Dark Crow Rising

Making Segaansallis avoid another blow, I use my right eye to stare back at Liadanann. She moves back and holds me tight still, her body shaking away all its energy. Why is she here? She should be in my left arm...

I spot the little dot missing in my left eye. The darkness of the giant's insides makes up most of my view. We're doomed. I lost our only means to fight. I need to get back to it.

Yet, my voice needs to say it again, "Liadanann..."

"Y-Yes?" she manages to get out, her sudden flinch into a hug burying my eye further.

"I can't see properly." I tell her, something clearly coming out as she wipes my eye. Never mind the pain all over my body, the fact I know it's now exposed. The dreadful feeling that was eating away at me. Grains, I can feel grains where carapace should be.

"Yes you can, yes you can!" she insists as we dodge another thrust from victory-minded Atarifuge. I make the attempt to pull off one of my usual tricks, to no avail. We can hear the sword cut another line out of us. Segaansallis cannot go on like this.

I need to get my sword back...

"You should not be in my right ey-"

"Then close it, I will be right here," she interrupts, holding me close to force the darkness onto me. Keeping that eye closed, the picture becomes near-almost the outside world. Spotting my sword, I run. Segaansallis runs with all it has as the thoughts rip through my mind.

Gnashing ahead, a squeak preludes my words, "SPEAK TO ME!"

"A-About!?"

"ANYTHING! I DON'T CARE! GIVE ME SOMETHING TO FOCUS ON OTHER THAN ALL THESE THOUGHTS!" I let off with all the force in my lungs and she yammers out the first thought that comes to mind.

"Did you mean it when you said you would never love me? That we could never work?" she asks and my body goes cold while Segaansallis moves with an athletic burn in its chest. Finding my thoughts focusing on that through a mixture of shock and appreciation for its good timing, I chitter. Chittering louder, my jaw rattles out the answer.

"Yes!" I lacone. She tightens her grip on me, undeterred by my words.

"I would give my everything for you, you know that, r-right?" she asks, whimpering as something other than this slide through the dunes shakes her. Twisting Segaansallis around, I loop the lost arm up. Atarifuge's blade smashes through it, emptying it of its dusty interior. The sword, my sword, crashes into the ground.

Liadanann yelps in fright as my head becomes a weapon. Segaansallis duels some space back and I feel her gaze snap to the walls. Those cracks were here, no doubt about that. Her silence tells me all.

But the silence I have given her since the question is unacceptable, "I do not know what you would do for me."

"N-N-Nin, please, I've already told you this... I love you. I love you so much I cannot even put it into words! All those years ago, you saved me from my torment, and you've kept me safe since then. Even when you were at your worst, I stuck by you. I stuck by you!" she reminds me, her tears slipping into the gaps of my shell.

"I know..." I speak through Segaansallis as I try to adjust to the awkward feel of a left hand using this sword. Atarifuge charges and thrusts. I am forced to put us into a spin and awkwardly present the blade at its crescent twist. Liadanann almost flies towards the front of the head.

"Then why...? You told me you made a promise. You kept making promises to me. All this time you've been trying and at the same time not!" she almost smacks out of her system. Feeling the rage that's making her throat sore, my expression mellows. The adrenaline pumping through my system retreats so my heart can pump as it would out of battle.

"Because I cannot do it. I cannot stop loving her. Lari... My good friend..." I cry, breaking down as the shadow of a girl dances across Segaansallis' vision. The thoughts begin to cry out for answers, that smile, they want to know whose smile it is. My thoughts dominate again to repeat her name. Larishazza Sl'Ayiysab. The girl who saved my life!

"Then I'll give you time. You can have all the time you need! We can make this work!" Liadanann tells me, as if that isn't what we've already tried.

"We've already..." I mutter tearfully. A face that is not red lingering on in my head.

"I DON'T CARE! I don't care... It's not just you, anyway... I know I can be better... I know I can better... Please, please don't take away this chance..." she screams, she sulks.

Lazily blocking another blow, my jaw clenches tight as her skin starts to feel coarse and rough. No, I'm not letting her in. She doesn't deserve to be there. No one does. Only Lari has earned the right to have my heart, only she has!

Recollecting my thoughts and those of the others, a warning repeats, one from the machine. Instructions on how to achieve more power, a guide to strength. I wobble my head out of Liada's grip and focus on the giant's interior. If she will do so much for me, she can do this for me too.

"PRESS THE BUTTONS OVERE THERE!" I order, shocking her out of this heartfelt trance. She does as asked without question and pushes down on it. The machine speaks to me again, telling me of what needs to be done. The lines of blood stop, their power waning with the lack of direction.

My useless right claw waves Liada about the chamber and switches slam down. The syringes become pumps and they glow brightly. She yelps at the sight and I hiss at the pain. My noises become terrible screams as some locks slide away and my body leaps at the chance to contort.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I howl, thrusting up and down as all this magic-rich blood pumps back through my system. What is mine and not good enough goes, flushing out to the crew while their best goes into me. Syringe after syringe goes quiet, a quick stamp sealing my wounds shut.

"NIN!? NIN!" Liada screams with all that love she has for me. Going still, I adjust to all this fresh magic in my system. She's so slow now. So is Atarifuge. It's all going so slowly. I'm burning. On fire.

Atarifuge's footfalls are centuries away and she might as well be a picture. One that will love me even as age takes the world. Frowning quietly, my heart beats faster and faster. The world speeds up as my body cracks with light.

"I'm sorry... You deserve someone so much better than me..." I tell her, my chair releasing me to my feet.

"I DON'T WANT ANYONE ELSE, I WANT YOU!" she screams, cautiously trailing after me as I wobble to the wall of her magic.

"Let me go." I order, and she freezes up. Her hand was already on the amulet. She whimpers, bottom lip curling up with a saddening quake. Her head shakes while her eyes still find tears to shed.

"N-No..." she begs of me. She really thinks so, huh? She really can find the patience inside of herself for someone like me? She rea-

"Goodbye, Liadanann... I'm sorry." I tell her, the lapse in her mind giving me the opening to dive out.

"NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!" chases after me as all this magic ignites in force. Atarifuge's focus shifts from the giant to me and it thrusts. My mind narrows on that great black point. Claws burst aflame with arcane light.