the explosion broke her aura and sent her skidding against the ground.

From the shadows cast by the flames, Mara saw a shadow encompass her through the steam. She looked up and the Thunder Dancer she had originally injured was in the air and spinning with his sword out. Bright yellow energy crackled as lightning rained down from the air with each spin. She dove and narrowly avoided the lightning that crashed onto the floor and sent stone pieces flying everywhere. A double-edged attack because although it covered a wide area, that form wasn’t designed to target a single enemy.

Lightning sprayed all across the room and forced his allies to stop advancing on her as they protected themselves. With a glowing yellow target helpless in the air, Mara leaped up and slammed her blade across his skull as he was finishing his spin, throwing him back down to the crushed floor. Spinning around to follow the path of her sword, Mara landed on the wall with about ten feet left to fall. Before gravity could fully take its effect and overcome her momentum, she leaped again in that same instant. His aura hadn’t even fully finish breaking when Mara jammed her sword into his throat and cleaved through both aura and skin. Blood and yellow aura fragments sprayed around her as her burning blade incinerated his hope and cauterized his wound. She slid on the floor, boot heels just barely cresting the surface as the other female Wave Dancer, the one she first attacked, ran at her with their leader. Both leveled their swords and tried to spear her through the stomach.

Wrenching her sword free, Mara swung ash in their faces and let it explode. They were forced to divert their attacks and with a gap created, Mara engaged the female Guardian. Her attacks came like ravenous fire and as each strike sent the enemy reeling, Mara could tell she was already on her last legs. Before Mara could finish her off though, she turned aside to dodge their leader’s attack. He fell in sync with his comrade and together, their blades were like retracting spikes that came in all directions. The onslaught would have driven anyone back since there was no way to avoid or block all the attacks; so she didn’t.

Ash Dance, Fourth Form: Relentless Cruelty! Instead of falling back, Mara pushed forward with fire and brimstone as she met their attacks head on and threw herself at them. She felt her aura getting cut and nicked several times but it was in no danger of breaking. With a fury cast by a lifetime of suffering, Mara forced her adversaries back as she overtook them with speed that rivaled even the fastest of Thunder Dancers. Each swing was parried aside and every rash thrust to compensate was met with a dodge that allowed her to burn their auras to ash. She blocked two strikes aimed towards her sides, jabbed at their leader’s face and let ash explode in it as he tried to parry. Without warning, she turned and knocked down the blade of the other Wave Dancer as she tried to cut upwards. Mara brought her blade back up and cut side-to-side, breaking her aura into a thousand little pieces. With a final thrust engaged from the side of her face, Mara stabbed the Wave Dancer through the chest and her body fell limp, skewered on her blade.

Mara released her sword and spun around to see their leader already swinging an overhand strike. She brought up her hands and resummoned her blade. In a blaze, Mara’s sword reappeared and blocked the attack. She ducked the next attack and spun as he was still recovering his swing. With a full draw from her side, she completed her spin and slashed her blade across his stomach. His aura broke upon contact and he was sent flying backwards as the deep gash released buckets of blood and intestines.

She turned and saw the two Guardians whose auras she already broke standing back next to each other, faces slack. They hadn’t wanted to engage her with broken auras and let their comrades fall before them. It was considered suicide to fight a Flame Dancer without an aura and rightfully so. They would get burned alive trying to fight and against Mara’s ash, they wouldn’t even get close. Regardless, they were still cowards who sacrificed their teammates.

With a snarl, Mara leaped towards the remaining invaders. Credit where credit was due, they didn’t try to run away. They raised their swords ready to defend against her, but she didn’t aim straight for them. She leaped to the side of them, ash streaking behind her. Once she landed, she jumped again then again, all around them, until they were surrounded by a large band of ash.

Flame Dance, Second Form: Blinding Sunrise! She swung her sword up and unleashed an arc of flames that flew straight for them. Simultaneously, she ignited the ash. They couldn’t do anything as the flames exploded, enveloping them and searing the flesh off their bones. The explosion sounded with a roaring boom that shook the walls and made the scattered pieces of broken stone dance on the beaten floor.

Her hair and cloak bounced back and forth in a similar rhythm as she watched the inferno. She saw buildings engulfed in flames crumble to pieces as the fire burned through the wooden supports. She saw kids running through the fields trying to put themselves out and look for water. She saw a man in a white cloak trailing down to his knees raise a flaming sword that made the sky bleed as it cut the heads off of two people in front of her. She watched in a pile of ash and cinders the devastation that war brought as the man turned towards her and raised his flaming sword in her direction. They were killing kids. Burning them alive along with their families and homes. And they were smiling.

Just as the flaming man reached her, the inferno died down, reducing itself to ash and falling embers. Nothing was left of the two Guardians except scorched bones drowned in a pool of blood and gore.

She heard coughing that soon turned to choking and wheezing behind her. Mara looked back and saw their leader cradling his stomach, trying stop the blood flow. It wasn’t working. He was slowly dying in the middle of a lake of blood that was continuing to seep through his fingers. Yet he was still coughing, trying to cling to life as he breathed around the blood and ash that surrounded him. She walked over and stood before him, looking down at his disheveled state, sword still in her hand.

“Please,” he begged. More coughing and choking. “Please…I have a son. I need to…to return home.”

He looked up at her and she could see his blue eyes, now gray and devoid of all color, strained with deluded hope as the veins around them were popping up. He tried to breathe through his nose as blood leaked through his clamped teeth, his body seizing with the effort that holding onto life took. Not even the Void could take his pain away.

“Unfortunately, that is a luxury that neither of us can afford,” she said, without any warmth or remorse despite how hot the room was. “Your people are a stain on this world as they wreak havoc across its lands and decimate good people who are just trying to live their lives. You don’t even care. You do what you’re told and don’t think about what happens to the victims of your actions. What happens is they rise up, swear justice on the people who wronged them, and take their stand against a world designed to put them down. Designed by people like you.”

Mara raised her sword above her head, arm bent in front of her. She lit her sword on fire and stared at the dying Guardian who was still pleading for his life. She could see herself through the reflection in his eyes. A tall and imposing warrior who rose up from ashes and now wielded the same flames that took everything from her.

“I will set this world right and end this war once and for all. No one shall stop me!” She hefted her sword and brought it down in a flaming arc that nearly split the fallen Guardian in two. The flames danced amidst the lake of blood and stretched across his lifeless body until they eventually burned out and all that was left was the echo of her promise in a broken and bloody room.