Esah spun around with urgency, locking his eyes onto the man who spoke. What he saw didn't reveal much about the appearance of the culprit. The man was covered from head to toe in black clothing, his head covered by a thick black hood. The only thing Esah could see was his face. Or, more accurately, the mask that covered it.
The mask was finely carved, consisting of three different colours. White and brown dominated the mask, while sharp, jagged, black lines ran through the bottom of it around the mouth.
"What the hell is that?" Esah whispered to himself as he began to analyse the mask. "Is that supposed to be some kind of bird?"
Esah's observations were unerring. The mask was shaped like a bird's face, its front tapering into a sharp, pointed beak. It was constructed from layered, feather-like plates, predominantly white, with lustrous brown sections covering most of the forehead and just below both eyes. The feathers fanned outward from each eye in sharp, slightly curved shapes, giving the surface a smooth yet intricately sculpted appearance. Thick in width, the mask stretched from the man's face, adequately hiding his eyes in darkness.
Though Esah could not see his eyes, it was obvious that the man never once averted his gaze away from him.
"No one shall call upon my name," Esah stuttered a little, somewhat cringing at himself before he continued, "Without speaking theirs first. Announce yourself…," Esah looked to the side before focusing his eyes on the Masked Man. "To your Prince."
The Masked Man, clearly enraged by Esah's words, threw up his right hand and pointed it meaningfully at Esah. "You call yourself a Prince? You are no Prince!"
He balled his fist slowly, clenching tightly as he bellowed at Esah. "You are no more than a pawn in his game; a willing puppet in a corrupt dynasty."
Esah wanted to interject, but he could hear the pain in the Masked Man's voice. He knew that, despite what the Masked Man had done to his home, what he was saying wasn't entirely false. In fact, this wasn't necessarily the first time he had encountered someone who had said something along the same lines.
"Your family's hands are stained with the blood of my people. Yet here you are, standing untouched and unmoved. I am here to change that." As the Masked Man said that, he pulled the bottom half of his clothes to the side, revealing a dagger that sat in a holster by his side, grabbing its grip and began steadily approaching Esah.
"And what do you wish I do? Lay down my title and renounce my heritage?" Esah asked.
The Masked Man didn't respond, but didn't change his pace of walking either. This confused Esah but, as with most instances like these, Esah promptly waited to be attacked first as he wasn't one for killing those he thought rightfully bore a great hatred towards him and his family. However, Esah took the opportunity to try to reason with the Masked Man.
"My family's history is complicated, but it does not define me. I am more than what my bloodline makes of me."
The Masked Man, still quite some distance from Esah, responded, his voice more hateful than before. "Words. Hollow words from a privileged mouth. You may try to distance yourself, but your denials speak just as loud as actions. The suffering of my people demands justice…and it is justice for them I shall deliver."
For the first time, Esah appeared heavily discomforted. He shook his head with disapproval, looking more disappointed than fearful. "Then you know nothing of justice. Revenge is not the answer. It only promotes the cycle of violence, and therefore perpetuates it. If you truly seek to right the wrongs of the past, then seek understanding and reconciliation, not vengeance."
The Masked Man tightened his grip around the dagger, forcing Esah to raise his voice and speak with a more threatening tone. "Now…stand down. I'm already pissed off enough about you destroying my wall. I don't want to hurt you."
Taking no notice of Esah's words of warning, the Masked Man sped up, soon beginning to sprint toward Esah at a rapid pace. He reached Esah faster than most, throwing a slice of the dagger toward Esah's face. Esah dodged rather easily, but the attack was followed by a punch with the Masked Man's left fist. Esah dodged that one too, but only barely. Esah jumped back to regain some distance on the Masked Man, his face bearing a firm expression of confusion all over.
With a broken tone, Esah muttered to himself, "He's–He's so fast." As he said these words, the Masked Man somehow appeared right in front of him. Both of his hands gripped the bottom of the dagger as he thrust it downward, aiming for Esah's head. Esah raised his hands, grabbing the Masked Man's arms before the dagger could reach his brain.
Esah thought pragmatically, throwing his foot into the air and connected with the Masked Man's chin with the tip of his foot. Esah's foot cracked, his foot taking an uncanny amount of damage as the Masked Man's head barely moved. Though this was the case, the Masked Man stumbled backwards ever so slightly, freeing himself from Esah's clutches. Seeing this, Esah took the opportunity to drop back.
Esah's face looked even more confused now. This confusion continued to grow, however, as he slowly began to realise the true nature of what he thought he was facing. "How? How is he doing this? I've never felt something like this…except," his eyes widened as his mouth opened in shock. "No, this…this can't be."
Esah recomposed himself, realising he couldn't show any sign of fear or weakness. He knew, more than ever, he had to remain calm and maintain a cool head.
"I see you are as foolish as you are brave," Esah confidently announced. "Attacking me? A Prince with such powers! Surely you know who I am…what I am?!"
The Masked Man stood still, unfazed. "Of course I know what you are — everyone is forced to. You are a stone-cold murderer. And you will pay for what you have done to my people," he shouted as he delicately brushed his mask with the tips of his fingers. "I will slaughter not only you but your entire bloodline, including that wretched father of yours who deserves a torturous death."
Esah gritted his teeth, choosing to take the offensive. As he began to move closer to the Masked Man, he thought to himself, "If I can trap him in my Trance, I should be able to get this over and done with in no time. But I must be careful. His desire…it's…intimidating."
Esah led with a punch, but the Masked Man blocked it with ease, his feet remaining stationary. The Masked Man returned with a ferocious punch, one Esah managed to dodge, only barely, once again. They continued to exchange blows, Esah failing to land a single one while the Masked Man landed some hooks to Esah's face, as well as one deep cut to Esah's lip with his dagger.
Esah scrambled backwards, vulnerable and open to the Masked Man's next attack. He darted quickly towards Esah, his right hand pulled back and ready to swing violently at Esah's chest, eagerly hoping to end their short battle once and for all. But as the Masked Man's dagger cut through the air, Esah saw his opening. In quick succession, Esah ducked the swing of the dagger, propelled above the Masked Man and wrapped his legs around his face, pulling himself upwards and positioning himself on the Masked Man's shoulders. He placed the palms of his hands on top of the Masked Man's head as he began to squeeze the skull hidden beneath the hood.
"Come on, stop moving!" Esah yelled as the Masked Man squirmed and flung his arms around, trying whatever he could to remove Esah from his shoulders. But in just a few seconds, the Masked Man began to fade. His arms slowed and his head stopped throwing itself from left to right. But just before his body stopped moving altogether, he threw his dagger into the air, a purple eminence suddenly wrapping around it as it flew out of sight.
Esah remained focused on his task at hand. "Just another moment or two, and he should be out," Esah thought to himself. "Dream bastard, dream!" His focus never dwindled, and soon after the Masked Man dropped to his knees, Esah still atop his shoulders with his hands pressed on his head.
Esah knew that, by now, the Masked Man's pupils had disappeared, and his eyes were left bare. This meant Esah only had approximately ten seconds to make his move and break his neck with his legs, for he could not let go of the man's head.
The Masked Man, now completely under Esah's control, began to dream.
*****
A young boy awoke in his room. The room was bleak and only a small amount of light shone through the cracks of the uneven wood that surrounded him.
He shot up from his bed, urgently surveying the room. "Mother?" he said, his voice faltering.
His cry was met with no response, and so he began to walk around the room, checking every place he thought his mother could be hiding. The places were limited, however, as the room was mostly empty. Only a table about the height of a baby rested in the middle of the house.
However, as the boy edged closer to the door in the hope that he would find his mother wandering outside, he noticed something that he had never seen in his house. Something that shouldn't have been there. Something he and his mother could never afford.
It was a mirror.
One tall enough for even his mother to look at herself in.
Its presence caught his immediate attention, distracting him from going to find his mother who he thought was strangely missing. He gradually reached the side of the mirror, placed his hand on its edge, and took a deep breath, almost as though he was afraid to see what his reflection would reveal. He exhaled, but couldn't bring himself to put himself in the mirror just yet.
He breathed in and exhaled. Then he did it again. And again. And once more before finally jumping in front of the mirror. But he kept his eyes closed.
About a minute passed, until he, at last, decided to open his eyes. His mouth opened wide as his heart began to beat unfathomably fast. He couldn't take his eyes off what he was met with.
He thought what he was seeing wasn't real. He couldn't believe that this was the reflection the mirror showed. Because of what he saw, he jumped at the mirror, grabbing its sides with his hands and pressed his face against it, analysing himself with great care.
Then he backed off, his eyes never leaving the reflection that looked straight back at him. Gently, he caressed his face as tears began to fall from his face.
Then everything went black.
*****
Esah's voice tore as he screamed violently while trying to snap the Masked Man's neck with his thick legs. But the man's neck scarcely budged. He continued to twist and twist. Yet the more he tried, the more pointless he realised his endeavour was becoming. Nevertheless, he knew he only had a few seconds left, and so he never stopped trying.
Though the Masked Man was stuck in a trance as Esah sat atop his shoulders, it soon became clear that Esah didn't have the advantage he thought he had. Distracted, Esah failed to account for his surroundings. Lost in his objective of defeating the Masked Man, Esah didn't keep himself protected from something that was rapidly approaching him.
The noise it caused became louder and louder, but because Esah was so caught up in winning the battle the way he had planned, he never saw it coming. And suddenly, it came to haunt him.
The dagger, still emanating a purple aura, returned at a burning pace, slicing clean through Esah's left arm. Esah writhed in pain, clutching the blood that spilled out with his right arm. With that, the Masked Man awoke, immediately springing into action, rising to his feet and throwing Esah away onto the floor.
Esah now lay on the floor as the Masked Man eyed him up, his emotions concealed by his mask.
"Your tricks will not work on me," the Masked Man declared. "Now rise to your feet…so I can kill you."
Without much of a choice, Esah stood back up, barely able to move as blood continued to pour onto the ground beside him. He gasped heavily, unable to control his breathing, but was still strong enough to speak.
"What…are…you?"
The Masked Man screamed as a thin, light-golden aura appeared around his body as a vicious storm began to exert from every point of his body. The conditions became harsh as his screams amplified.
Esah found himself in a state of shock he had never quite experienced before.
"Who…are…you?"
The Masked Man huffed, raised his head to the sky before looking straight back at the helpless Esah. He charged at Esah, laughing crazily, but not before affirmatively answering Esah's question.
"I…am who you all claim to be."