Loveless

[Itachi Uchiha]

I haven't posted any of my writing on here in awhile so I thought to start anew. This is a piece of work that was inspired from the poems of Loveless from Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core and so will be set out like them as you will see. Can I ask for all comments be put in the seperate comments thread that will be added. Thank you and I hope you enjoy it.

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Loveless

Prologue
When the war of the beasts brings about the world’s end
The goddess descends from the sky
Wings of light and dark spread afar
She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting

When the earth was young and its land still growing, all was tranquil in living. A great age of peace held the land in its careful hands and watched over all above and below. The animals in their many, the birds and the flowers, all was one with each other. Even then, we humans lived as one with nature and abided by its rules. We took only what we needed to sustain the life around us. We were taken in by the hands of peace in its comforting hold. But as it is with the human mind, we began to think. Thought alone gave us power over everything around us. Ideas were rife as inventions, buildings and equipment were all made by our labour.

Yet it was through the mind that we began to judge what we lived with. We felt superior with our advances and free thought. We were, to say, Gods of the time. As with all ages though, it came to an end. It was rather sudden when it happened. How the violence swept the world as man fought beast for land and resources. But isn’t that what wars are for? To better civilisation? At that time we found equals, something to oppose us and by human nature, something to war against. Those that resembled us and the animals. Great, curved horns; Thick pale hind; Hooves that trudged through the dirt. Belvines as they have come to be know.

They too had the gift of thought, but did not use it as we did. Being so close to the creatures around them, they lived by nature’s law as we broke it. The meeting of our race and theirs was shrouded with lies and deceit created from the guilt of the men. With blind prejudice we struck against them. Our superior intellect called for them to be killed as paranoia of being rivalled crept into our minds. And so it began, the War of the Beasts. Such was the brutality of that age that it was given such a name. We were no different to ravage animals as we slew all in our path. But so did they. We gave them the curse of hate, blessed them with cold steel and praised them with fire and anguish that consumed both of us.

In the end, no one knew how to stop the fighting. Battles waged over petty provinces were common, as the lands themselves turned crimson with blood and both races feared their end had come. Casualties were in huge numbers and something had to be done. Belvine and Human tried to come to negotiations but violence always ensued. Messengers were killed on sight and peacekeepers’ heads’ strung to gates. Eventually anyone who opposed the leaders of the tribes were executed without thought.

This continued for countless millennia, as either side was too stubborn to give in. But soon an agreement was thought of and proposed by the Belvines themselves. They asked the humans to one last battle. And so across the open fields of Ja’loki did both races gathered the entirety of their armies. Hundred’s of thousands of warriors stood with the one aim of killing their enemy as their formations stretched across the horizon. The winner was to be declared rulers of all. From dawn til dusk they waited for the order to move, but not a sound was uttered from either side. The full moon shone, the light like that of a thousand candles, revealing all in Heaven and Earth. Patience grew thin among the humans as the men wanted to test their might.

At midnight the first blow was struck. The waiting had endured long enough as rage filled humans charged with a crazed bloodlust. Tiredness was forgotten in an instant as the battle commenced with the clashing of metal and beating of drums. Many died quickly but neither gave in.

But in the midst of the chaos did they stop. Both human and Belvine stood side by side in disorganized lines as they stared into the starry sky above. Descending with true magnificence did she come. Wings of light and darkness that softly beat against the wind. Her mere presence forestalled the fight and then she ended it. Divine grace that came from the Heavens was she as her words were timid but commanding. In holy splendour she blessed the land, the dead rising from fatal wounds. All were healed, the land restored.

Such was the Goddess, her gift everlasting. Harmony returned to the world as all was forgotten, lost in the pages of history. All that is remembered is her, the one who restored light to the world and who the people now praise.

[Itachi Uchiha]

Chapter 1

Act One – Scene One

Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess
We seek it thus, and take it to the sky
Ripples form on the water’s surface
The wandering soul knows no rest.

The sound of the cocks singing their morning hymn filled the quiet air of Voljad as the sun slowly made its ascent into the heavens. The sky was painted with intermixing colours as dawn graced the humble village with its presense. Stirs of awakening as people, human and Belvine alike, moaned in discord from the rudeness of the animals. Soon the sound of feet and hooves trudging against dusty earth was heard in the rising orchestra of daily life. From wooden and stone huts did the inhabitants emerge in their unholy splendour and none were happy with the day so far. Least of all was Janus as he too rose from the rough leather hammock he slept in.

Bangs of thick black hair were erratically strung all over his face as the morning brought much dismay. Running his hands through it, revealing the room around him, he moaned as the sound of whistling came not far from. The cheery tune was always heard whenever he was near as it was his trademark, his give-away. Still half-asleep though, Janus fell back into the comforting hold of the hammock. It wrapped round him, warming his body whilst the cold air tried to chill him.

But as his heavy eyes slowly began to shut, the sound of snickering entered his ear. As his eyes snapped back open he felt something grip the underneath his hammock and was soon overturned. As Janus’ body hit the ground with an almighty thud, the trickster could only fall back in a fit of laughter with him. Not seeing the joke in the moment, Janus got to his feet and walked over to the intruder. But before he could get him, the other person and scrambled to his feet in terror and opened the curtains. Light shone through as Janus covered his eyes in pain. The sudden change in brightness caused agony for him. The man walked over once more, patting him on the back. Janus looked up to see a huge grin plastered across his friend face.

“Morning sleepy. You shouldn’t lie in when everyone else is doing stuff.”

With a grumble and a moan, Janus retorted in a rough tone, “Well we’re not all active people like yourself, are we? Let me sleep, I was up all last night fencing. Now go back to whatever hole you crawled out from under, Caelus.”

Caelus sighed deeply as he pulled Janus closer to him, pressing him to his chest. As if whimpering he said, “Oh woe is me. The closest person to me, my brother, does not wish to spend time with me.” In an overdramatic display, he fell on the floor covering his face, “Has the Goddess forsaken me? Oh how the fates are cruel.”

After seeing such an act Janus couldn’t help but get annoyed. Not only was it heavily sarcastic, but also most of the neighbourhood must have heard from the loudness of the display. Punching the man on the floor, he shouted directly into his ear, “Go now before I do make the fates cruel to you!” Caelus picked himself up; half shocked, half annoyed at what had just happened. His eyes watered from the pain as he rubbed the back of his head. Seeing how pitiful he looked though, Janus felt that small bit of remorse in him. It hovered like a fly that wouldn’t go in his mind. In the nicest tone he could muster, he spoke to him “Ok, I over-reacted. I’m sorry for punching you. Just go before I do turn into a morning tyrant like usual.”

In a flash the tears were gone as Caelus leapt forth at Janus, arms open for what seemed to be a hug. But Janus sidestepped the attempt as the man soared towards the door. Dust rose and dirt soiled his clothes as Caelus rolled across the floor only to be stopped by the cold surface of a stone wall. But he was soon to pick himself up, a smile still crossing his face as he asked, “Well seeing as how your in such a good mood, can I tempt you to come to the shrine with me?”

“Don’t push your luck.” was Janus’ reply as he slithered back into the hold of his hammock, “Sometimes I regret taking that oath to be your brother.” he joked at Caelus. Janus turned over and met his brother’s eyes as reassurance that it was. But as his brother left the house, he grumbled to himself “Religious bigotry. Hmph. As if they’d ever get me in there.” His eyes fluttered and closed once more as he returned to the realm of dreams.

It seemed only minutes before Janus was awoken again. This time though the noise was more gentle, natural even as the village was in its daily routine. Turning his head back and forth, shaking the sleep from his eyes, he saw a note on the floor at the door. Getting out of his hammock, his feet were met by the sandy floor as it shaped around them and carried a frightening chill through him. His body shivered as he walked through what he thought was ice to the paper. As he picked up the note, his eyes blurred as he was still under the effect of the morning haze. Slowly, he began to rub his eyes as the writing became much clearer. It didn’t surprise him who it was from. It was quite possibly the only person who would leave him a note. Reading it, it said:

Hello Brother,

Wel,l if your reading this, its nice to see you’ve finally got up out of your cesspit. I mean. the smell in that place is revolting sometimes. How do you live? Anyway, you’d better come find me after you’ve done whatever it is you do. Oh, can we fence tonight? It’s been awhile since we last did, you know, and I think I’ve gotten better. We might actually stop having draws now, and I’ll win.

Caelus

A small smile crossed Janus’ face as he read the message. ‘Hmph. He’s only person in this forsaken place who can ever do something like this to me. I’ll just have to prove him wrong tonight about that comment,’ he thought to himself, the smile now widening into a dark smirk. The thought alone of being able to extinguish his hope was joy enough for him. Casually he threw the piece of parchment back into his small house as he strolled through the village. People barely noticed him as he watched them getting on with their daily lives. Hunters already ambled past him, fresh from the countryside with deer and other animals strapped to their backs and shoulders. The aroma of warm baking bread slowly rose through the air as swarms of people gathered for a piece. The sound of looms fashioning new cloth for tailors quietly beat against the racket of life.

All was normal as no one paid him any heed. His walk to the village’s edge and beyond was always the same every day as he took himself up and over the rolling hills that surrounded it. Coming down from the over side, a quick whip of wind blew against him. His lungs breathed deeply into the clean crisp air. Hair flew in all directions and the light cloth garments he wore swayed in the chaotic breeze as he took a seat upon the grass. He gazed upon the blades of red grass that surrounded him. It was bot just he grass, but everything that grew that made the place so unique. The famous fields of Ja’loki. Nothing but deep crimson plants surrounded him. The grass, the bushes and even the trees leaves were all the same in colour.

A wave of solitude washed through Janus as he lay back on the ground. The clouds flew softly through the air and the sound of grass and leaves’ rustling in the wind were the only things to be heard. The field offered complete peace away from the reaches of the village and the religious disorder within. It was here he was at rest, away from the world and its ceaseless bickering. As his mind cleared itself of all thoughts, he got back up. Turning back on the rolling hills of scarlet, he walked back down from where he came.

Already the day had faded into the afternoon as Janus came to realise the amount of time he had spent up there. But no one knew where he went, no one cared. Even his sworn brother showed little interest at all. Coming back through the packed streets of Voljad, his eyes wandered once more to the people around him. Old women and men sat outside their doors watching the passerby’s with unflinching eyes. Children ran in-between the feet of the adults playing whatever games that had come up with. But he noticed the drastic change in moods that people showed when he passed. Some frowned with disgust and their eyes showed unfounded prejudice and hate; whilst others looked with smiles on their faces, unbound by such silly things and showed genuine kindness through their faces.

But that was the divide of the village. No longer separated by race as humans and Belvine were at one with each other. Now there was a much deeper root that tore people apart. The Goddess. Those who believed and those who didn’t. And it was clear to those who saw Janus that he was one who didn’t believe.