Violent Paths Cross

Wanderer dragged forward

Ever onward past dry land

Through downy soft crystal fields

Stopping briefly for water

In the midst of a silent pasture

Stream burbling pleasantly

Some distance away

The Wanderer saw another

Dressed in garb

So far removed

As his was also

This one in wrapped layers

All but eyes hidden

The Wanderer himself

Dressed in crimson cape

With deep grey and black swirled rags

The Wanderer drew his blade

A humming biting thing

Which brought death swift

The Stranger drew his

Curves wicked and barbed

Its every facet to bring agony

The Stranger gave a guttural call

Challenge in tone

The Wanderer met it in kind

With swift leap the Wanderer landed

Across the lolling stream

Slowly they approached

Blades ready

A careful dance

Not too close

But ever closer

Until

The Stranger lashed out

Flecked with something muddy

Unseen from afar

The Wanderer dodged all

But one barb

Which sliced his arm

As he too swung

The edge cut azure blur

Clear through

A pause

Breath

The Stranger collapsed

Felled in two

Victory

Surely

But

The Wanderer felt a burn

Of something insidious

Crawling through his veins

He knew what this was

And spat on the body of his foe

For the honorless poison he used

He walked to the stream

Dipping in his toes

Laid down his blade

And laid back in the grass

The wind whispered

The grass murmuring

And in them a reminder

He will not be remembered

Nor the trials he faced

All that he accomplished

Was to feed this beauteous place

The First Push

The crosses lined the mountain ridge

Men nailed in place

With thick wooden stakes

Hands bloodied messes

Ankles near torn in half

Their screams rained down on those below

If one fell silent

One of the Kilkenny’s would come

Pike in hand

And stab the man

So he would once more take up the cry

Their prisoners of war

Were these men

And cruel was this torture

But as I hid in the trees just below

I still felt guilty

For what was about to come

The swift death

The unrelenting efficiency

And the total destruction of their lives

Elder Amelia counseled

No mercy to those who profane

No second chances for those demons

I readied my bow

Michael had done a good job

The arrows were perfect

I drew back

Breath withdrawn

I aligned my aim

Released the breath

And let loose the missile

A gentle whistle

The man dropped

I placed a crooked finger

Between my lips

Letting forth a more piercing whistle

This was the signal

All along the ridge the underbrush moved

Palos watched over our advance

Kilkenny after Kilkenny fell to our blade and bow

He was proud

The ridge was ours almost immediately

Without a cry from their men

We slit the throats of our own

Hung from those beams

To cease their cries

To ease their pain

To warn the enemy

Death was come

Preparations are Made

“The bastards’ll flay their prisoners

Then make ’em eat the flesh!”

Michael chittered

Hands working nervously

Over an arrow he was fitting

“Have you seen this

Or even had someone else

Who saw it directly?”

I smirked

Waxing my bow’s string

The bee’s wax coating nicely

“I killed three all on my own

Without any kind of fight.”

Yes the moment I started this

The moment I damned us

To the ministrations

Of those psychotic fanatics

“Well

Not as such I suppose…”

Michael lowered his head

“But you hear the screams

From atop the mountains

Whatever they’re doing

It’s hellish for sure.”

He nodded at this

To punctuate his point

I shrug and set my bow down

“You’ve a point I guess”

Those screams

Gods old and new

Whatever they’re doing

I hoped to never find out

I picked a bit of dried venison

From my tooth

Sighed and stood up

“Let me know

When the arrows are ready

I’m itching for some Kilkenny blood”

I walked from the cabin

Leaving Michael to his delicate

And precise work

Outside I saw a few riders

Astride their steeds

Noble visage of order

Appointed by our gods

Palos and Mineer

Twins of fire and ice

Their hide capes died in reds

Their bows, white and stark

I know as long as our gods watch

We shall not fail

If you enjoyed this make sure to read Amberley’s poem for today! read it here! Everyone is converging in her stories, so if you need to catch up make sure to read everything in our collections After the End~

Star Fighter

I’d been fighting longer than I could remember

Longer than my ship’s computer could compute

Ages

Aeons

Those glimmering metallic ships flying directly at me

Their iridescent fire filling the space all around

Luminesce

Luftwaffe

Waves upon waves of enemies threw themselves upon me

Heedless in their desire to end me and my cause

Endless

Evil

But no matter how many times I was shot

No matter how many times I was sundered

Finished

Fragged

I came back more persistent more ready

Their formations now memorized I dreamed of them

Circles

Cuboids

But here I sit awaiting my next return

Something is different

Above rests luminous letters

A simple question

So why the hesitation

The numbers count down

Will I choose to ride again

Continue?

“God’s Children”

A church stood amidst the tents and trees

If you stood atop its roof

Their tarps stretched in all directions

The wood was a patchwork, reclaimed

Windows without glass

Within, the congregation stood shoulder to shoulder

Arms held high above

Rapturous

At the front stood a man dressed in black

Wide brimmed black leather hat

And collar a white stained straw weave

Their good book lay before him

Aged to yellow, and barely holding

The pastor gently lifted a page and turned

“Today we recognize the need

To stand with and by and for God!”

With a capital G

“Ephesians 6:11 says

Put on the full armor of God

So that you can take your stand

Against the devil’s servants

God will protect you

My flock

From those

Our enemies

Those heathen hordes

Beyond our beautiful valley!”

The congregation cried out in agreement

“Their godless ways shall crumble

And we shall lay claim to their spoils!

This is Gods will!”

He claimed through blackened teeth

“We Kilkenny’s stand united

By our devotion to a great and terrible God

And we shall be the hammer which strikes

With mighty vengeance

Upon those cowering blasphemers!”

If you enjoyed this make sure to read Amberley’s poem for today! Go check it out!!! To read all of the poems from After the End check out the collections on our accounts OR the hashtag!