Feet thunder on the pavement. The terrified mass of people dissipate in every direction, like a shoal of fish. Screams, shouts and yells fuel the chaos and commotion.
Pure terror has a place in everyone's heart. The sheer mind-numbing, oppressive emotion that strips away any pretensions of sanity.
Yet the crowd has a mind. It wants to flee.
A boy stands like a lonely rock battered by the ceaseless waves of humanity. His gaze perceives the world as a meandering haze - a vision that is only his.
An unknown fist lashes out from the crowd, but the boy is like air: untouchable and scarcely tangible.
Back in the crowd, for a moment, a different consciousness awakens - like a beacon in the storm. In that minute fraction of time, the mass of minds melds together, forming one true entity.
Unlocked from its cage of repression, the entity, this beast roars!
The primeval sound blasts through every soul, tearing away layers of superficiality, to expose the rawness below.
Free, after millenia of entrapment in the depths of every mortal human! It was good to be alive again.
The vulnerable souls are too overwhelmed by the sheer brutality and power, too petrified to resist. The beast is unstoppable. It has a serious agenda.
Turning towards the boy, the beast then regards him, never moving - just watching silently. The boy in turn returns its gaze. Now a thousand eyes stare back, unblinking and without depth.
The boy murmurs. His words are a twisted abomination of the sacred language. The eyes still stare, unperturbed. A hand rises near the front of the crowd, a lone appendage. More hands emerge, and begin to sway in an invisible wind. A glow begins to emanate from the crowd's eyes. Both the beast and the crowd emit a terrible sound, which gains intensity to an inhuman level. Suddenly the sound ceases. The eyes keep glowing, however.
The boy now has command of the host, which is and is led by the beast.
At an almost imperceptible gesture, the beast begins to move. Hulking slowly down the road, it makes from the edge of the ruined city.
The boy follows.
The two hosts met on the outskirts of the wrecked metropolis. Clouds of dust rose from the tramping of often bare feed. Those who could not march were quickly disregarded, discarded and left to their lonely fates.
The boy, hegemonic as always, studied the opposing force. Considering the ranks upon ranks of foul creatures, he sought their leader.
It was not hard. A hideous and twisted creature stood out from the ranks of the Controlled. Severed heads, some human, some not, adorned the spikes on its shoulders. A wicked tongue could be seen tasting the dry air. However, the most stark detail was the complete lack lack eyes and nose. There was no window into this things blackened soul. To compound things further, the steed this abomination rode was plucked from the terrors of hell itself. A mad rage could be seen, emanating from its menacing eyes.
The beast bellowed a challenge, in turn answered by the terrible creature.
Almost instantly, the two forces began to approach one another. Hows from the horde, and subsequent roars from the beast signaled the change.
Humans and non humans clashed. Teeth and claws ripped, shredded and tore. Fists and feet flew. Blood fell to the ground, staining the dirt a sickly colour, turning it into mud.
In the clamour of the battle, a sword diffused into existence in the boy's hands. Its blade gleamed, a malevolent black. The boy twirled it in calculated arcs, and it hummed as it moved through the air.
The boy sighted his enemy, the abomination, and made his way towards it. The black blade flicked out, extinguishing any foolish being who got too close.
Finally, the boy and the abomination found each other. The abomination dismounted slowly, and drew his own weapon. Or rather, the weapon was the the fiend itself -- blades extended from its fingers. It immediately attacked the boy. The first slash was barred by the black blade, and the boy countered, but missed. Again, the abomination rushed him. The boy was pun on the defensive -- his smaller size graining him no advantage against the cunning warrior. One of the blades pierced the boy's chest, causing the boy to shudder violently. Just in time, he moved, and narrowly missed a swipe at his neck. Feinting weakness, the boy let the abomination enjoy itself. Repeated thrusts and blows were returned with half-hearted counters.
They approached the mad steed, which had no moved. It grew more excited as it noticed the boy evidently being beaten my its master. But it could not move. Those were the master's orders.
Suddenly, an opening arose. The abomination delivered a sloppy blow, somewhat tired from its continual aggression. The boy's black blade score a slice on the side of its neck. Green liquid spurted out, but the abomination did not retreat. Instead, it rained down on the boy with increased vigour, bringing the boy to his knees.
The abomination seemingly leered at the boy, and swiftly slashed at the boy again. However, this time the boy was nowhere to be seen.
The black blade pierced the abomination from behind. Again, liquid spurted from the wound. Life as it were, slipped from the abomination.
"How...?" it asked in its raspy, dying breath.
"I am one and everything," the boy replied.
The creatures fled.