Criss Cross: Remnant Tails

Jarah's Vice

Jarah looked shocked.

He quickly regained his senses and narrowed his eyes at me.

"Where did you come from! You caused me my kill!" I shook my head at him. "It appears Perry could neither win your allegiance nor sway you. Very well. I'll rein you in myself. You will be useful to me in my conquest. Join me, Remnant, and I will release you from the binds your master has forced on you. I'm sure it's painful."

"Don't need another yank on my tail," I gritted out.

I stood up, my body trembling with the need to return to my other self. I looked past Jarah to her. I needed her, but I would do this without her. I had no choice.

"If you want to help then leave us alone!"

He approached me and I stood my ground. I couldn't do much else but glare at him.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Here in this time and at this place lies the key to all my dreams."

I recoiled from his touch.

The smell of burning things singed my nose. Burning things and the rot of life.

"Your dream is death," I told him without ever having to ask.

He held his hand inches away from my face frozen.

"I was born of death. I lived through death. I rose from the dead. I cannot die. Death is my life. It is not what I seek. Contrary to what you believe, I seek life."

"You seek life?" I asked.

There was something in the way he said it. I wouldn't like his answer. I was sure of it.

"You can't comprehend how ignorant you sound. There was a time when the dead loitered around every corner of this world and the Tree of Life lived proudly in the center of it. I was born from a great number of corpses burned to death and brought to life from a seed the Tree implanted in that festering rot. I awoke to my new life surrounded by death. I awaited something. Anything, but nothing ever happened.

"No. That isn't correct. I waited so long when I turned one day and saw that the Tree of Life had abandoned me. It was gone. Abandoned me. Then I was alone.

"I was buried under the many bodies that piled up in its stead, waiting. There was nothing for me but death, yet I lived on. It remained like so until my spirit shriveled and died. Until life was meaningless to me. I know what death is. So I recognized when something different came along," he looked behind me at Cross. "Life."

"One day life came in the form of Criss. The feeling that built over the unease I had always felt was what I later recognized as happiness. 'If you are still something wretched then follow me,' he told me. 'Us forsaken are out to abolish the tree.'

"He extended a strong invitation to me and I accepted it wholeheartedly. We were off to destroy the tree. Criss has now been seduced away from our noble dream by the very being that had cursed our fates. Now I have no choice but to do away with him."

I stared at Jarah.

This was much deeper than me.

"Is that so wrong? Are you saying he should just die because his change is such an awful thing? If that is true then we should all just drop dead, including you. Without Cross, hasn't your dream changed too!"

"It has," he agreed. "But it is stronger than Criss' dream. And I won't make the same mistakes. Those who stand in my way will never rise at my back. Cross taught me that very important lesson. Never let those who stand against you rise to do so again. It is why he tore me to pieces. As what will happen to you. After I deal with you, Criss will be next," he smiled.