The mind of the harbinger

[Rumours of Yew]

Independent thought provoked suspicion.
Ever paranoid was the presence in his mind. The presence he only felt. The presence he had never seen.
Knew it existed, out there, somewhere, rising, expanding its influence every moment of every single day.
Knew these instructions, these commands, these impulses were not his own, knew they came from somewhere.
Knew he had been sent.
Knew he had worth, a special tool, a device, a means to an end.
Knew though that when all was said and done it would have no use for anyone, any tools, any things.
Had felt the presence in his mind.
Knew the presence would dominate.
Dominate all, until it was all that remained.

Yet impulse prevailed.

Once was Emris, now was the harbinger.

[Rumours of Yew]

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/1472/eyesofemris.png


And so he had observed the battle with a keen interest, watched as the ranks held against the innumerable hordes, as once friends turned foe and crashed upon the shields and swords of the few.
He had watched with dismay as the hordes thinned, as the attacks lacked direction, lacked purpose, watched with frustration as the guardsmen crumbled under the sheer weight of numbers but no enveloping charge ever arrived.
He supposed this would be considered a failure, so very many thralls lost forever but he felt no suggestion from the presence in his mind that there was dissatisfaction, maybe there was a hidden purpose, he understood not the motivations or the mind (or minds) of the presence, only the instructions he received; the flashes, the impulses, the words not of his own,
sing-song utterances, no longer soothing but guttural.

He had long since forgotten his own gender, his own soul, his own life before now, a world apart. There was a world, a world of his own but he could not fathom what it might have been.
He saw the soft, tantalizing, fertile flesh of the women watching from above, he felt the yearning, felt the phantom ache in his loins.
He saw their milky white skin, the fullness of their breasts. Was perplexed by this craving and felt the twinge of curiosity from the presence in his conscious, felt the prying thoughts and purged the appetite from his mind.

A world without such distractions would be a better world indeed, a new world.
Tomorrow's world.

[Rumours of Yew]

Should have been atrocious in its brutal retribution. Should have replied in kind. So many infant thralls slain.
Yet the presence in his mind showed no signs of irritation, aggravation or even acknowledgement of their depravity.

It was above and beyond the petty retribution, the eye for an eye perspective that had dominated human relations for millennia. Its decisive vengeance would arrive in time. It could be patient.
It had waited so very long already...

[Rumours of Yew]

This body had failed.
Yet there would always be others...

For he was the harbinger.

[Rumours of Yew]

The presence had vanished.

His mind was his own, yet the damage wrought upon him had made him the perfect tool of his former master.
Yet he had been abandoned without instruction, without objective, without understanding. He had not the power to wield and control the diminishing might of the thralls at his command. They were many perhaps but they were weak.
He required guidance but none was forthcoming.

One final throw of the dice…
If that failed; the ultimate sacrifice... ...of all things.

[Rumours of Yew]

The emergence of the returning presence had revitalised his efforts.

The foolish guardsmen could doubt the unavoidable conclusion but they were, as they knew all too well, merely in denial.