#halkial

[cheeky-da-monkey]

Writing Prompt Masterpost

Realms:

Goralga, realm of darkness

Juldin, mortal realm; Earth

Halka, realm of light

Character list:

Erakin, a skeletal being and ruler of the realm of darkness, Goralga. Has the title of Goralgon. Human form: Edward Odon.

Halkial, the feathered ruler of Halka. Human form: Helena Day

Xalior, a mortal body which holds multiple souls all fighting for control. The newest soul has the most control. They are banished from both Goralga and Halka, trapping them in Juldin.

Amir Jalal, a shy, dorky young man who invites Edward to be his roommate.

Mya Adam, a practical young woman training in medicine. Amir’s cousin and best friend

Prompts: JANUARY CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER italics represent major plot points

Dragon

Eavesdropping

Food

The Rocket Ship

Addict

Smoke, Fog and Haze

Numbers

Dream-Catcher

The Vessel

Shadow

Sugar

Outside The Window

Good Vibes

Shopping

Unrequited Love

Dancing

Animals

Cleaning

Great Minds

Closed Doors

Eye Contact

Letter

Found

The Professor

Friendship

Missed Connections

Foreclosure

Greeting

Dread

Fear

Tribute

[cheeky-da-monkey]

Day 31: The Professor

what no this isn’t based on Professor Hidgens at all why would you even suggest that i’m sure you know i can definitely resist a prompt called “the professor” and definitely not write his character into my canon i don’t know what you mean-

It didn’t make any sense.

No matter how many times he tried, no matter how many new cases appeared per week. They were all the same in that they made no sense.

An unknown cause of death. An unusual amount of adrenaline in the bloodstream. He knew that he had asked to examine any anomalies, but that was only to try and match it to his own personal research, not something so strange as this.

It would have been logical to ask the officials to consult another scientist instead, but for some reason his curiosity took control of him and motivated him even more to solve the mystery of the murders.

He was certain that they were murder victims. He had explored every possibility of a natural cause, and had been left stumped. Unless it was some new undetectable disease, or a result of the pathogen that he’d been not-so-secretly researching, the cause of death had to be external.

He had contacted several entomologists to see if an insect could kill a human without leaving its mark, but it had all been in vain. Officer Day never ceased to breathe down his neck for results, and it was beginning to drive him mad.

At least then the rumours about him would become true.

It came to a point that the only sensible explanation was some extra-terrestrial interference. He couldn’t hide his hurt when Officer Day stopped working with him after that conclusion. It almost felt like she had taken a part of him with her.

He never found out what it was. Only that his life was a little darker since that day, which only sped up his descent into madness.

[cheeky-da-monkey]

Day 14: Found

Immediately after Letter!

All of a sudden a great beaming light emerged from the innocent envelope. Erakin quickly scrambled off the bed and tried shield himself with his hands. It was no ordinary light. It was the light of Halka.

Being exposed to it, he felt a raw, growing ache gradually evolve into a stabbing pain. He managed to muster what darkness he could and pushed it forwards to act as a makeshift shield. He approached the envelope with caution, feeling immense agony as he pushed himself through the light which was stripping away his carefully crafted form until all that was left was his skeletal form. With a final effort he closed the envelope and collapsed onto the bed.

Many thoughts began swimming in his mind as he kept his body still in order to let it soak up the darkness around him. Halkan light was extremely rare in Juldin, but harmless to the mortals that inhabited it. To have pure Halkan light sent to his temporary address with his name could only mean one thing.

Halkial was here, and she had found him.

[cheeky-da-monkey]

Day 12: Greeting

HERE WE GO

“So, Mr Odon”

Erakin kept eye contact with the policewoman as she sat down in the seat across the table. He guessed that she had been looking forward to this, as she had been pestering him for a few months, intent on exposing him as a serial murderer. The prospect amused him.

“Not even a “hello”? That’s rather rude.” He said.

She sighed with exasperation. “Please don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”

She tucked in her chair and stared at him. He smirked.

“We have visual evidence of you being in areas where people have been killed using unknown methods. Can you explain where you were on the 28th of July?”

“Malikan forest.” Replied Erakin instantly with a deadpan expression.

The officer looked at him suspiciously. She fidgeted for a moment before leaning across the table and taking a deep breath.

“Did you kill Robin Newell?” “I don’t know.” “Are you a murderer?” “Yes.” “Edward Odon, have you killed multiple people with the intention of murder?” “Yes.” “Are all my suspicions about you true?” “Yes.” “Have you answered honestly?” “Yes.”

She recoiled cautiously, before taking some shaky breaths. The door to the interrogation room slammed open and multiple officers came inside and started to seize the man in front of her.

Erakin didn’t bother to struggle. He’d simply have to escape and take on a different form. He’d planned for this scenario.

“Oh and by the way, Amir Jalal and Mya Adam have already been taken into custody. They will be put under trial and will be charged as your accomplices.”

Erakin’s head snapped up. He glared at the woman, who seemed extremely pleased with herself. The situation had suddenly become very different.

“They did nothing.” he snarled at her.

“Oh yes they did, because you confirmed all of my suspicions.” She replied smugly, tapping the tape recorder on the desk.

Erakin began to struggle and attempted to manipulate the pure darkness around him, only to find that there was none to manipulate. That was only possible if it was snuffed out by the light of Halka! It was only when he met the woman’s eye and saw the unnatural glint of glee that he understood. Oh, how he hated the fact that he understood.

She brought her face close to his as he was dragged away.

“Hello,” she said, “I’m Helena.”

Erakin knew. She was no more Helena than he was Eddie. Halkial had found him.

[cheeky-da-monkey]

Day 10: Friendship

A day late? What? Alright fine, you caught me. Have some fluff to make up for it.

It had been a long day. Mya’s friend’s party had been fun, though Erakin strictly refused to admit it. Every single day he questioned why he went on their silly outings, or even why he shared a flat with Amir. He could never find an answer.

Amir was resting his head on Mya’s shoulder while they both lost themselves in the blissful relief of sleep. For a reason unknown to Erakin, he longed to join them. The sleeping itself would be tedious, but to be able to be a part of their beautiful, insignificant worlds would make him… happy.

He berated himself for even thinking about it. He was Goralgon, after all. He had all of Goralga under him. He was darkness. He was no pathetic mortal. He was Erakin. He was… Eddie.

To them, he was Eddie. A grouchy colleague-turned-flatmate. That’s what they thought of him. Sometimes he would feel an urge to simply tell them the truth, but he didn’t want them in danger. If Halkial ever found him whilst he was trapped in the mortal realm of Juldin... he would hate for them to lose their lives. He cared for them, though not as much as they cared for him. Erakin pondered the lengths he would go to in order to keep them from harm.

As far as he could go.

Fighting against his instincts, he snuggled up between Mya and Amir and wrapped his long, thin arms around them protectively. When he heard the cry of the future, he would retaliate with his own warning.

Do not touch my friends.

[cheeky-da-monkey]

Day 26: Dread

She had won. Halkial had caught him. Destroying Goralga wasn’t enough for the people of Halka; they all seemed hellbent on destroying every aspect of darkness. In order to achieve that, the easiest way would be to do the impossible: to kill Goralgon.

He was Darkness, after all.

If it were any other time, he would simply fight his way out and go into hiding, but he had been careless. He cared about Amir and Mya as if they were of Goralga. If he were to miraculously rebuild Goralga, Erakin would appoint them as rulers. Somehow, she knew this. Halkial was playing with his weaknesses, seeing how far he would go as if she were holding him by a thread, seeing how much he would struggle before it snapped.

Erakin was not prepared to let Halkial win.

However, whatever happened, if she so much as laid a finger on his friends (no, family even), he would personally destroy every nook and cranny of the infinite Halka even if it meant the end for him.

[cheeky-da-monkey]

Day 24: Numbers

Xalior knew that Goralgon and Halkial didn't count. Why would they?

Goralgon tore the darkness away from people. Fear, hatred, anger, misery: all gone, leaving the bodies either dead, or cleansed.

Halkial stripped them of light. Happiness, excitement, love, confidence: all gone, leaving the bodies tainted to evil or empty husks.

To Xalior, both of these daily acts were inexcusable. Especially since Xalior counted.

7,362,921.

It had started with one. A man, who was far beyond his time. Halkial had found him and summoned him to Halka where the man became Xalior.

But Xalior didn't agree with the ways of Halka, and found that he was unable to isolate light like what was expected of him. Xalior had protested against Halkial, and had consequently been banished back to Juldin.

That's where he met the second. A poor old woman that the tribe were beating as sport as if she were an animal. In an attempt to remove her pain and darkness, he accidentally absorbed her soul, trapping it within his body. But it wasn't his body anymore. The woman had some control.

Goralgon was next to approach them. Xalior had absorbed another soul since (a newborn child) so their emotions were extremely strong.

Goralgon took them to Goralga, claiming that it was too dangerous for them in Juldin. Xalior knew that he was only concerned about them stealing his darkness.

Xalior decided to experiment, and soon found out that they could absorb the residents of Goralga too, despite them being immortal.

They were soon also banished from Goralga.

Every new soul gave them a new personality and a fresh set of motives.

The most recent being a burning desire for revenge. Revenge on Goralgon himself, who refused them safe haven from the strains and tragedy of immortality.

7,362,921.

Goralgon would be next.

[cheeky-da-monkey]

Day 21: Foreclosure

Quick guide:

Goralga = Realm of darkness

Juldin = Mortal realm, Earth

Halka = Realm of light

Goralgon = Ruler of Goralga

Halkial = Ruler of Halka

Xalior = immortal being, collection of souls in one body

Goralga was no more.

Erakin could barely process it. Like himself, Goralga was eternal. No beginning, no end. It just was. But now, it wasn’t.

The torrents of beautiful, pure darkness which spread throughout the infinite realm of Goralga like veins carrying blood were also non-existent. Erakin remembered what he had felt when he witnessed the void where Goralga once was, and shuddered. All of the darkness had been snuffed out.

Only Halkial had the power to do that, but even she couldn’t have done it alone. It would’ve taken all the power of Halka to even crack Goralga. Erakin should have been there, yet he was prevented from leaving Juldin due to the banishment of Xalior’s body.

It was his duty as Goralgon to provide for Goralga and its residents. To feed them, to nurture them. To welcome them when once in a century, a new resident would be chosen to live on as a being of darkness. Those countless creatures were no more.

Erakin was lost. He had no purpose without Goralga. Would he still be Goralgon if Goralga didn’t exist? Would Halkial try to banish him? Would he have to spend the rest of time in the mortal realm of Juldin?

He killed four people that night.

But the darkness didn’t feel refreshing like it usually did. Instead it seemed to weigh him down. A burden.

A burden he would have to bear.