Soul

Prologue

Wanderers In The Outer Darkness

The Sengoku Jidai was not named for nothing. For a hundred years, clans and families lived out their lives on the edges of their swords – men, women, children. The names of great legends were born in those days, and died in those days...but like all things, they could not last forever.

The wars ended as they began; suddenly, without warning, with blood and glory and silence and heroism and death and love and silence and pain and silence and...in the end...silence. Quiet. Falling over the battlefields, falling over the warriors, falling over dead and living souls alike. Falling over the world.

At the edge of the shadow, two souls stood reaching out as they had done since the beginning of time – warriors, in love.

I wanted it...to be different this time. I wanted – to know before the end! I wanted -

The younger - brighter, softer, sadder, reaches one spear forward. A flare leaps outward with a pulse like a beating heart.

I know. But there's always next time – always. Next time.

The older - darker, grimmer, still more hopeful, sends the lightning light of the Dragon's Claws out to touch that reaching spear.

And then darkness; night, overwhelming but not eternal.