Mercy

 

Quiet nights, ice moon, ageless fantasies, and the resplendent view of the dazzling night land. These were golden times of remarkable characters of elegance and extravagance. And these times were no times at all.

Wrapped in the mist on top of a distant mountain was a little girl named Mercy, and she was part of those whose hands had wrought, and fashioned the night to be this still. Evil did still abound, but Mercy...she was the worst of them all.

She had heard in the distant lands of families which built houses with the bones of their dead. She had let her poor ghosts fly to investigate how true this was, and they had returned back with proper news saying, "They are not a threat."

But one spirit was free, one she had buried before.

She disappeared from the mountain, running through time and space in a moment as everything stood still. There were moving figures like hers, slower, but like shadows in this blurry world known to time, but unknown to man. They were fast, savage, superb, deadly, but only Mercy had all qualities, including the fact there was something ominous and stately about her.

She returned to the mountain to wait, it was like she had never left.

Any moment now, for she had sent out the invitation.

Mercy was a fair beauty who looked five years old, but she was ageless. She had black gleaming hair, and each strand of hair was poisonous and hard enough to crack diamonds. Her eyes, faintly ever changing by the second, kept transitioning into different colours, it was hard to tell which it was. The beauty of her gown reflected the stars. She wore no shoes, nor slippers, her feet felt the earth, and she was a daughter of everything, including death. As far as higher powers did go, she was one of them.

It wasn't long the presence she had thought challenging materialized behind her, Mercy's heightened senses felt the aura of death dense in the air.

It was Bena Rogers she felt, and she was out for blood. Her eyes blazed red, and her red hair lay slick with blood. She was in a black gleaming gown, and from the helm of it, blood dripped.

Both girls stood in silence, for it was assumed the words of the first always did determine how powerful one is.

"I think you've had enough for one night," Mercy said without turning to look back at Bena.

"Backing me to address me," Bena said. "I would find that insulting."

"I don't like to take my eyes off beautiful things." Mercy was looking at the scenic view of Tisnar. "And tonight, you are less beautiful looking like that."

"Bold words from a small girl. Who are you by the way? Wait. Doesn't matter. I'll find out after I've ripped and killed you." She zapped towards Mercy.

Bena was so close to getting hold of the little girl's neck to relieve her of her head, and next, a strong force took hold her, one she didn't see, and she was hit hard with her back, flat on the ground.

"It's okay to state your intentions before acting on them," Mercy said. "I mean, I do likewise. Sometimes. But when dealing with someone like me, best come at me when I'm unaware, even if you'll still be unsuccessful. But I do live for the thrill. I'm Mercy. How would you like to be friends with me, Bena?"

Bena, still on the ground, said, "How do you know my name?"

"That should be the least of your worries," Mercy extended a hand to her, "considering who you are addressing. I'm the night. But you can call me its terror." She smiled.

Bena took her hand, and Mercy pulled her up.

"Fine," Bena said simply because she sensed something odd about Mercy, one she'd never felt in a long time. And it wasn't out of fear, but caution. She was certain this little girl, whoever she really was, could kill her, but to know the source of her strength, an agreement to friendship wasn't the least wrong thing here. She would kill her when the opportunity presented itself. "Friends it is."

"Don't worry. Thinking you could accept this friendship, then source me out, Bena. Don't even bother. You can't kill me."

Great, she could read her thoughts, Bena said within. Then she would find someone stronger, then.

Mercy breathed a laugh. "I really hope you do. I live for the challenge."

If Bena felt intimidated, it was hard to tell because right now, she was trying to conceal everything, lock her memories so Mercy couldn't access them.

But the little girl turned and said, "I live up here."

Bena looked around. "Well, I don't see your house."

"It's beneath the hill. At least, it's where I eat, not that I'm ever hungry. All men must have some kind of shelter. But here I live."

"Because it's cold and drafty?" She must have a thing for the sun, then, Bena thought. Shoot. She wasn't supposed to think.

Mercy put on a small smile. "Yeah. Because it's cold and drafty. Mainly though, it's because I blaze hotter than the sun when I'm angry. So this place chills me. It keeps away the noise. Only the song of the wind as company, and the choirs of dead spirits around me to listen to. I don't have a thing for the sun. I just like the cold better."

"What exactly do you want me for?"

"Ever been friends with anyone in your life, Bena? Huh?"

A smooth stone appeared in Bena's hand. She felt it as she said, "I learn to create the company I want, whenever I choose."

"Do they satisfy?"

"Quite frankly, yes," Bena lied.

"Lying won't help. It doesn't satisfy you." Mercy turned to face her. "You hate they have no will of their own, because let's face it, it's the one thing that's flawed with your creation."

The stone left Bena's hand and spun high into the air, then it made its descent and dropped into Mercy's hand and she placed it on the ground.

Suddenly, where the stone was placed, a black cat materialized, and it meowed at Bena.

"Now, a flawless creation," Mercy said. "It won't always obey you, but it won't be equally disloyal to you."

Bena looked at the cat with disgust, and kicked a stone at it, the stone turned into a hot rush of fire, the cat waved the flame aside and made another pitiful meow.

"You can't destroy it," Mercy said. "Only I can. Consider it my gift to you."

"I guess you would want something in return?" Bena asked, the cat moved to purr at her feet, and she was tempted to kick it off the hill. Then she remembered, it won't die. It would most likely show another of its extraordinary abilities by reappearing at her feet. She hoped it wasn't created to torment her. Well, at least, it would have a hard time suffering at her hands rather than she showing it any affection.

"I just want your friendship," Mercy said. "When that is achieved, we sure can move to the next phase."

"Well, I'm sorry I failed to mention. I don't like cats."

"You don't love anything past yourself. Do you know how many times I've had to listen to you rant on destroying the world? It gets tiring."

"Well, love is a monster. It was the only valuable thing my father taught me."

"I can change anything. I can change even the hardest of hearts, but still, I'm made of things born from evil. I took the name Mercy because mercy should be an illusion for the wicked. They never offer it."

"On that we share a common thought."

"Then, tell me, Bena. Why do you spare the poor and the innocent?"

Ben laughed. "Isn't it obvious? They only live as long as nature permits them to. I don't want to be the one to upset her grand plan."

"But I am nature, and there's so much you've not heard about me."

She was nature, Bena thought. That obviously couldn't be. This was all scare tactics, meant to frighten her from achieving her purpose of killing this child. Bena placed a hand to her head. She wasn't doing well concealing her thoughts. "What then, pray tell, don't I know about you?"

"Well, I do care for the poor and innocent," Mercy said. "I don't control how long humans live. God controls that. I and the seasons, natural disasters and pestilence, death and life, we all are one. But mainly, I deal out justice just for the fun of it. Especially to unwanted spirits."

"Well, I myself have a different view of you. I think you're just a pathetic little girl in need of company because she has no friends and no one to trust. You think me an easy target, so—" 

"But you are an easy target," Mercy interrupted her. "And not to me alone. I'm not the one here with you. I sent out the invitation. You are the one here with me. You may be powerful enough to build and construct real estates with the bones of those you hate, but when it comes to unspeakable power, you don't have it, and there are so many out there who hate you because you have silenced their worshippers and made buildings of their bones."

"Minor gods, then."

Mercy smiled, and Bena writhed in pain and fell on her knees gasping for air. "Don't underestimate them. I may not be one of them, but they are capable of demanding your obedience." Her smile vanished.

Bena felt okay and slowly took to her feet. "That hurt. Felt like you were going to kill me there for a second."

"Not when you're a guest on my lands."

"And uninvited guests?"

"Oh, those always get their share of mayhem. Not like I cause it, though. They just find themselves there." Mercy wore a serious expression. "At least, that's the fate that awaits all who don't offer mercy."

"And what if one offers mercy to their enemy and that enemy tries to stab them from behind?"

"I am here," Mercy said. "I have been offered. Wait till you see me in action."

Bena took a minute to assess her. "You don't seem scary."

Mercy gestured a single wave at Bena. "And you don't look neat."

Bena's form changed to a fair five year old with red hair, and she was now in a dazzling white gown. She looked down at herself, then at Mercy and said, "You shouldn't have. I really liked that body."

"At least, your enemies won't know who you are. Now, you can tag along to meet and see all they have to say about you."

"I may have thought and agreed to being your friend in my mind, but like you already know, it is only to source you out and find out a way to destroy you."

"Is that all? You speak of destruction so often, I become bored hearing it. Ever heard the tales of the devil's dart?"

"No."

"You see, it was a spirit. A self acclaimed spiritual dart with a thought, one so effective, it thought to bring the world down to its knees before it delivered the final blow." Mercy stopped speaking.

Bena noticed her silence. Then she urged her on. "Well, what happened to this dart?"

"Now I have leverage," Mercy said, because Bena never loved to leave when a story was incomplete. "Stick with me. Be my friend and you'd find out."

Bena slightly shook her head. "I can't believe you just played me like that."

"If you wish to know something you clearly don't know about, then you would stick with me to the end of this tale."

Bena looked at the cat. "Why a cat?"

"Because people associate them with witches."

Bena returned her gaze to Mercy. "Is that what you are? A witch?" She looked at the cat again. "Because, looking at this very cat, I can't help but think of the possibility."

Now they were making progress.

"Let's call it a puzzle," Mercy said. "While I don't know what I fully am, I attribute myself to being nature because of all I can achieve within a second."

She was building her curiosity, Bena thought. She wanted her to stay interested. Nothing, and no one had caught her attention like this girl. Who was she, really? And then, Bena knew her mental faculty had surrendered trying to reason who Mercy was. Best the dark haired little girl tells these things herself. But then, she could be misleading. She could subject me to an existence of mindless torture.

"Time and nature do not lie," Mercy said. Again, she had read Bena's thoughts. "Both read each other, and they are pretty accurate with their findings. They set scales, and if man tips it, he pays. They are deadly. Wicked. Unfair. But they never lie. Neither do they answer to anyone, save God."

"Which are you? Time or nature?"

"I'm a puzzle. You love trivial games. You're smart. Solve me." Mercy turned to back her. "The world is changing. Now vessels like you and I who were once mere words are now made into life forms. Death. Chaos. Dread. Disaster. You name it. They are all in human form."

"And which am I?"

"I can't tell you now. But you took the body of a really good soul. These bodies we wear, their owners are dead. It was the only way we could achieve them. They were killed from conflict, crisis, wars, and dirty human deeds. The price of using them was so we could avenge those who put them down in this life. Follow the link, and execute the heads of the chain of command."

Bena laughed. "Those are boring. You can't mean that."

"What would you hope I meant?"

"Destroying the world. I sure find that a tad bit difficult. And I like to engage in difficult things, only because I know I'll end up achieving it."

"Then you're thinking too small. Why destroying the world would come easy to me, I can't destroy it. You and I would be no more. Only wrath and death would remain. And I know those two. They don't play fair."

Bena considered her words for a moment. Maybe, they misunderstood each other. "When I mean destroy the world, I mean all life on it."

"Maybe we did misread each other, because I saw it as earth exploding into dust from its core."

"Hey. Not that," Bena said.

"Then, I can't do that," Mercy said.

Bena sighed. "So, back to square one, then. Kill those who wronged these bodies. Then what?" 

"We meet those who plan to kill you."

Bena wanted to object.

Mercy put in, "Now, they don't know what you look like. You can hear it all for yourself."

Bena looked at her hands and feet. "What do you think her story is? You know, the girl who owned this body?" She pointed at herself.

"She was raped by ten men."

Bena wore a frown.

Mercy went on, "She died before the last man took her. Her organs were removed, and her skull was traded to a chief priest for charms. Her spirit lives in a village, and she protects those who hate her."

"I don't need more motivation to think what I am thinking, which honestly speaking, you already know about," Bena said.

Mercy nodded. "I do know."

"And what is the story of the girl whose body you inhabit?"

"She was sacrificed, and she died crying for mercy. Her last words, 'Mercy! Help me. Use me.' Everyone thought her mad as she fell into silence. There was fire on the altar when I woke up in her body. And with me sitting up in flames that felt like ice to me, giving me a sudden chill, death of those who sacrificed the girl briskly followed. They are all dead. But I have more places to go. I am not done."

The air around them became still. A soft breeze ruffled their hair. Ice crept up with little cracks around Mercy's feet, and Bena was beginning to shiver.

"Mercy is cold," Mercy said. "When death comes, I am always close. Few offer me. None do forget."

It started to snow heavily, and Bena literally lit herself on fire to keep out the cold. The wind grew stronger, and howled, and Bena's fire broadened.

Mercy just stood there unaffected by the cold, and she neither felt the flame. "If you can feel, are you sure you're really dead?"

"Which is why I looked at you," Bena said. "I was born. I didn't—" 

"I referred to your powers. They were similar to my sister's, Grace. Peace is awakened. Certain events made us wake up." Mercy turned to face Bena. "All three of us couldn't go. So mother chose me."

"I guess they have so much faith in you. My family never liked me. I was a danger to them."

Mercy looked at her for a second. "Clearly, they haven't met me."

Bena gave a small laugh. "No, they haven't. I am proud. I am spoilt. I am the strongest among them. Equally also the deadliest. I must have been really annoying for you to notice me."

The place grew colder, and although she struggled to keep the flame blazing high, it began to die, and she no longer felt the cold. And Bena knew why. The flame was now in Mercy's eyes and Mercy had her gaze fixed on her.

"Friends, Bena?" she asked.

Bena nodded. "Friends. Does that mean I should give up my quest to know what can kill you?"

"I can't die. Frankly, no one, or object meant to make me bleed can get close to me."

"Can you get scorched in the fire?"

"No."

"Can you be tossed by the wind?"

"No."

"Can you die in an earthquake?"

Mercy gave the same response. "No."

"Can you drown?" 

Mercy didn't answer immediately.

"Unless you can hold your breath under water," Bena said.

"I am the sea," Mercy said. "Only I'm made of blood. Also, as friends, you become part of me."

A strong force moved Bena towards Mercy, then right into her, like she was well fitted into Mercy's body and frame. Mercy smiled and said with Bena's voice, "Now, we are friends."