It was an exceptionally black night. No stars were shining in the absolutely dark sky, something was preventing them from sparkling to the world below, and so they couldn't guide creatures that used them to navigate their ways through foreign lands and waters. Gone was the great moon as well, even though it should have been blessing the world with its pure light tonight and its absence was driving the wolves mad with despair, for they were the most devoted worshippers of the Goddess of Moon. No matter how much they prayed, the silvery sphere remained hidden, and to wolves, it was an ominous sign. Other beings yearned to see the moon too, some because its mysterious light would enhance their magical properties and some because by gazing at the moon, they could understand mysteries of the world and even see a glimpse of the future. But there were also those who were delighted that the moon didn't show its face that night, because to some, its light was the source of curses.

And then, of course, there were also beings that didn't really care much about whether things were in order in heaven. Knaergiri was one of such. Most of the day he had spent flying around from place to place, and when the day had turned to night and the sunlight disappeared and wasn't replaced by moonlight, it felt refreshing somehow and he enjoyed flying in the complete darkness. He was like a great shadow that glided above the settlements, though for a dragon, he didn't have a huge and terrifying size. It didn't stop him from being malicious, however, for he had been born with an instinct to spread chaos and madness. He was still young, still trying to comprehend the power he wielded, but so far he had thoroughly enjoyed using his abilities that could drive a person mad. The mind of a mortal can be so fragile, so easy to shatter, and doing this to someone was something Knaergiri considered the most entertaining thing.

A little bit tired from the flight that had lasted from the morning to the darkest hours of the night, Knaergiri felt the need to rest for a while. In the distance he spotted a little village and all the fires the residents had lit in order to desperately banish the smothering darkness now that the moon or stars weren't there to illuminate the night. A slight grin appeared on Knaergiri's face – he had no good intentions at all – and he set his course to the village. Surely he would find a new toy from there and then see what would happen; he couldn't always predict the outcome of his actions.

His flight was completely silent, so nobody in the village noticed how a threatening shadow above them was infiltrating their peaceful and quiet lives. And since the night was black like void, the villagers didn't even see his figure approaching – Knaergiri made sure that he would fly out of the reach of the street lamps and torches that brought warmth and comfort during a night like this. He flew through the village once before he decided to land near one of the external buildings. Knaergiri's landing was a soft one, thanks to his slim and rather small figure; his head didn't even reach the roofs of most of the buildings in this village. He blended rather well with the darkness and shadows thanks to his dark brown scales and slowly and silently he began to walk among the buildings, looking for a perfect first victim.

Most people were asleep during such a late hour, but Knaergiri knew that there would always be someone who was out, maybe for a good reason or because they were doing shady deeds under the cover of darkness. And this night would be perfect for the latter, though in a peaceful small settlement like this one it was less likely that there would reside crooked people. It didn't really matter, however, because Knaergiri could bring forth the worst of people, the secret dark side that dwelled deep in the soul of any person. Everybody carried madness within them, some more, some less, and Knaergiri was excellent at awakening that madness. He began to whisper softly as he moved among the buildings, waiting to encounter someone who could hear his silent words.

And he found one. A lone man had been walking through the dark streets, completely unaware of Knaergiri's presence. He heard the dragon before seeing him. Knaergiri's whispers reached his ears, causing him to feel dread at first. Nervously the man had glanced around, failing to see the source of the whispers that had started to haunt him. He had then hastened his pace, moving more swiftly from shadow to shadow. But the whispers wouldn't leave him be as Knaergiri followed him quietly and as loyally as the man's own shadow. The dragon's whispers were getting louder in the man's ears and to him, it started to seem like they were echoing all around him. He was afraid. He was ready for Knaergiri to pick up like a ripe fruit.

Momentarily Knaergiri turned into a shade that could pass through everything like a ghost. In this form, he was gliding by the man's side, which only stirred more anxiety within him. And the dragon knew how to play this game, he knew which strings to pull.

And so he spoke to the man, quietly and with a soft tone: “You have nothing to fear, I'm your friend.”

The man got visibly startled, but he stopped his going. Knaergiri smoothly glided past him and settled down in front of the man. He regained his usual form and looked with his red eyes straight at the man's own. This eye contact seemed to pin the man in place and he didn't move even an inch, he was captured by the dragon's gaze.

Knaergiri opened his mouth again to speak: “I can see that something is troubling you. Tell me, what weighs down your heart so?”

The man was staring at the mighty creature with wide eyes and he opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, trying to find his voice. Eventually, he managed to do that. “I… uh… Who are… you…?”

Knaergiri smiled at him. “My name is Knaergiri. And like I said, I'm your friend. Now, tell me, what is troubling your mind?”

“I…” The man started to get a hold of himself and he measured the dragon with his gaze. He shook his head and started to take a few steps forward, attempting to bypass the dragon. “You can't do anything. Goodbye.”

But Knaergiri didn't let him go that easily. “Oh, my friend, but I have traveled a great distance just to see you. The gods have sent me, so I can help you. It is the will of deities that your inner crisis shall be resolved with my help. I'm here to listen. It does good for your soul to open up, my friend. I have nothing but time. So tell me everything.”

The man halted his movements again and looked at the dragon's eyes once more. He seemed to ponder hard in his little mind what he should do. But Knaergiri knew that he would lower his guard. They always would.

He was still hesitating, however. “I'm not quite comfortable talking about it. The whole thing makes me feel like a bad person, to be honest… And I… I strive to be a good man.”

“We all have a little bit of darkness within us”, Knaergiri said, nodding his head. “It's what makes us mortals and individuals. Nothing is purely black and white. What you hide inside may be something you deem as immoral, but it isn't inherently evil. Do you get what I'm saying?”

“I… I think so…” The man lowered his gaze to the ground. Knaergiri smiled to himself. He was getting a grasp of this man.

“You probably feel isolated because of what you're feeling. You have no one to talk to in this village. But I'm here now. You can talk to me”, Knaergiri said, encouraging the man one more time.

“Well…” The man took a deep breath. “My sister is getting married. But the guy she's marrying… I know he's scum and I'm the only one who's seeing it! He's an outsider, came here from another town, so nobody knows shit about him, but I have seen him before while I visited another place. And he acted like a real piece of shit, I tell you! He was a pig, harassing ladies and hitting them!” He paused for a moment and was trembling, likely because of the pent-up anger. “I have tried to talk my sister out of it, but she doesn't believe my words! That asshole has charmed her completely with his good looks and sweet lies, same thing with the rest of the folks here. My sister thinks I'm just being a bitch about this because I'm still mad that our father left most of his possessions to her, she thinks that I'm just trying to sabotage her happiness. But it's not that! I know this guy is a fucking liar and would definitely ruin her life once they're married! And I… I'm just so frustrated with this thing! Sometimes I just want to fucking kill that guy before he hurts my sister!”

Then he went silent after this outburst. He was all tensed up, his whole body shaking from the sheer rage. Knaergiri was pleased; this human was now like a fish in a hook, unable to choose his own fate. He would go exactly where Knaergiri would pull him.

“He has disturbed the peace in the village, hasn't he?” Knaergiri asked softly. “And the only way to bring it back is to get rid of that man.”

The man shook his head a little. “You must think I'm a bad guy, thinking like that… I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything…”

“No, no, my friend”, Knaergiri said, “it doesn't make you bad. You just want to protect your sister from a terrible fate. You have tried your best to resolve it peacefully. But sometimes, like in this case, more force is needed. Ending this man's life may sound horrible, but it's for a good cause, you could say. It's completely justified, but I do understand your plight.”

The man looked at the dragon again and something had lit in his previously so dull eyes. “You think I should do it?”

“Definitely”, Knaergiri declared. “And I can give you a helping hand.”

The dragon opened his maw and let out a slight flow of crimson flames. And in the middle of his fire, a long object was trying to form in the air. It turned out to be a sword, its blade dark like a shadow and a little bit of Knaergiri's fire remained smoldering on its surface even after he had stopped breathing out the flames. The man had watched him doing his magic with fearful, but also curious eyes.

“Go on, take it”, Knaergiri urged him gently.

The man took a couple of uncertain steps towards the weapon floating in the air. He reached out his hand, trembling a little bit, and he held his hand in the air for a few seconds, not quite sure if he dared to touch the sword. But soon his fingers reached the hilt of the weapon, still hesitant, but then he grasped it and took hold of the sword. His other hand joined in with gripping the magical object and for a short moment he stared at its blade and the crimson flames that still burned around it. The look in his eyes changed as he was gazing at the sword, a light of determination had lit in them, but Knaergiri could also see something else; it was a spark of madness. He grinned, being very much pleased with himself.

“Now, my friend, you have to eradicate the source of your sister's misery”, the dragon spoke softly. “With this sword, you are guaranteed to succeed.”

“Yes… Yes, I have to do it”, the man uttered, his eyes still fixed at the blade. However, soon he lowered it and started to walk with steadfast steps. He bypassed the dragon and kept going forward and little by little he hastened his pace until he was running through the empty streets of the village. Knaergiri began to follow him, transforming again into his shadowy form, and it seemed like he had turned into the shadow of the man as he was moving on his trail. The dragon started to whisper silently again, but they echoed in the man's ears, encouraging him, filling him with dedication. He was becoming more and more sure about the task at hand until finally, he had no doubt in his heart. He had to kill. And nobody could stop him.

He made it to the house that had once belonged to his whole family – but those happy days were now gone, being nothing but a bitter memory. With a monstrous strength he broke through the door, the sound of crushing wood banged loud in the silent night. There was no doubt that the people in the house were awakened by the racket. But it didn't matter. Determinedly he marched through the house, his steps being like a countdown to the crook's demise. He stomped towards the stairs that led to the second floor, for he knew that he would find his target from there.

But along the way he met his sister who was peeking from the doorway to the bedroom, awakened by the loud noise.

“Anroy, what on earth is…” Her words died on her lips as she registered the cursed sword of Knaergiri in the hands of her brother. “What are you doing with that…?”

Anroy ignored her almost completely, he just shoved her aside as he strived to reach the bedroom.

“Anroy? Anroy!” She tried desperately to get her brother's attention, but he continued to stomp on forward.

“Ethelly, my dear, what's happening there?” The man Anroy had been seeking had crawled out of the bed as well because of the commotion. Once Anroy had passed the door and entered the bedroom, the man he hated so much registered his presence and looked at him with mutual hatred in his eyes. “The fuck are you doing here?”

But his eyes went wide with fear instead as he realized that his heart was being pointed at with a sword.

“I won't let you hurt my sister”, Anroy hissed through gritted teeth. “I won't let you ruin her life!”

The villain of his story was backing off until his back met the wall. “Whoa, Anroy, put that thing down! Let's talk about this, yeah? Like two mature adults.”

Anroy raised his weapon, ready to strike. “There is nothing to talk about. A scumbag like you won't change.”

With the force of his hatred for this man, he thrusted his sword forward with a powerful motion and the blade sunk into the flesh of the other man. The sword pierced his black heart and as Anroy pulled his weapon out of his filthy flesh, his limp body fell to the floor like a ragdoll, a pool of blood soon staining the floorboards.

“No! Anroy, what have you done?!” Ethelly ran towards the fresh corpse of her fiancé and kneeled down on the floor next to him. With desperation guiding her hands, she scooped his head, tenderly brushing away a strand of his hair from his face and she was caressing the skin of his cheeks, trying to get any signs of life out of him. But there was none. He was gone, his life stolen away by her brother. Tears veiled her eyes and she couldn't keep the sobs inside of her. For a while she stayed there on the floor, her nightgown stained by her fiancé's blood, holding his head and weeping for him.

All the while her brother Anroy had remained still in the background. There was no expression on his face, absolutely no remorse as he watched the tragedy unfold before his eyes. He was hollow. He felt nothing although he had just taken a human life and broke his sister's heart. But as he gazed at crying Ethelly, he could hear something other than her weeping reaching his ears. They were whispers, telling him that he should take Ethelly's life as well; a broken heart can't be fixed, it would be easier for her to die together with her love. He took a couple of slow steps closer to his sister. And before she even was aware that he had moved, Anroy made a quick swing with his sword and cut off Ethelly's head. Her head rolled down on the floor, her body soon following and her blood got mixed together with the blood of her lover.

Anroy raised his sword to the level of his face and looked at its dark blade and the swirls of flames that danced around it. And in his head, he made a soundless question to the sword: what now? He closed his eyes and soon the whispers were back again, they were resonating from the sword, he realized.

[i]“Kill all the villagers. They won't understand your actions or the justice you brought upon the criminal; they'll just think that you're the criminal here. They will hang you for sure, but with what right? They're just a bunch of fools, you're above them. They're bound by their human laws, but what are those laws compared to the will of gods? Remember, I'm your friend sent by the gods and their will is absolute. Now, kill everyone or they will kill you.”[/i]

Now Anroy knew what he had to do. He opened up his eyes again and started to head out of the house, leaving behind the bodies of his sister and the wicked man. This place used to be a happy home, but now it was tainted with murder, a stage for a great tragedy. Determinedly Anroy marched down the stairs and as he was getting closer to the door he had crushed, the flames of the sword started to spread from the blade to his body and he was engulfed by them. But they didn't burn him, they were empowering him, granting him strength that he couldn't even have dreamed of obtaining. But there it was now, waiting to serve him in his task at hand, the unpleasant but necessary deed he had to do.

As Anroy left the house and returned to the streets of the dark night, there was one being watching him and the first steps of the great massacre that would soon take its place, excited for it. Knaergiri had climbed on the roof of Anroy's previous home, lying there like a large shadow. With the gaze of his red eyes, he followed how the madman began his bloody play and barged in the first house to end the life of its denizens. The dragon waved his thin whip-like tail leisurely and had a wide grin on his face. Oh, the poor little man… Just a moment ago he had been innocent and now he had already taken the life of two people. And the number would only go higher. Human mind can be so fragile, so easy to break once you have managed to slip in through the cracks. Knaergiri had done it again, planted the seeds of madness inside someone's head and put him under a spell, all just for his own sadistic amusement.

He would let Anroy go, of course, at the very end. It was always interesting to him how different people reacted once they had got their control back. But for now, there was a show to see and he was the lone spectator.

Knaergiri remained in his spot as the first screams of horror echoed in the darkness. Now it will begin… This was the tale of a crazed killer that slaughtered the entire village in one night. And the dragon would watch through it all, until the moment when the last drop of blood would be spilled.