We Are: Waking The Fallen

1- The Boy With White Eyes

"Arise, child...." A paper soft voice whispered, the words flowing from a dark shape with neither mouth nor face. The whispering voice was as feminine as a young girl's, but had a long forgotten tale to its tone. Beside the smokey shape lay a white haired boy, skin as pale as the papery tone of the smoke creature's voice. "Arise and awaken your true power...."

His body trembled, convulsed, spasmed. Then his eyes opened. Pale, white, empty eyes snapped open with such a force that the shadowed being shied away, the coldness in the boy's empty eyes hid an age that no one understood. 

"Welcome, child..." The soft tones from the shadow-smoke spoke again. "You survived far better than we had hoped..." The shadow-smoke never seemed to finish it's sentences clearly, trailing off, the final words elongated almost dramatically, and to a point of annoyance.

"What have you done to me?" The boy said quietly, his voice surprising deep, like a grown man, compared to that of a small child. He looked at his snow white skin in a look of pure misery and torture. "Gods...."

"We brought you back, that is all...." The shadow-smoke's flowing voice full of disembodied pity. "We were... told that children would adapt better to the change.... She lied..." Betrayal dripped softly, along with the strong scent of ginger. Which made little sense to the white haired, white skinned boy with eyes as empty as the void has he rose to his shoe-less feet.

"Where the hell am I, then?!" Rage, sorrow and loneliness filled his expression, as he hissed the words with the venom of a snake.

"Welcome to the world of the Shadows. The Shadow Realm." The shadow-smoke drifted away slightly, two longer tendrils of smoke stretching wide. "It's nothing much. You are only awake here because I willed you to be..." The Shadow Realm was empty, desolate, a few other shadow-like creatures roamed, all in many different shapes. Horses, people, all sorts of shadow monsters roamed the flat lands, but nothing else was in sight. It was dull. Then the shadow-smoke's shape shifted, parting slightly at the center, and the boy could see through, 

Children.

Rows, and rows of sleeping children surrounded by the shadow-smoke. Some had the blue skin of the undead, others were pale as snow. Some were tanned and others coloured, but it made no difference to the boy, His short white hair floated slightly in the non-existent wind as he began to float. His eyes filled with the colour of rage, blood red, crimson, scarlet.. All shades of red filled his vision and wind picked up around him. His voice became hollow and coarse, and a strong smell of ginger filled the air once again. The shadow-smoke turned.

And screamed. 

A dagger spun from the boy, not coming from anywhere- the boy was naked, like all of the others. That was when he started to grow. He became taller, thinner, his hair longer, so long white bangs fell just past his shoulders and his full fringe covered hi now completely red eyes. Scars began to lattice his pale body and six tattoos curved around his body, three each side of his ribs. 

"B-by the Lord of Shadows!" The exclamation fell from the shadow-smoke, "Xavian..." 

The young man, still naked, landed on the floor, his eyes returning to white. The wind died down and the smell of ginger faded. That was when his ears started to grow- long and pointed sticking out just behind his head. Xavian, he was called. The Thorn Elf. "Kagé." He said, and the shadow-smoke yelped. I name you Kagé. Release me from the limbo you hole me and you shall be spared." 

The shadow-smoke distorted, unable to deny an order from a Namer, nor a Thorn Elf. The more it distorted, the harder is was for Xavian to see. It was then that he blacked out.

~~~

"Welcome back to the living..." The same paper-soft voice drawled out in it's soft, elongated tones. Xavian lay naked among a pile of clothes, and a tall, busty woman towered over him, her shorts short and her chain mail shirt not leaving much to the imagination. Knee high boots had dagger hilts poking out of the top. Her hair was as black as night and her eyes were the same.

"Kagé..." Xavian sighed and sat up, rummaging through the clothes he lay on. "I was curious to see what form you would take on. And save to say... I am not disappointed." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, smirking slightly. 

"Now,now, Thorn Elf... don't be rude..."  Kagé rolled her eyes and turned away as Xavian rose and pulled on some clothes. 

"You can turn." He grunted, after changing into a long trench coat with a feather lined hood, black, skin tight trousers and silver plated boots. He completely disregarded a shirt. Kagé turned to face him, and her black eyes lit up as she whistled softly. 

"Now, it is our duty to arm you before you enter the tough world out there. But first may I ask how you died?"

"Executed." Xavian stated, looking at Kagé, his voice whispering betrayal, and his eyes turning a very pale blue. "By my own sister." 

Xavian was the first child to survive, but his body tells the lies of the Lady herself.  Now he and his Named Shadow will roam for years, gathering, training, an army of the dead. And so few people will know. The dead hide like wild animals being chased by the greatest predator of all. And the greatest predator is their creator. She will cut them down. She will kill them all. She will not let a single soul survive in a world full of the soulless. 

Maybe the colourless undead boy and the shadow-smoke girl will be caught in their wn plots against her.

But their first act is over. And it may never continue. It is impossible to say for now.....

~Spiral, your host, your saviour, and your killer.