For him, he calmed his eyes and cast away the gray clouds for their encounter. He allowed the sun to shine alongside the moon’s eye. They were eclipsed. A testament of their eternal friendship. The Fell King was once The Sun and he, The Gray, had once been The Moon. Or at the least, they had adored these lights of day and night as their very love for life.
The perfect setting to honor them and their final meeting. They had both chosen their “warrior” colors when they were children. The Fell King chose red and The Gray picked blue. They were best friends and healthy rivals, always playfully competing. The Fell King’s demonic face markings were red as a tribute. He donned a pale white garb as opposed to the usual midnight hue.
There was nothing to conceal any longer. Everything was out in the light. He put away all of his swords. His spells were not to be used. They had this agreement. Hand to hand combat was the only true form of honorable combat. To rely on one’s own. No extension. Just two forces clashing and dancing the waltz of war. They were fighters at heart. Valhalla could not contain their fires. They were both more ancient than they could remember. Pillars of yin and yang, unknowingly. The children of duality.
The Gray was the last in line of a once great collective. One that set their values on a healthy indifference. Not one of not caring, but one of not interfering…unless they had to. As the shade of gray implies, it centers in the middle of black and white’s polarity. It represents justice and neutrality. Fairness and form. His brethren were all lost in combat during the Fell King’s onslaught upon all of the kingdoms. He was the last Defender Of All and could not allow The Fell King to achieve his goals.
He loved him as his own brother, his very own twin, even. The winds had changed flavor and temperature as it blew the cloak of the red skull king. The eve’s blanket was violet as the steps of The Gray were heard approaching from a distance. The tumbleweeds echoed the deafening silence between the calm winds of unsettled dust. There he was- in a deep gray set of armour but highlighted with bright cyans. He had still remembered their red vs. blue war since childhood. Some things never change, they both thought to themselves as they had beared witness to never-ending changes throughout the ages. The Fell King was looking to end this.
The Gray felt it was neither their destiny to handle these unimportant matters. He was indifferent but not as The Fell King was. He had no action behind it. No malice. No ambition. He was desireless and at peace. The two stared at each other for a while, taking each other’s evolution in. “...It’s come to this, old friend.” The Fell King slowly nodded and he signaled to him to just bring it. Bring the fight to him. They hadn’t felt this level of excitement since either could remember.
The Gray tossed his Indifference aside and acknowledged him. The winds picked up again, this time with a spectacular intensity. The Fell King removed his cloak and let his long hair loose. He removed his armour and gauntlets, as did The Gray. They both advanced with haste as a test of strength was challenged between their grips. Neither side would give in as they rocked slightly back and forth, shifting weights. Their boots digging deep into the gravel. The numerous counters then ensued. Their martial skills of combat were unmatched and at a stalemate, it appeared.
A barrage of strikes and blows parried by the other nearly bloodied their limbs. They were smiling. Amidst chaos and imminent destruction, they could still find innocence and fun in what they did together. Even if it was fighting to the death. They felt redeemed as they exchanged all that they had. Everything that was pained and taken from them, seemed to return with a valuable meaning now. A clearer understanding as to why this all was. As to why they existed. Why anyone and anything existed. This moment, frozen in time, was Their Reason For Being.
The Fell King stopped dead in his tracks, and so did The Gray out of respect. He looked down for a moment, hiding his sadness with his hands. He looked up to him in tears and spoke. “How many rivers did it take to escape our eyes, just to remember that it all leads to the same ocean of our Soul. You’re the only one, Roderick. The only one that ever knew me fully. Not 1% was ever left out from you. I want you to know. I’m sorry you have to see this revolting monster.” The Fell King washed away his paint and showed him his face.
“It’s still me, under all of this.” The Gray was speechless. They stopped their battle as a draw. “Shalas. I love you. But, if you do End It All, I can only say I love you until then, old friend.” He loved him so much that he would not thwart his wishes. Even if it meant, allowing Oblivion at his hands. True Love is the Allowance of All, but their Balance intertwined.
The Gray saw it as Life’s karma. After all, if a mere mortal could thwart all of existence, was it really that valuable to begin with? Maybe this all did need an entire Reset. Maybe Nothingness would birth a new Infinity. One with new laws, new ways. Something other than a duality. Something different and beyond Love and Fear. Maybe this was part of the natural process. The eternal ebb and flow, and it was up to us to change it when we felt the need. Intrigued, Roderick smiled at Shalas and bid him farewell, walking towards the eclipse.
“I’ll be here waiting. Finish It, Fell King.” The sun and moon parted their ways, as did the brothers. The Black Lotus was unearthed.
He thought long and hard as to what his friend had told him.
Chapter IX, "The Gray," explores the profound encounter between the Fell King and The Gray, representing the culmination of their long-standing friendship and rivalry. The chapter delves into themes of destiny, the duality of existence, and the essence of true understanding and love. Amidst a backdrop of intense physical combat, deep emotional revelations unfold, revealing the intricate bond between these two warriors. Their confrontation symbolizes the convergence of their life paths, echoing profound philosophical questions about the nature of existence and the transformative power of true companionship and understanding.
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