Sorry, had a huge paper due for an appellate. Hope this good. I usually am not good with dialogue, so any feed back for improvement would be helpful. Other than that enjoy!. (Read edit below) The battle field smoldered in ruin. Melted Vex husks littered the ash of the once lush jungle. Broken and bloody Fallen corpses were strewn across the surrounding ashen field, tossed aside like broken children’s toys. The Ahamkara stared down at the two, barely standing, combatants before it. It breathed heavily, scalding breath steamed from between its teeth and a blue-green blood flowed from one of its eye sockets. Cracks, splinters, and burns covered its body. The Ahamkara’s wings were tattered and broken. “Warriors mine,” it lashed out, “Your armies are no match for me.” It pointed a long talon at crashed Fallen Skiffs. “Your ships of war rest in obliteration. Why do you still stand opposed?” “We didn’t start this!” Raven cried, panting heavily. Her armor was dented and scratched. Her cloak was completely shredded. She held her shoulder as her legs shook, barely able to hold her weight. “But you did, one does not simply shed the original sin.” “Charlatan…” Raven whispered. “You dare!” The Ahamkara lowered its head bearing its teeth. “You claim to be some benevolent creature, that nothing is worth a life! Look around! You killed everything that stood against you. Original sin? Equivalent exchange? You are just a hypocrite who cannot abide by its own rules.” “I…” it chuckled, “A hypocrite! Laughable puny creature. Watch in awe of my power. I give my broken wings for my lost eye.” A bright light radiated from the back of the creature. It roared loudly, shaking the ground, stumbling Raven and Kepariks. Its wings evaporated into a flutter of bright golden light as beams of white light ignited its eyes. There was another loud roar as the creature bowed its head once more. Its bloody eye cracked open, the deep crimson iris contracted as it narrowed and focused its pupil. “Behold, the instrument of my power.” Raven grinned slyly as the creature laughed, reveling at its own ego. “Kepariks,” she said, “I have an idea.” Raven turned and quietly explained her plan. “Curious…” Kepariks growled, “Prey, you will have my support.” “Hey! That’s some cheap trick you have.” “Poor huntress, do you not stand in aw of my power?” “No.” “Why?” The Ahamkara sounded offended. “You can claim to grant wishes and show off all you want but why not grant me a wish?” “Huntress Raven, you do not deserve such an indulgence.” “Guess you are nothing but a hypocrite…” “How dare you!” The Ahamkara raised its claw, aiming for Raven. “A test then!” Raven exclaimed right as the claw came within inches of her head. “If you are so powerful then a battle of the minds would be no problem for you?” “You wish to challenge me to a game of wit? Then wish my existence away should I lose? HA! Do not bother me with such a trivial matter.” “Yeah that about sums it up… PHONY.” “Then fall before my might warrior mine!” The Ahamkara growled. It opened its mouth and heavy steam flooded the area around Kepariks and Raven. The engulfing mist completely whited out their vision. Darkness then overtook and both fell. Their eyes quickly opened as the sensation of falling broke their unconsciousness. “Welcome to the field of wisdom that is the mind, warriors mine. Here we will do battle.” “What will be the test?” Kepariks inquired. “You are familiar with riddles?” “Yes…” “The game is quite simple. You each ask a riddle of me and I shall answer. Then I will ask a riddle for each of you to solve. Should any be unable to answer the other shall be declared the victor. I win and your minds will become one with mine, I will assume all of your collective knowledge. You win, and I will grant your silly wish. The only rule, you have ten seconds to answer.” “Perfect,” Raven said also taking a seat. “Please start.” “I can only live when there is light, but I die if the light shines on me. What am I Huntress Raven?” “A shadow.” There was no hesitation. “Creature Kepariks, many have heard me, but none have ever seen me, and I shall not speak back until I am spoken too. What am I?” Kepariks crossed its arms and sat down. It closed its eyes and gritted its teeth before speaking. “Understanding is unfair, and I have no wish…” The Ahamkara snarled in spiteful rage. “Then you forfeit?” “Yes.” “Very well. Your fate rests on her shoulders.” Keparkis simply shrugged in response. “From the beginning of every end,” Raven interrupted, “And the end to every place. I begin eternity and am the end of both time and space. Ahamkara, what am I?” “The letter E,” The Ahamkara responded. “I bring tears to your eyes, resurrect the dead, make you smile and reverse time. I am but a moment but last a life time. What am I?” “A memory,” Raven responded immediately once more. “Please give me something more difficult. By the way what tastes better than it smells?” “The tongue, and you will fail eventually, no matter how easy the riddles may seem to you. Eight of us go forth but never back to protect the king from foes attack.” “A Pawn. Three men sit in a boat and hold four cigarettes but not a lighter. How do they manage to smoke?” “That is clever, however they throw a cigarette over the side to make the boat a cigarette lighter. What always comes but never arrives?” “Tomorrow." Raven rolled her eyes. "What is ‘it?’ He makes it but doesn’t need it. She buys it but doesn’t use it. They can use it but never see or feel it.” “What you insignificant creatures call a coffin. Death is but a mortal ailment. You can have me, you wish to share me, but should you, you no longer have me. What am I?” “A secret. Imagine a dark room, no doors, no windows, how do you get out?” “Simply stop imagining it. What is lighter than a feather but the worlds strongest human cannot hold it for more than a minute?” “Your breath. I have roots that nobody sees, am taller than trees, up and up I go but yet I do not grow?” “A mountain. Thirty white horses perched on red hills, champ, stamp, then stand still.” “Your teeth! Please something harder! Voiceless I cry, wingless I flutter, toothless I bite, and mouthless I mutter.” “Wind.” The lack of hesitation up until now made the Ahamkara narrow its eyes. “There is an eye in a blue face, and an eye in a green face. ‘That eye is like this eye, yet in a low place, and not in a high.’” “The sun over a yellow green plant on a waterback planet. As the sun rises there into a blue sky over a plant of some kind that is green at the stem yet yellow around its top. I cannot be seen, felt, heard, or smelt. I am behind stars, and underground. I fill empty holes, end life and kill laughter.” “Darkness. A container without a lid. Yet, inside golden treasure hides.” Raven pulled a knife from her belt holster and flipped it around her hand, performing small tricks. “The egg. Alive without breath, cold as death, never thirsty but always drinking.” “...Fish." The Ahamkara took a breath as it thought a moment for the first time. "Two children were born to the same mother, on the same day, at the same time, and in the same room, yet are not twins. Why?” "They were a set of more than two children. I devour all, birds, beasts, and plants. I topple walls, kill kings, and decimate armies. I rust iron and steel. I grind down mountains.” “Simpleton, you wish that I name myself to get the question wrong, but the answer is time! What is black when obtained, red while used, and grey when spent?” "Charcoal," Raven sighed. "I'm bored." Raven tossed up her knife and as it fell snatched it by the handle and smiled cheerfully. “What do I have in my backpack?” “Cheater!” The Ahamkara bellowed. It roared in anger as it threw a tantrum in the space of its own mind. “Let me be clear, you have three seconds to answer…” The Ahamkara bore its teeth clenching them, unable to answer. “Two… One… Zero…” The creature slammed its claw into the ground and both Raven and Kepariks opened their eyes again on Venus. “How dare you!” The Ahamkara raised its claw. “Stop, you are bound to grant me a wish.” The Ahamkara swung down but was stopped mid way. Roaring in frustration, the creature’s muscles locked and an invisible force bowed its head. “Cheater!” “No, your only rule was the time limit. I answered every question with the help of what was in my backpack. Luka, is my ghost and she was happy to help. Now grant my wish.” “Never!” The Ahamkara’s voice boomed over the planet as the invisible force turned its claw over opening its palm. “I wish you to grant both me and Kepariks another wish.” The creature’s eyes widened. “I simply want peace of mind. You see this planet has been nothing but trouble and I need to know what I am forgetting if anything. Now you will grant me peace of mind with no negative cost.” A bright light slowly climbed out of the palm of the creature. A vine that flowered bright rose heads that reached out and brushed Raven’s cheek. A warmth overtook her body and she smiled, a large weight dissipating from her chest. A tear fell down her cheek as everything came to focus in a peaceful serenity. “I want your death… by my hand.” Kepariks smirked. The Ahamkara remained silent as its body became surrounded by light. Scales fell off the creature, as it shed it armored defense. A spear made from exotic metal materialized before Kepariks. It took it, gripping the cold beast tightly. Pointing it at the Ahamkara, it took a mighty swing. There was a brief silence before an earth shattering rumble quaked the ground. A golden light shot from the tip of the spear. The Ahamkara’s body went lip as the rumbling ceased and light dimmed. “Honor is mine…"