The Repeat

The rain was falling harder now as the sheep went about their business. He was no sheep he was a wolf, a soulless killer. One on whom time had no effect nor would it bring forgiveness. Kane lent back on the rough exterior of the bank. A tall grey colossus which matched his view on the world. Rain dribbled from his worn and wide brimmed hat, running freely down his long duster coat he looked like something from a forgotten time. Kane scarcely registered the wet, along with most feelings. They had left him long ago. He looked out of place, out of time in this bustling city. Although he stood out from the passers by all seemed to avoid seeing him. As he took a final drag on his cigarette awkwardly with his mangled hand, the missing fingers still felt alien even after so many years. His eyes lifted to the dark and oppressive sky and he gave a long sigh. Flicking his butt into the pooling street his free hand reached into his coat, the feel of cold metal sent a shiver through him. It always did especially before the killing. Turning Kane strode to the stone steps of the bank, a glance up showed “WESTCOAST INCORPORATED” hanging above the old weathered iron wood doors. It was one of the oldest buildings still standing in the city. Kane remembered the building of the bank and the opening, blood had flowed on that day too. Gently pushing the door open he stepped into the eerily quiet of the bank. It wasn’t the first time he thought it felt like a mausoleum. His nose flared at the fresh metallic smell of blood. Kane released another long sigh, he would kill them for this. He didn’t relish the killing but it seemed to be his purpose. The silence was broken now as distant footsteps tapped out a rhythm on the marble floor, the voices were a mix of sobs and harsh whispers.

 Slowly, almost robotically he shook off and hung his dripping coat and hat on the coat hook, then with a final sigh he stepped from the atrium. The feet were running now, thundering all around, echoing with guns being readied and masked faces barking at him. The swelling noise all around threatening to consume his calm.

“Get down on the floor!”

“What’s that?”

“He has a sword”

“What the hell?”

Kane drew his blade, its cold simple bone hilt worn and yellowed from countless years of war felt like home to his callused hand. But there was no war. No great foe. There was nothing left in this world for an immortal warrior. The sobs became screams as he drew his sword and the first shot rang out echoing through the great stone tomb bringing silent gasps. Kane paused mid stride as he looked at the new hole in his shirt, no blood. It had been so long, he searched his mind for the memory of pain. His wife’s face. He found.it. Pain that could never be eased. He thought of how he killed her. Pain became rage, red hot and impossible to contain.. He held it no longer.

Now panting with sweat holding his ruined shirt to his solid frame, hard as stone to the gentle hand that brought him back to the now.

“Who was she?”

Blue eyes seemed to peer into his soul. The thought incited a chuckle and the hand withdrew but the eyes still beckoned the answers forwards. Kane tried to speak but his voice was gone. How many years had it been since he spoken? Kane spoke, his voice akin to gravel.

“My wife, I killed her. For this.”

Kane pulled himself away before the blue eyes could penetrate him farther it wasn’t lost on him the irony of going against five armed men with a sword and being wounded by the cold blue eyes of a stranger.

Kane shoved past the police as they entered the bank donning his coat and hat as he exited. The officers fell over themselves to get out of his way. They all knew about him and while they didn’t always like the mess he left they couldn’t deny his effectiveness. Easier to let him be, they all had been briefed on the immortal that lived in the city. A fortunate few hand been saved by his sword, though even they feared him.

Kane returned to his refuge. Not a castle, hotel or grand mansion. But a grave yard, not any grave yard. This was his, grown around the empty grave of his wife and filled with his friends. Though it had been years since he had called someone friend. As he slumped down onto the wet grass the nightmares came at him. Like evil foes he could no more vanquish than the demon that gifted him with this existence.

The years didn’t matter when you lived forever. But the world did, it had been simpler and so much quieter. Kane longed for those days. Well that was before the wars started.

Kane thought back to his village the small farm he had out the back of his simple home where he grew potatoes. The one room wooden structure with a small stone hearth that made the burning heart of his world. Julia would be busy making dinner for him, her smile would melt his heart. The walls were decorated with skins of animals he had hunted or trapped. It was perfect, they wanted for nothing.

But that wasn’t true and it broke Kane again to face the truth. He could tell himself he was young and didn’t know better, but he would be lying. He had a hunger that food couldn’t satisfy and a simple life just starved him further. He wanted adventure and so when he heard tales of war and great battles a new desire began to grow. That summer his dream came true, the high Lord of the land. Someone Kane had never met, never even thought of. The only connection Kane’s village had with the high lord was when his soul collectors came through. They would select the chosen ones and take them to the capital. No one knew exactly what happened to them and rumors included everything from death in dark rituals to eternal life. Kane had given it little thought. It was just part of life in the village. All thoughts of the Soul collectors left Kanes mind as he watched the five thousand soldiers march in perfect step into his village. Their armor dark as night with embossed decorations of bloody battle. His heart quickened and then exploded with excitement.

“There is a Tyrant coming from the east. He brings his strange beliefs and threatens our

Way of life. But I need more brave men to face him.”

His lords voice was strong and powerful, booming out for all to hear. Until it turned soft and his brilliant blue eyes met Kane’s, and softly he said.

“Will you join me?”

It was as if his lord spoke only to him. Kane was nodding already eager to prove himself. Rushing home he told Julia the news and was forced to take steps back by her reaction. She quickly hit all the emotions Kane could have thought possible. Shock at his rash decision, anger that he didn’t talk with her first, fear she could loose him and this one grow into terror. Kane couldn’t understand and left her with anger this was more important and he was doing it for her safety.

The battle was not what he had expected. He had been given simple armor and a spear, really just a pointy stick and was sent to face an unimaginable force. This tyrant army seemed to be ten times the size of his own and filled with holy men and song. Briefly before the dying Kane noted the oddity that his lord had a dark army that was silent and the tyrant had an army of bright color and song, they were so different a flash hit him that the other army seemed nicer somehow. But all too soon it was over.

Kane lay in the mud bleeding next to the man he had run through with his spear. His side was ruined, a riot of pain where his foe struck him with an axe.

“Why would you fight for such a beast?”

Kane stared at the dying man. His mouth hung limp. He was going to ask this question, but it was already too late his foe, perhaps partner in a great game was dead.

The battle had been chaos, wild and untamed like a winters storm. No green fields of battle, no brothers in arms. Just mud, pain and men dying. Kane was one of the few to survive though he may have thought he was dead. Even wished for it, not like now but still he had wished. Death didn’t come nor answer his call but another did. His face burned into Kanes memory. The hook nose and almost cat like blue eyes.

“You look like you need a hand friend”

The demons voice was like honey but far too sweet to stomach. With a chuckle and a click of his fingers Kane found himself sitting upon a high mountain top. Sun burning down on him, the cold wet mud gone. Kane gasped at the beauty of his home as his eyes drew to the encroaching fires.

“He is getting closer you know; He will burn it all for the fun. If only you weren’t hurt. Maybe you could do something about it.”

As the sweet words turned to ash Kane felt the Pain again. Looking to his bloody side he screamed as his hands frantically tried to put the pieces back. The enemy’s axe had been vicious, Kane had finished him but time would end Kane, unless.

“I can help you know, fix you up and make you stronger than anyone before you. Not forever. You understand. Just till you get revenge or I will allow forgives if its possible for one like you.”

Kane screamed again, a great roar that threatened to bring down the mountain.

“Quiet while I speak”

The demon laid one finger on Kane and the pain was gone. Blinking though tears Kane met the vicious, calculating eyes.

“There will always be a price, take me for a fool?”

“Why yes you are a fool Kane and yes there is a price.”

Quick like a predator the creature lunged as it drew back Kane saw blood on its face and looking down saw the mangled remains of his left hand. His pinky and ring finger gone, with a loud swallow the demon looked back.

“Sorry, slightly hungry. Now do you wish the power to crush all those before you. Power only lent not given. For if you gain revenge or forgiveness the power shall be gone and the price returned.”

Kane still stared at his bloody hand no pain, it was a strange sensation he flexed his hand as he looked up contemplating.

“The price?”

“Why I thought that was obvious, flesh is my price.”

Kane stared as he tried to understand. Would the monster take more of him, could he find revenge on the tyrant with a missing arm or worse? He probed the wound in his side, he would probably die and the demon said what it took would be returned.

“Aye, I give you my flesh beast.”

Kane raised his ruined hand as he spoke meeting the eyes of a trickster but blind to them.

“ Why thank you Kane”

Again the demon spoke with honey in its words. That is all Kane heard before he found himself alone on the mountain with no way home. It took Kane more than four weeks of travel and hunger to reach his home and by his count he should have died at least twice probably three times based on the little he had been able to eat on the journey. He didn’t die. But a part of him did when he reached his home or what was left of it. The tyrant had not squandered his time after defeating the High Lord. The land was blackened and burnt as was Kanes home. Reduced to a pile of ashes that seemed to suddenly blind Kane with the beauty that had once stood there. Worse yet Julia was nowhere to be found, not even her body. Kane spent the next five years hunting the tyrant. Carving a bloody path through his men. One man who stood against an army and in a final bloody showdown he killed the tyrant screaming to be told what had happened to Julia. But he never found Julia and this was when he saw the trickster that he had made a deal with no simple demon. Julia was the flesh the demon took and the revenge was to be sought on the demon or forgiveness from his wife who he dammed to hell for power. In the aftermath of his destruction he saw the truth, the tyrant was no monster he had attacked in retaliation to the High lord who had been sacrificing people from his village to demons. What is worse the Tyrant hadn’t been a bad ruler, he was fair and would have brought peace. Instead he had been killed by a fool. This fool now stood at the head of the empire and failed for a second time. Stepping down from the role he left a power vacuum which sent the Kingdom into the hundred year war for power, while Kane simply sat in the ashes of his old home on the empty grave of his wife lost to him forever.

Kane scarcely slept these days, he didn’t need It. His body wouldn’t grow tired or weak if he didn’t eat. But the gaping hole in his heart destroyed him every night. After the first hundred years of rage self-pity and drinking he finally vowed to seek forgiveness as he knew the demon would not face him again. So he remained in what was once his kingdom dishing out justice as he saw it, the bogey man for all wrong doers. That was until he met the blue-eyed woman.

You see the blue eyes in the bank were not there by accident. She had put herself in his path and would offer another deal and the temptation of forgiveness.

Kane felt her presence in spite of her silent steps as she approached.

“Leave me in peace”

He growled at the intruder, faintly considering he had spoken more today than in the last

twenty years.

The interloper didn’t retreat but came closer and in a melodic gentle voice said.

“Don’t fear Kane I mean you no harm”

At first he didn’t recognize the voice from the bank to consumed in annoyance at the

intrusion.

“Ha fear. Clearly you are in the wrong graveyard. You should be the one to fear.”

The gentle chuckle helped to loosen his long silent voice.

“I come with an offer for you.”

Kindra hadn’t even finished speaking when Kane leapt to his feet steel singing through the air pausing at her throat as his eyes opened and his gaze fell on his target.

“You! Are you my old foe? I will take my revenge?”

She didn’t falter as she held his gaze.

“ I am here to offer you revenge or perhaps a chance at forgiveness. Which ever suits you, but I require your help with an old foe in a modern time. There is a tyrant for you to vanquish again.”

Kane pressed the point & his sword to her pale skin drawing the slightest drop of blood as he bore into her.

“You think I would repeat my past mistakes!”

His voice was a fierce growl now as the anger and hatred for his old foe rose.

“ My offer is a release I can give you a chance at revenge on the demon or the chance to ask Julia for forgiveness..”

His eyes softened at her name. Kindra saw the falter and felt the lost soul that was within him. She pushed forward.

“Do this for me Kane and just perhaps save your own soul.”

The sword withdrew. Kane stood in silence. If asked Kane would have struggled to list let alone understand all the feelings that rose in him. He had been aware that for a long time he had considered herself unworthy. He had killed his wife for pride and power nothing more and deep down he still remembered the fact that he hadn’t even considered her when he made the deal. He had taken her for granted and at times even resented her for she represented the dull life that he tried to escape and now longed for with every ounce of his being.

“Take me to this tyrant.”

Kane sheathed his sword and walked to the gates of the cemetery feline eyes following him as Kindra smiled at the back of her old immortal warrior she had cursed all those years ago.