Black Bane
by Robert M. Velkym

   It was a beautiful day in the long anticipated month of June. The sun shone down upon the amphitheater, the warmth of the star countering the crisp morning air. He breathed in, the terror of the nights earthquake all but gone in his mind, for last night was the return of two beings of such power, power of which the world has not seen for over ten thousand years. The return of the mystic, and the recreation of the god Bane into this man’s body.

   He could feel the power invigorating him as he looked over the clear blue sky. He could hear the earth speak to him and he could hear her coming. He listened to the earth and of the story it told. The story of his fusion with Bane and the story of the return of the Dark Mistress. Also how her power was less than his own, but had the potential to rival even he as a god. He shuddered and cried out to the skies. Off in the distance, a storm answered his cries and began to form. It’s lightning and thunder rippling across the sky, reaching out for their summoner, the Dark God Bane himself. He could feel his power, he felt the throb of life in his veins, the lightning in his blood and the hatred of her, he that should strive to upset the balance of life. He called upon his brother, the wind.

   He called to the breezes, requesting his brother find and bring the Dark Mistress to his theater of blackness. The air moved and touched him, flipping his clothes to and fro. A light kiss brushed his cheek, the storm had greeted him. The lightning flashed, striking the ground next to him, creating a crater and leaving a woman in it’s place. Orro the Aztec goddess of storms was standing next to him. She was the most stunning and attractive creature he had ever beheld. He smiled and returned her greeting. Her soul opened up to allow him to see her loyalty and caring for him. He continued to ask her for one favor to help him in the upcoming battle. He asked for the dragon’s bite, the crack of heavens whip, the spark of life, the power to throw electricity. He looked into her eyes. The gray corneas moved across the blackness of her inner eyes, as though the storm raged in the sockets of her head. Her eyes smiled at him, she stepped closer.

   She reached around his body and held it firmly, her mouth pressed to his. Her tongue meshing with his as her magic passed across their mad embrace. The heavens shook and a light rain fell in a drizzle to gently wash the area, and bless the union of power. He looked at her and smiled, she kissed him again, quickly saying that she would be there if he should call. Like that the thunder clapped and she was gone.

   The wind began to pick up, the cloud of the storm parted and the funnel of a massive twister set down upon the ground, letting it’s prisoner escape. The Dark Mistress looked about, spotting the man. Her cold unfeeling eyes surveyed their surroundings, her face locked in a smug smile of mystery.

   He looked down upon her and felt sorrow, or was it total hate? He could feel his blood boil, the rocks trembled under his touch. He called down to her, her hair whipped frantically as she looked unfavorably up at him, she spoke out to him in a blatant lie that she was his friend then turned away.

   Her hands rose as she began a chant. He stood there, his anger quickly flying to its very, very dangerous eruption point. She finished her spells and flung her hands at him. The air in front of her burst into flames which in turn leapt at him. The fire engulfed his entire body then dissipated, leaving only a charred skeleton of him. His heart was visible, beating slowly, the carbon consuming it, and repairing it, the blackness didn’t change it, it darkened and hardened. A cold black muscle beating endlessly, pushing bane though the dead body.

   She laughed out loud, the storm quieted, the air grew still. The blackened bones of the body began to stir and grow white. Muscle began to reform, a human shape was definitely returning. The regeneration took mere seconds and then he was before her as though never even touched by the fire of her scorn, but it had. Her hate and bitterness has darkened his already broken heart, making it one, one of the black light. He was Bane in heart, soul, and name, she was his. He bid that she should stop and repent. She smiled and began another chant. Sadness filled his soul. You don’t even know what your up against, he thought and pointed his hand at her. A stream of lightning arched at her striking her breast and penetrating her corpse. She convulsed suddenly, the electricity running hysterically through her system, her ears began to steam, her eyes popped out and blood spew forth, running down her face and littering the surrounding area with blood and gore.

   He almost felt sorry for her, almost. He reached for her body, grabbing at her soul and pulling or better yet wrenching it from it’s fleshy tomb. He gathered the gloomy life force into his arms and flung it into the great unknown. May you know sadness and loneliness. For your kind destroy, lie and deceive. Now you shall be caged to know only yourself, alone in your own private hell forever.

   He went to the body and ripped the head from the shoulders. Holding it high he ran one hundred thousand volts through it, causing it to pop like a balloon at a circus. He took her body and set it upon a funeral pyre. Flames danced around the body as it was consumed. Witches need be burned, for they upset the balance of nature and the balance in ourselves. May your way be green and golden mistress, for your soul is forever black.