Midnight Requiem
The cold night encased the forest in the soft grip of the nocturne, the chilling winter breeze cleansing
The moonless sky, revealing the glistening milkyway, so many stars in such a small area, creating a
cloud like texture, every star crying out to be independent from the next, more beautiful than any
mortal woman, this is the artwork of gods.
The brisk night air daunts its wisp like tendrils across my skin, the night truly alive in its own unique sense.
I stand not alone, but in ranks of silent followers, of her dark republic, torn away from the light of
day, away from the wool that blinded the ignorant towards the truth of the tyranny for their
oppressive leader, her name is unspoken of now, for so long all we knew was that the two factions we are commanded by were once sisters of day and of night.
Luna, her name is Luna, I can remember the first time she spoke to us, selecting us individually as we lay awake in our beds wondering if there was something else besides the confines of a motral life.
There was.
I was told that there would be a day when we could mould the form of an existence into a better reality for ourselves and those who opened their eyes to a greater cause… one day.
I waited nineteen years, for the voice inside my head to become an actual entity, one that would guide us towards utopia, but for things must become worse before they inspire improvement to an audience, and so dystopia would be our home until the revolution is complete.
To take this path everything I held dearest was torn from my heart by their tyrant, her name still not spoken amidst our ranks.
My comrades have all suffered from her followers, jailed, beaten, tortured, humiliated, robbed of their freedom, their aims to crush us beneath their laws and regulations, trying to prevent a rebellion amidst Luna’ followers, their hatred towards us fuelling the fire that is the new lunar republic.
Now, we stand in a clearing in the black forest, the place of legends and hushed whispers, the crisp dew collecting on the young grass spurs beneath our feet, the ominous lights in the woods are those of fireflies, dying down like a silent symphony.
Encased in a steel skin, the vicious blade in my hand but an extension of my arm, I shoot a glance to my left, the cold expression on Daniels’ face, staring daggers into the shadows across the field sends chills down my spine, but nobody can blame those like him, we have all lost everything, to the Celestial empire.
The cold fills my lungs and seeps deep into my bones, two factions, night and day, once equal, but now day rules over the night, lies, spread by the empire, to desecrate our name, thieves, miscreants, troublemakers, anarchists and the like, they say our night is the cause of all this.
It is true that some of us were these things, but for what cost? , to live , to survive, to have bread on the table, some of us were lucky if we starved, many on the verge of death, loyal to the night, we no longer have reason to fear death, for each of us are death, if our hearts stop beating, the following night, they will start beating again at midnight.
Our heart beat is our Midnight Requiem, the chorus of lost souls.
Through the mist adjourning the clearing, the fire of torches become apparent, their swords glisten in the light.
There were no warnings, no battle cries eminent, just the urge to move forward.
Like liquid starlight, the glisten of our arrows raked the sky towards the encumbered solar army.
Pained screams filled the silent night.
Daniel is one of the first to advance through the clearing, he hollers the war cry of the republic and our dark presence is known amidst any intelligible being within two kilometres.
The arrows that returned our enthusiasm were graciously alit in a flaming gel substance, torching trees and soldiers alike.
Looking back to the advancing front, a solar imperialist, not two feet away held his blade to my torso, a pained expression plastered upon his face as he drove the blade upwards into my chest.
Leaving me impaled as he continued running into the edge of the clearing.
It is an unusual feeling, being impaled, firstly, not feeling pain due to being in shock and loss of blood, but to not have a chance to fight back.
The warm hand of death lifts our spirits the next night at midnight, looking down at the blade, my bloodied hand clasped the blade at the hilt, dragging the serrated weapon out of my lung, the blade bearing the solar emblem brings pain to those who have felt it more than once.
It seems that all we do is fight.
Returning to our lines, we were forced to pursue those that got through them.
Towards the forward camp behind us.
The trail had long since seen civilisation as vines grew unguided through the trees, the only sign of people were the cuts in the trees and vines.
Those charred by arrows, were slower to move with the ranks, their charred flesh breaking away to reveal new flesh below, never dying.
Our cuts and lacerations sealing as we walk.
1000 years earlier- "But Tia, they are fickle, Each desires to be known from one another.
How can I ask them to bleed their light wider, and encase their brethren? Or to be shadowed beneath the moon's light?”.
Luna stood now, walking over to her sister and raising her chin to look out through the window.
“Look, Tia, but do more than look. See. How could I ask the night to be different than what it truly is?”
“because it’s not working, you try so desperately for them to love the night, when it is equally important for them to rest.”
“you sound like you want them to cherish the day you bring and to ignore the beauty beyond their understanding that is the night.”
“Luna, how can you try to explain something that even you don’t fully understand.”
“Oh I understand full well dear sister, but when can the people take time away from their rest to enjoy the night?”
“I honestly don’t think they can”
“one day, I will have an entire army of people who will love the night, they deserve to be the ones blessed by the night they cherish.”
“Luna, there are two things that are awake at night, workers and miscreants,
Do not confuse the two.”
“save it for your people, they are obviously more important to you than the concerns of your sister.”
The cold glow of dying fires could be seen through the trees, the camp lay lifeless.
Present- Blood, blood everywhere, but no bodies lunar or solar.
“where is everyone?” one of the soldiers behind me asked
“do you think the black banshee got to them?” a weary voice from my side asked, Daniel again
A murmering broke out among the ranks.
We’d all heard the tales and myths, a shadow like mist bearing a wailing skull and claws like razors.
“quiet down” I ushered.
“hey! Hear that?” one of the men said excitedly with a pang of dread
The battalion fell silent.
Through the thick forest, unearthly screams echoed off the trees and the still night air, like a sharp knife into stone, the screams were scratching the vocals as they came thick and loud.
“battalion, break into two teams, alpha will come with me.