“Dammit K*, I came here to rest, reminisce, and relax. This was my ceremonial circle before the Rummer blew it away. I have no fight in me today.”
“Before you practiced ceremonial magic, I placed the seal for you to do so. Before I placed the seal, I formed the terrace. Before I formed the terrace, I am.” Ke flew in large circles around me. “Now, answer me, human, now that you have nothing here, why do you continue to return?”
I said nothing, only looked up to the rotating cloud wall above me. I said nothing because I had no words to adequately express my answer. My longing.
When I lowered my head, ke charged. Faster than ever, kir sword slashed across my back. I felt flesh part and bones shatter. I jumped free of kir and deliberately shook myself as if shivering. The wound healed at once.
“Humans don’t heal like that. Are you denying your humanity again?” Kir voice was mocking.
“No, K*. Just dividing the Waking from the Dreaming.”
Ke charged me again but the brilliance of ten thousand suddenly bright feathers blinded kir. Ke struck at the middle of the lights, thinking I was using the cloak to shield me. I descended from where I had jumped above kir and slammed kir into the ground face first. Ke roared in sudden anger and threw me off kir easily.
“Why the sudden hate, K*? You went from banter to seething in seconds. You’re supposed to be balanced. Are you well?” I was concerned. The half white, half black entity was usually aloof, as if almost bored with me. Today ke was raging as the sight of me.
A black fist appeared before me. The swing struck true and I crumpled. Ke had done more than merely strike me. I could not move.
“What do you know of balance, human? You ask why I am angry at you, after I tell you why. You intentionally seek out conflict and then brag of being peaceful. You swing from timid to bluster in the space of a breath, and then dare to ask me about balance?”
Ke reaches down and takes my hand. Ke launches into flight, pulling my limp body with kir. Ke ascends into the rotating cloud mass. As the clouds embrace me, my awareness ceases.
I open my eyes to find myself alone on the terrace ground. K* is nowhere to be seen. I have no wounds nor bruises. Only a sense that time has passed and my time here is done. For now. Nodding acceptance, I pull myself to my feet and leave.