The HaRT Knight Decaverse

Correspondence from the Afterlife

Letter 13

Monk's Wood Haven. My Final Farewell.

Dearest A.,

I am compelled to admit that the moment to accept our inevitable separation is upon us. Regrettably, this correspondence shall mark the terminus of our exchanges. Presently, I find myself in the solitary embrace of the Monk's Wood. In anticipation of the impending ordeal, I dispatched Ezra on a hunting expedition, thus ensuring his absence during the foreseen upheaval. Alas, the misgivings I shared with you in my preceding letter materialized with stark verity. The assemblage of Ravenmen, those ominous figures, returned with unnerving swiftness and cunning. Their resurgence, a mere few hours subsequent to my expulsion of them from our sanctuary, was both disconcerting and irksome. Under the cover of night's shroud, they sidestepped confrontation and orchestrated the abduction of Gami. Were it not for Ezra's presence, I might have conjectured that the Shiki had simply fled. However, owing to his proficiencies honed through survival in the blighted realm, Ezra detected, with a solitary glance at the footprints preceding the Monk's Wood, the irrefutable evidence of the group's intrusion and Gami's subsequent capture.
Clad in our protective attire, Ezra and I embarked into the desolate expanses of the blightlands, diligently tracing the path only he could discern. Eventually, the trail led us to a clearing wherein Gami lay, affixed to the earth, anointed in lamp oil. Curiously, the Ravenmen were absent from view, though their concealed positions were apparent to Ezra. His futile attempt to restrain me was in vain, as upon glimpsing the hapless state of the Shiki, my resolve propelled me forward. With startling alacrity, the Ravenmen emerged from their hidden enclaves, encircling us. A formidable number drew their bows, their arrows aimed menacingly at Ezra and me. United at the epicenter of their ring, we awaited their spokesperson.
Advancing from our right flank, a member of the assembly strode forth and addressed his compatriots. “Didn't I tell you, boys? I told you these two Shiki-lovers would show up if only we waited.”
An undertone of amusement wafted through the group, abruptly quelled by the lack of trepidation in my voice as I said, “Please do not force me to harm you.”
“Harm us? You seem to be mistaken, old man. You're the one who should beg us not to hurt you,” retorted the leader.
I feigned disregard for his remarks and articulated, “My here to serve justice, a pursuit that precludes retribution or affliction. However, if you make a move to harm the Shiki, I will stop you. Even if I have to kill you to do so.”
“You seek to serve justice?” his tone dripped with disdain. Pointing at Gami, he declared, “What we're doing is justice.”
A sigh of disillusionment escaped me. “Lay down your arms and depart. None of this is necessary.”
“Oh, that's where you're wrong. All of this is necessary. The Shiki dies here today. And as for you, we'll let you go if you agree to take that boy and leave the North. We don't want Shiki-lovers around these parts.”
“No,” I affirmed.
“No?” His incredulity was palpable.
“No.”
“You do realize you're surrounded, don't you?” his query aimed to underscore our predicament.
“I am aware,” I concurred, my nod deliberate. “Yet, its relevance escapes me in light of my mission.”
Although the masked countenances of the Ravenmen obscured their expressions, the bewilderment they shared was unmistakable. “I can understand your confusion. Fear rules you and your group, and so you think others must be ruled by it as well. Permit me to proffer counsel. As long as fear persists, the splendor of existence shall elude you. A life bereft of courage remains incomplete.”
“We're not afraid of anything, old man.” protested a Ravenman with two fingers missing from his right hand.
“Ah, my dear lad, if only that were true. Just look at yourselves. You're all ruled by your cowardice. Fear has dictated every action you have taken so far. To intimidate an old man and a young boy, you must have a group of at least twenty men surrounding them. You sneak into my haven to avoid a conflict with me. You nailed that poor creature to the ground because you fear it. Reflect upon your actions of the past day and assess the contentment you derive from them.”
“That's enough!” the leader thundered, igniting an arrow with a flint against stone.
Ezra tensed, but I steadied him with a touch, urging restraint. “Release the Shiki.”
Briefly, it seemed a fraction of the Ravenmen might heed the plea. However, before reason could win the night, their leader dispatched the fiery arrow onto Gami. The Shiki, doused in lamp oil, became a pyre. Instinctively, I advanced, discarding my coat as I hastened. Yet, the Ravenmen leader blocked my path. The juncture for dialogue elapsed, his demise imminent. The words I had conveyed held portent: I will stop you. Even if I have to kill you to do so. Swiftly, I enshrouded his neck with my coat, leveraging my momentum to sever his life thread. His lifeless form lay supine at my feet, my coat a macabre emblem of his end.
A layer of my coat, a shield against the flames, enfolded Gami, extinguishing the inferno that had consumed him. Though the blaze inflicted grievous harm, he persisted in existence. Amid the remnants his body was blackened and brittle, he had lost his left arm, but the Shiki yet lived. Turning to face the Ravenmen, I witnessed several departing, carrying with them their leader's remains. Those remaining relinquished their weapons, impelled by a resonance with my discourse. A solitary figure approached, extending an apology to Gami, a gesture met with forgiveness.
As they withdrew, one Ravenman warned of the three brethren who had absconded. These avengers, kin to the fallen leader, relished spilling blood. Presently, I sit ensconced in darkness, companioned by a solitary candle, awaiting the reckoning destined to emanate from their vengeance. The Ravenmen's credibility, I suspect, bears truth. Imminent is the visitation of the brothers, intent on retribution. In their wake, I shall confront them. A pervasive inkling, however, hints at my survival's unlikelihood. This intuition propels me to dispatch Ezra on a hunt, Gami to retreat afar. My actions bear no regret, for the first time since my rebirth in the afterworld, I hewed to the tenets I lived by. By engaging in the struggle for justice, however modest, I ignited change. My existence's culmination, I am willing to sacrifice for this cause. Trust endures that Ezra will not lose faith in the precepts I imparted. A potential luminary resides within him.
Regrettably, my demise signals my inability to apprise you henceforth. My life's denouement shall transpire sans transmission to you. Yet, even in this realization, solace blooms. Each letter etched was akin to your presence gracing my side, my venerable friend. I regret only my inability to forewarn you of the harrowing metamorphosis that has engulfed paradise. Your acumen, I am certain, would have quelled this nightmare. My aspiration rests on the hope that my final pupil, Ezra, shall inherit my convictions and fulfill my aspirations. Perhaps Ezra can be how I finally change the world.

Thus, with this quill's final flourish, I pen my conclusion.
Yours, for a final instance, in utmost sincerity,
Amobiel