Nocturne Chapter 2 (Full)

Chapter 2




Unknown Time. Feb 18th.





Azriel shifted in his sleep as a daze encroached upon whatever minor dream he may have been having. He was used to this by now. Even In his dreams he was but a prisoner. Just as every day spent had left him emptier then the last, every time he fell asleep he was taken away from his rest by something so familiar, yet so far away. A light in the mist, a random memory that burned just out of his reach. Flickering forever just out of reach it came and went as he tried to reach out and grab it. How long had it been since he had remembered anything of his life before this? What he would give just to know the truth. He felt like he was drowning beneath the waves of this vast emptiness. A soulless ocean that existed beyond human reasoning. Silence echoed around him, not even the ebb and flow of the depths reached his ears. His breath, crushed from his body as he gasped for breath. His eyes burned and he could feel the weight of chains wrapping themselves around him. Rising from the depths to coil and restrict him from reaching further. Binds in which he felt he would never escape. The light faded farther and farther as he sank. Unable to cast the chains aside and regain control. He finally stopped fighting. Every time he slept it was always the same. And every time he had fought with everything in him trying to break free. But now he was sick of fighting. If there was anything left worth fighting for, He didn’t know what it was. He relaxed and felt his body give in to the weight. He closed his eyes and waited for everything to end. He opened them just once more to just look out at that pinpoint of light that was so far away now that he knew he’d never reach. A final goodbye of sorts. If only he could die in this dream, maybe it would take him from the world of his waking. Maybe he could finally find his peace. The water, or whatever it was, invaded his lungs, he choked as everything began to grow dim. He smiled. This is what he wanted. This is where he could rest.



It seemed like he’d been drifting for a long time. Suspended in this tranquil place. Why had he fought so hard against this? He could feel the calmness of death surrounding him. The tranquility of the unknown known weighing heavily upon his soul. Sheol at last. But just then he felt his body begin to shake violently as the atmosphere suddenly shifted. His body became cold in an instant, He felt crystals of ice beginning to cling to his skin. Like tendrils they formed and wrapped their way up his limbs and into his mouth and filled his insides, so cold that he felt as if he were burning from their touch. He opened his eyes to the blackness around him. Nothing but the crystalline glass encompassing him welcomed his presence. The pain again began to overtake him as his organs froze and burst from within. His blood ran cold and his muscles stiff. He struggled to move in an effort to keep himself from this feeling of helplessness. A presence surged in his mind and distracted him momentarily from the pain. He could see a faint image as it moved out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to face it but the ice wall surrounding him shifted and reflected his own image over and over again. He felt the agony returning to him as he became painfully aware that he would find no rest here. Even the embrace of death was too far out of his reach now. He tried to roll and break free from his bonds only to come face to face with a thousand eyes staring back at him through crystal. But they were not his own. Piercing and blue, they burned into him just as much as the ice around him. A deep sorrow raged through him as if he were feeling not his own emotions, but the emotions of whoever was looking in on him. “Help me” a voice pleaded from somewhere distant. His heart rose in his chest as something inside him began to stir. He felt his arm begin to burn with a familiar power. One he had thought long taken away. He closed his eyes and let it overtake him. His body surged and ignited. The ice that held him melted away in an instant. His shackles disintegrated away as he roared out. His body began to burn with a white hot aura that emanated from within him. He again saw the shape moving within the darkness. He wheeled on it and reached out as a bright light overtook him.


“Ack!” a female voice cried out as his vision began to return. He quickly realized that he was awake, In his home, and holding a very surprised and angry Lexia by the throat. He instantly released her as she fell backwards and landed on the floor. She leapt back up and cocked a brow. “Remind me never to try to wake you up again…” She rubbed at her throat as she made some distance between them. Azriel felt anguished by the look on her face but hid it well below the surface. “What are you doing here?” He asked nonchalantly while he yawned and looked around to make sure nothing of his was altered in any way. She glared at him a bit before relaxing. “Why are you here? Is that really all you can say to me after nearly choking me to death? No… Hey wow it’s Lexia come to save me from my pitiful life here on mars would you care for a muffin? Or a spot of tea? Or how bout just a simple I’m sorry I tried to kill you. Yeah… that might be nice.” She stared for a moment as if she was actually waiting for him to say one of those things. He ended up ignoring her as he rose and walked over towards a mirror and dressed himself in a dark red sweater and black coat. He glanced in the mirror to see her still staring at him. “Let me rephrase then if you have a problem with my question. Why do you grace me with your presence this wonderful evening oh beautiful mistress?” She beamed and put her hands on her hips before replying “That’s more like it Azry!” She narrowly had time to duck as a blast of white flames flew past her head hitting the stone wall in a shower of burning blue embers. She glared at Azriel who looked less then amused. She decided not to push him further. She knew that he had intended for her to dodge the blast but the fact that he had actually used it made it clear that he wasn’t in the mood. “Anyways, I was wondering something… About this morning…” He knew what she wanted to know but he just couldn’t open up. He felt like he should trust her but also knew what was held over his head and the dangers of doing so. He just couldn’t afford to trust anyone, Let alone her. “What about it?” He asked as she walked over and inspected the large scorched mark on the stone wall. “Well, I was just curious… I looked into the pervy father guy and yeah… You were right. He’s dead. But just what was your involvement in this? I know why you killed the son, I do understand that part. But why let the dad live? And if you didn’t….” He turned to face her. He approached slowly until he was standing over her. She looked up at him without fear. “I already told you I didn’t kill him. He made his own choice. As you no doubt heard, he hung himself from a ceiling fan. That was his choice. If you’re wondering the why? It’s simple. He not once talked about the girl that they had tortured and killed. No remorse, no guilt for the life that was taken away. Only the loss of his son… So I gave him something to think about.” She actually gaped at that. “What is your problem?! So you made a man hang himself just because he didn’t feel guilty enough?” His features remained calm but she could hear the anger in his voice. “What Lexia? What should I have done? Should I have just taken it into my own hands and bashed his head into the metal toilet until he could taste his own brains leaking from his skull before I let him die? Would that have been more appropriate? Or what? Should I have just let him go to kill off someone else because he couldn‘t deal with the stress that he put upon himself? Just what the hell was I supposed to do? From my standpoint, I did what I felt was right, and if you have a problem with that miss high-and-mighty then just go. Hopefully you‘ll do us both a favor and end up stuck within a brick wall this time.” He didn’t really know why he was snapping at her. In truth he had no idea why he had done the things he had in the first place. He just felt like it was the right thing to do. He looked down at the floor and walked towards the window as Lexia’s face shifted back from shocked to disgusted. “Seriously… Do you have to be so damned morbid?” He actually laughed at that. Turning, he looked back at her. “Figured it was the easiest way to get it into that thick skull of yours. Plus I know it’s engraved in there so for future visits so I can bring it up at will and watch you squirm.” She tensed a bit before shaking her head and turning towards the door. “Well, I guess we’ll see who ends up squirming huh? Anyways I have a reaver to kill and you have your…. Well, whatever it is you do…” She turned to look at him once more before shimmering and disappearing from his home. Azriel relaxed a bit as he walked over and stretched back out across his couch. The TV came on with it’s volume blaring in his ears. He glanced up to see a bunch of puppets dancing while singing the ABC’s. He tried to reach out with his mind to turn the television off which worked about as well as he had expected since Lexia was manipulating the energy to keep it on. He on the other hand, had a better solution. Picking up the remote he hurled it straight through the screen which exploded in a shower of sparks. He could almost swear he heard one of the puppets scream even though he knew it didn’t. Although the thought still made him happy. Reaching out with his mind he waited for Lexia’s powers to fade from the area. When he was certain he was alone he walked over to the window and looked out across the ocean. The moon shone bright in the night sky and there was a chill in the air that made him feel more alert, and yet more weary of another night alone. He looked out towards the horizon and wondered to himself who it was that had called to him. Was it just his imagination? Or a sign? He tried to just call it for what it was. A dream. But somehow… He felt like there was something more. Even now he could feel something out there beyond the waves reaching to him. For how ever many years now he had spent his life alone, without memory of his past. Maybe, just maybe, this could be the key to finding it all out. If only he knew what to do. What was to come.


Azriel sat alone, searching for anything he could pull from his mind that could be of some use in regaining even a single memory to go off of. The hours drifted by and soon it was night once again. Azriel spent most nights walking along the shoreline, Every now and again he could feel Lexia somewhere close by but made no attempts to contact her. He wondered whether she was watching because she was concerned about him or if she was more afraid of what he was capable of. She had been his lifeline too long and he knew that the roles that destiny must have in store may just hurt them more in the end and so he kept her at arms length no matter how badly at times it pained to do so. In the end, all he really had in this world was the sound of the waves forever crashing against the shore and the daze of a memory that was just out of his grasp. He knew it was all there just slightly out of reach. He knew that in his heart… if he had such a thing, that he knew who he was and at this moment that was all that mattered. Even if the world fell down around him. Which somewhere in his mind he knew that he secretly wished that it just might. Each night he would find himself here, staring calmly out into the horizon, His own personal abyss. A timeless example of destiny flowing swiftly back and forth through the reaches of time. Unknowingly vacant and yet filled with life. So many stories untold underneath the surface. He knew that this was how it was going to be. He had no happy ending, no future, no past. Wearily he returned to his home to rest, uneasy at what dreams may come to light this time. As he laid back and closed his eyes he said a prayer to himself that maybe he could finally find peace. When the dreams finally came he found himself beneath the waves once again, the light of the surface fading to black as he felt himself being pulled down into the depths. He made no effort to fight. Perhaps somewhere within this vast darkness he would find what he had been looking for all along. Perhaps the reason he was drawn here so often was so that he could find himself in the only place he had ever felt at home. No more fighting. And yet as the darkness engulfed him he knew that this time he wouldn’t be caught unaware. He watched every angle as he could feel the cold drifting in. Tiny shimmers of crystal reflected around him as the water began to turn to ice. He could hear the clanking of chains rising from the depths to meet him. Feel them brush past his ankle as they worked their way around, soon to embrace him in their hold. But as they approached Azriel pulled within himself and ignited his power. He knew that he couldn’t use his fire in this state but he could at the very least emit enough heat to keep the ice at bay. Nonetheless, the chains wrapped themselves around him, burning into his flesh as they heated from his own being. The pain of the chains was almost unbearable but not enough to make him give in. He was not about to give up if this was how it had to be. He would hold onto his life, even in searching for death. Shadows began to circle him although he couldn’t make any of them out or even venture a guess into what they were. And then one of them rushed towards him moving faster then his eyes could trace. He felt what he could only describe as a hand brush his face before a light engulfed him. The environment changed, He could feel the wind whipping around him and found his bindings gone. He fell to his knees with what he felt to be earth firmly underneath choking and convulsing trying to rid himself of the water that still sloshed about in his lungs. Azriel felt lost, This dream was different then anything he had experienced before. He could feel unrest within his body, could feel his own emotions tearing through him and yet they somehow felt so far away. He began to feel the wind shift around him. Could see the outline of trees although everything seemed like it was covered in a heavy fog. He heard voices in this darkness, some that sounded like his own and yet were not and then… the screaming began. He felt his muscles tense up and was suddenly knocked backwards landing hard against what he could only assume was the shaft of a tree’s trunk. He was being attacked. He felt each blow and the intense pain that accompanied it. Dream or not he felt as if he was going to be torn apart. He tried to pull his strength but he was no longer in control of his movements, tried to pull himself awake from the pain that seemed so real. Time was rushing by so fast that he couldn’t keep track of whether it was seconds or minutes going by. He felt helpless within his own skin. He continuously struck out against his unknown enemies but was not in control of these actions. It was as if he was just a puppet and someone else had control of the strings but yet an energy burned inside him that seemed all too familiar. Before he knew what was happening he was in the air and for moments it seemed like time had stood still. And just as he drew breath pure white energy erupted all around him, Blinding him and forcing him to shield his eyes in fear that they would burn out of their sockets. In an instant it was over. The screaming stopped and everything went quiet again. Azriel dared not open his eyes in fear of being blinded by the immense amount of power that had manifested. His arms began to burn as if he had acid flowing through his veins. And just as quickly as the pain had come so too it was gone. Bringing back the darkness and the silence of whatever corner of his mind he now existed within. But he knew he was not alone here. He could feel himself being watched. Shadows ran throughout the trees and the snapping of twigs could be heard all around him. But he just didn’t want to move. Every night… Was he truly bound to suffer from within his own mind? What was the purpose? What was his brain trying to convey? Was this the memory that he had spent so long reaching for or something else completely? He came awake within his room, Alone, as always… Or at least that’s what he thought until he realized that a powerful presence made itself clear in the shadows.

“Dreams are funny things aren’t they Azriel?” A voice erupted from the silence. Azriel reeled on the voice and sent a blast from within him which quickly exploded into a shower of light as if deflected by some unseen powerful force. The “man” standing in the corner of the room simply shook his head and brushed away a stray ember before continuing. “Dreams are said to relay what is really in our hearts, but alas not for you as you don’t have a heart now do you?” Azriel felt every muscle in his body tense as he tried to hold back the urge to attack the mysterious figure in front of him. Dressed in a long black overcoat with silver buttons underneath he could see a very expensive looking black silk shirt, but the thing that really held his attention was the necklace the man wore. An unearthly silver chain adorned his neck from which hung at least ten jet black vial shaped stones. the man had short spiked black hair and a small black goatee. It wasn’t until the man looked directly at Azriel that he realized what exactly he was. A Reaver. While common knowledge was that these “Grim Reapers” were guides to the afterlife and those whom helped souls cross over, Reavers were their moral opposite, Beings that took only the blackest of souls for transport and if a soul was powerful enough the reaver would instead feed off of the life energy of it’s victim. But why would a reaver come here? Lexia’s supposed mission came to mind as he turned to face the newcomer.


“So, You must be the reaver Lexia was sent in to take care of huh?” He simply stared at Azriel for what seemed like forever. His crimson eyes didn’t so much as blink before he spoke again. “Lexia? Hmm… Can’t say that I know, I mean, I know of her per-say as we also have our moments of clarity contrary to your beliefs but as for her “taking care of me” as you so eloquently put it? I have not the slightest. Although she would make a much better match then the last few ingrates that strayed into my path.” For reasons Azriel couldn’t pinpoint, he actually liked this creature in front of him although he knew that it’s presence was going to be far from pleasant or perhaps he was truly losing his mind and just needed a conversation more then he had realized, but nonetheless, he’d play along for now. God only knew how much he needed the amusement. “So then Mr. Reaver sir, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? And as for your talk of killing the ones before you… I mean, not to insult you but I have never heard of your kind being very well…. Equipped to fight let alone survive a run in with one of us.” He simply smiled and walked over and sat down upon Azriel’s makeshift couch. “No offense taken at all albeit being condescending isn‘t quite the most attractive trait on you nor anyone for that matter aside from yours truly, but I agree wholeheartedly. We were all created for a purpose and reavers are not known for their prowess for conflict or much else for the matter although I do question your brazen attempt to say that I couldn’t survive a run in with one of you. In fact, that was not the case at all. In fact three of “you” attacked me at once. Which reminds me actually, what happened with nobility? Where is the one on one take your turn and face your foe honor that once existed upon this blue speck you call a world? I got stabbed in the back for fuck’s sake! Kind of painful if I do say so myself. So where is all your moral superiority on that one or are you too far dismissed to commune with your brothers in arms? That is the real question.” Azriel wanted to laugh but a part of him felt that it could have been the truth. As it was he was, in fact, standing in front of him at the moment and not a pile of ashes. “Well, then, Why are you still alive then? You yourself said that you weren’t made for fighting.” The corner of his mouth quirked up at that. “Did I? Well, Then I guess that just makes me special. But enough of this banter shall we just pull out the rulers now, measure up, and call it even? My name is Cypher by the way or are introductions as well as common courtesy lost in this day and age?” Azriel created a fireball within his palm as he took a step forward. “Well, I figured that since you already knew mine that I had no need and I didn’t feel like I needed yours because you aren’t going to live through this visit.” Cypher flashed back to the corner of the room and leaned against the stone wall. “Ah, I like your style. It’s always nice to see someone with fire and no I wasn’t referring to your hand. You’re more then welcome to burn me to a crisp if you can but I must ask, Why bother? What reason do you have to harm me other then the fact that some natural directive imbedded in you tells you it’s the right thing to do even though you were the one thrown away by the very ones you still seem to follow?” Azriel felt an unknown pain ping within him but knew that this creature was simply feeding off him and trying to get his own agenda across. “Don’t think you know me…”
Cypher actually laughed at that. “Know you? Yes, you are the one to give lectures about what I do and do not know. How is that for someone who knows not who he is or even if he has a heart for that matter to be so damn dense. I know more about you then you do and I also know that with what I do know about you it could possibly be enough for you to fill in the rest of the blanks. But yet I have a feeling that you may be a bit too…confused to count the dots much less connect them so I figured that we would ease into it slowly.” Azriel knew it was a trap, there was no way that this creature could actually be telling the truth… And if he were to find it he knew that it wouldn’t be through the help of some monster playing games. He threw out his hand and felt the white hot flames erupt from within him but just as they would have hit the creature an ethereal form of a young woman appeared between them. Her features twisted in pain and agony and before Azriel could react the fireball intended for Cypher struck her form and it burst into multicolored light and burned away. The embers slowly fading from sight. It was then that Azriel realized why his first blast hadn’t worked either. “You’re using human souls for shields? That‘s pretty pathetic even for one of you.” Cypher removed himself from the wall and cocked his head. “Well, if you want to put it that way then yes, I am using the souls I have stored as barriers in case some hothead decided to start shooting at me while I’m trying to have a civil conversation. Secondly, If I must appease your overbearing sense of morality. That young woman was a suicide and we both know what happens to them so instead of burning for an eternity in the abyss this world calls hell, You made that burning much, much quicker and I’m sure that if granted she would be happy to have that mercy….Well, in one of those emo I’m so happy I could cut my wrists kind of ways I suppose but it’s mercy nonetheless. And finally, You have no idea how hard it is to find clothing of this quality and believe me I know as this outfit was made for me and believe me these materials are not easy to come by, I could have him tell you himself but that would run the risk of you burning up another of my supplies and if that keeps up then I’ll have to go out and refill my quota and that’s not good for anyone now is it?” Azriel took in this “man” more closely now. Something just wasn’t quite right about him. He sensed the reaper blade retracted within his sleeve, He now recognized the stones of the necklace to be the vessels in which the reaver held it’s prey as two of the crystals were now clear instead of the jet black they had once been. He also noted now a sword strapped into the back of the man’s jacket, an Ark Sword that he knew that he had once seen before long ago and yet could not place. Cypher smiled as he watched Azriel study the sword along his back. “May I ask what is the matter? You seem to be a bit too interested in my… Arsenal and that I must say makes me a at bit uncomfortable since I tend to not swing that way.” Azriel was done with these games. “Your sword, You’re not a reaver. What the hell are you and why are you here?” Cypher stood forward. “I don’t recall ever telling you what I was, you came to that conclusion all on your own. I’m not at fault for your assumptions. As for the sword that you are staring at, yes, it is an Ark Sword. One of the last in existence to be correct. Perhaps now you can understand what that means and why the others before you were unable to subdue me. As for how I came into possession of it is not of import to you. As even if I told you you wouldn’t be able to grasp the whole scheme of it. And even if you could then I would have the issue of you again trying to skewer or flambé me so let’s just not go to the trouble at this time. ” Azriel detracted his own scythe blades from his sleeves and held them outstretched in Cypher’s direction. “So, Again, what are you doing here? You want to see honor from one of us? You’re looking for an honorable fight? Then I shall give you an honorable death.” Cypher rubbed at his eyes as he shook his head. “I’m not here to fight you Azriel, as I am sure you are aware it would be my natural prerogative to try to sway you to my side but in fact I am quite aware that it won’t happen with your present state of mind. What is it that compels you to attack me so? Have I done anything to warrant such hostilities? You know perhaps I just like the color red more then gold. Seriously, the teenagers around here must love you. I prefer to stay out of the spotlight myself. My actual reason for being here has more to do with these dreams you are having. Call it a curiosity on my part.” Azriel retracted his blades and they slid back up his sleeves into his lining. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Oh come now I wasn’t born yesterday Azriel, I know what happens to those who lose their way. And like I said, It’s my natural sense to try to persuade you and as it is now you’re still clinging to a blind host. I’ll give you the chance for a deal then. I’ll help you with your memory.” Azriel narrowed his eyes. “And what’s in it for you?” Cypher smiled and walked in close. “You don’t seem to understand what I’m trying to tell you so let me say it in a way you might be able to understand. If you can get your memory back you will know the truth of what happened to you and I have a feeling that you will see things a bit… shall I say, differently.” “And if I don’t see things your way?” “Well then, I suppose that if that is truly the case and somehow I doubt that then you will still have your memory which works for you and then we’ll see about this fight with me that you so seem to crave. You see? I may be a devil but I do have my morals as well. As for what I get out of it if you don’t see things my way? Well, I do have a few openings left in my necklace thanks to you so do as you may. You may fight me right here, right now if you would like, But that would go against my judgment. I would much rather you actually have the knowledge, the ability to know where you stand before I take any sort of action against you. The others who attacked me did just so, they actually took a stand for their beliefs and they died for those beliefs although that is the only nicety you‘ll hear me say of them. I have no reason to fight you Azriel as you don’t truly know which side you’re on even if you think that you do. Once you do know, Then we’ll talk further about my demise if that is truly the way you want to see it. Until then, I am offering you a choice. If you refuse then I will simply leave and you won’t ever see me again. I leave it up to you. What do you say Azriel?” Azriel couldn’t trust him, He knew what Cypher was and no matter what he was offering it wouldn’t be as simple as he made it sound. Every part of him told him to say no and let the reaver or whatever he was on his way. It wasn’t his problem anymore. Lexia would deal with him when the time came. But he also needed this, as was said, he wasn’t on either side and if even some clarity could be given then what more could he ask for? “Let me think it over.” Cypher paused, as if thinking, his crimson eyes grew dark and haunted. “Look, I’m not asking for much, I have stated the rules and personally I’m on kind of a tight schedule so this is… Actually, I think that I will give you that time to think as it seems we’re expecting some company.


All of the sudden there was an explosion of glass as the windows of the room shattered and everything within was violently thrown out to the corners of the room. Every light shattered with the energy that flowed around them. Cypher himself staggered backwards and caught hold of one of the pillars to keep his footing. Azriel felt a powerful presence enter swiftly. Azriel turned to face golden eyes shining out of the dark just before he was struck hard beneath the ribs and thrown violently against the wall. Pain exploded in his side as he realized that he had been stabbed. His vision started to blur as he pulled his head away from the floor to see Cypher summoning every soul he had to his side. His strength fading he tried to pull himself up but was unable to do so. And just as he slipped from consciousness he saw Lexia move forward to strike.