Something Greater Than Darkness

I know what you're thinking.  "Oh... that's cool.  But... uh... what is it?"  It's a flaming symbol!  A symbol that becomes very important in my current WIP novel.  What's with the flames?  *shrugs*  Blame the muse.

Originally this ancient sun/compass design was painted on a cavern wall.  It hung silently in the darkness for a couple hundred years until someone's torchlight fell across it.  Below it were these words:

"There is something greater than darkness that calls to the light in every soul."

Reagan

For Christmas, I took on a special project.

A pet portrait, but not just any pet portrait.  Reagan, my cousin's best friend.  Something he could have while he's away from home.  Something to help him remember all those good memories.  Like those long explorations in the woods.  Or meeting at the end of the driveway after school.  Or going fishing together.



This was my reference picture:

And this is the finished project:

The Inner Beast

I know all about anger.  It helps to bring out the inner beast - a creature that prowls its cage of darkness waiting to be loosed.  They feed it lies.  They teach it to crave the dark power that comes with spilling blood - a crimson trail to taint the mind and become a lifelong shackle. 

Who am I?  A man or a beast?  A victim or a killer?  Can I become anything but what I am - what they have made me to be?  Can I guard myself from the predator that stalks within before daylight shows me for what I truly am? 

A human monster.

No... he is not a werewolf.  Meet Jurridan Kyd.  My main character who, being an assassin, struggles with a vicious inner beast.  Ever heard the Cherokee legend of the two wolves?

An old Cherokee is teaching is grandson about life.  "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.   

"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.  One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow,  regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.  The same fight i s going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."   

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"   

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

And that is the best way to describe the the war between the victim and the killer in my MC.