The Shadow Wars

You never understand death until you've had to look it in the eyes. It's not until you're standing in front of it, watching it eat Innocents. You feel numb.. You know that you have to do something and you know it has to be now...1

that is what I felt as my claws pierced the back of the shawdow monster. No mercy filled my gut, only numbness. You have to be numb or the lives of those killed, the stench of death and burning flesh will get to you. Everything you do must be calculated....2

No, please....3

When I kill I don't feel. I'm just there. Like a guillitine, i know not who I kill, only that they must be dead when I am through...4

I'm begging you. Not her! Please take me instead..please I swear5

Dark murky fountians sprout from the monster's body as the spells which bind it begin to loosen. You can't kill them really, you just have to break through the magic that was brewed to make it rise. I stepped back not even disgusted, just another empty shell for the clean up crew. I would return home, wash, and sleep. The same thing I did every day.6

Please!7


Not feeling anything is easy......it's the thoughts running through your mind that will kill you.8

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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!12

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I spun on my hill, unclipping my dagger from its hilt simultaneously. A long spear came at me through the half finished, now ruined, monster as my blade came true in its eye. A roar of defiance rang from its severed throat, but it was too late. It was finished. The remaining essence would return to the Master, who ever that was. I pulled my blade free and stepped away as it disipated. I gazed past my fallen enemy toward the direction of the spear. But no thrower could be found.14

Breaking off the head, I examined the edge that has been embeded into a shaft. It had been crudly fordged But fodged well none the less. I sniffed the arrow head tenatively.15

"So clean......Uncle will know."16


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I had been with Uncle since as far as my mine will allow me to remember. He was there when I regained consciousness in the hospital. Then I knew not what he was. But I preferred him to the questioning stares of the Family Court representative. Uncle was everything to me. He told me who I was, who I am and what I could become.18

"We are the sole protectors of this city against Otherworldly evils. In every region if not country a collection of NecroWarriors exist. We are what stands in the way of total havoc."19

From day one he trained me to recognize evil and spirits at every corner. He taught me to open my eyes beyond what my logic told me was true and to open my heart to what was there. With every shadow being I slew the battle tip slightly into humanity's favor, but only ever so slightly.20

"Our numbers are too few now a days. We have not the strength to go on like we used to. Fewer are being taught and ever fewer than that except their duty. BUt in our luck, Fate favors us a tad."21

According to UNcle the enemy was having trouble keeping up with numbers as well. It would be Hell's day if the evils of the Otherworld were to unite under one demon. Even as Uncle and I work ourselves to the bone , every month a new threat appeared. Yet Uncle remained optimistic.22

"You, my child, are a rare and valuable playing piece in this age old game. With a natural attraction to death. It would take several powerful demons to befudle you!" UNcle would then slap his knee and cough into his pipe. He alwasy praise my peculiar "gifts", as he called them. I'd chosen "burdens". Added senses often disrupt me from normal activities. I quit public sachool because I could always feel a presence nearing, and I would need to follow it. That is what my kind do. The Shadow Kissed. I can almost see and feel the hunger of human life as the monsters flood around a city. It is an impulse that I can't live with. I must destroy the evil or I cannot rest. It is helpful, but a burden. The Shadow Kissed are rare. We are the blood type-O's of the NecroWarriors, but way fewer. And for good reason. On occasion one is born of a SK couple, but the parents would have had to undergone a terrible ordeal. 23

Durin war time and the Hoocaust, many Shadow Kissed walked around. The spirit world had never been more peaceful. But then these Shadow Kissed fell in love with normal humans and did not wish to burden their families with the Otherworld. In fact, they shut off thier senses completely. I would like to have met those people. I would like to know how they couls sleep at night, knowing that many would die due to their neglegence. But also I would like to know as well.24

If only for a day to not feel the pressure of evil around me would be nice. But UNcle would never allow it. The one time I tried was the one time he hit me. No, he did not hit me. He beat me. Uncle, with all his strength, pushed me to the very edge of unconsicousness. It was horrible. I could see the even aura that hung ver the city through the window. I even saw as dark rings began to form on Uncle's waist. When he stopped, he left me in the middle of the room allow for several nights. I did not move. I was left prisoner to my own thought and vacant memories.25

The next day to my surprise, I awoke stronger and more alert. But still I feared his hand. So timidly I went through out my daily tasks, searching out
occerances that might need attention. Maps, articles, and strange disappearnces all compiled into one database, ready to be filtered. I didn't even hear when he came into the room. BUt as his presence became none to me I slowed. I was afraid and I could not let it stand in the air. When I turned to face him he was crying. Fat, silverpools cascaded down his wethering face.26

"I'm sorry, Tzilah. I had to....you understand?"27

If it had meant to be a question to be answered, I never found out. I had been trying to think of a way to tell him I did understand. He had pushed me to see what was a head in my future. I could leave everything I knew behind in search for the life I only knew in my nightmares. Or I could be strong and be a NecroWarrior. I never go a chance to do so. Uncle died in my arms on one battles. 28

He had been feeling...or maybe he had been feeling to little. But he stopped and dropped his weapon before the monster. I stood motioness unsure of what he was doing. Uncle turned to me and clowly closed his eyes as if in prayer. Then the creature pludge its horn straight through his spine. I was ready to kill it, but it ran away. As I held him dying in my fragile armored arms, we never took our eyes off each other. I did not cry. I just rocked him back and forth waiting. for his body to grow cold. I couldn't tell, so I burned him and went in search of his killer. I was once again alone. But now I was stronger than the two of us put together. I was ready and i was pissed.29

I bitter smile creeps onto my lips as I remember this. True, I am able to keep up the same amount of work as two of us, but fighting alone is, well lonely. I hve no one to watch my back. Eveything I do must be right or I could get hurt...or die. But all this washes away from me as I step into our humble abode.30

Even though Uncle is long ago deceased, ever now and then I find remnants of him in the apartment. If i need answers i cannot find, in his journals lies my key. Luckly the old man was organized. So as I gripped the arrow head in my hand, i searched through his files for weapon ore.31

Sure enough in a black little box named weaponry shows up. I pulled the boc don from its shelf clearing off the table. My pen and pad were ready to devour what ever info he could give me. Uncle hadn't failed me yet. I shuffled the lid off of the box and didn't even need to search.32

It had nothing. "Son of a bitch." I bit the insideon my lip softly. It was empty. No, I lied. There was a small slip of paper at its bottom. Slowly I replaced the lid and marched off to the mirror room. A large punching bag hung in the center of the empty room, waiting for me. I punched it playfuly at first, then mounted a ful body attack. Knees, hips, elbows, fists, feet, and even my head beat into the leather bag. My muscles screamed for me to continue. It felt good to work off my steem affectively. This way I couldn't hear the screams.
My fist swung into the bag one last time before I gave out, as the bag's momentum reversed I stood ready.33

"Hit me." I whispered softly as I closed my eyes. I stretching of the hide helped me brace before the blow.34

I fell back with an oof and collided into the wall behind me. I stared menacingy t the bag as it swung freely, daring me to come for another shot. "You may have won this round," I taunted as my concuscion pulled me from reality, "but I'll get the final defining blow. Just....you.....wat..ch."35


Please! I begging you. It wasn't us. I swear we would never...36

Don't let her live please!
Noooooooo!37


I always wake before they die. For some reason, my mind won't let me witness my parents' deaths. I see flames, my building burning. I can evensmell the sticky sweet fog of flesh being sindged off still living bodies. I can hear their pleads, begging who ever it is to spare us. Then it's morning and I'm alone on the floor of the room coated in my own sweat feeling as though i'd never been to sleep.38

I decided to skip the shower. One of my extra sense told me that I wouldn't be needing it that day. I pulled off my dirty clothing and dressed in my lightest wear. I made a light pack of pants, a hoodie, iodine tablets, a cantine, and energy bars. Sliding everything into my weather proof napsack I went back to the box. Ths small slip of paper angered me. I wanted more. But my heart told me to trust my instincts. And my instincts told me to get the hell out of the apartment before my only clue ran cold.39

So taking all that I had ( my dagger, the arrow head, my napsack and silver chain whip) I left the apartment and headed to my destination. Acording to the slip I was headed to the Appalacian mountains