She was there.
She was gone.
She was there – no, she was gone.
At first, when the eldritch abomination that called itself Azhizheth had taken over Dalanesca’s body, she had been able to gain control for small periods of time. She was aware of everything the creature said using her voice, every single movement of every single limb on her body. However, as time went on and the creature had inhabited her form for even longer, she began to lose bits and pieces, and the ability to take control was becoming less and less, and her sanity was also becoming less and less.
This was how Serci found her, in a clearing in Virens Forest. One moment, the creature would be in control, hideous laughter erupting from her lips – the next, she would be back in control, crying uncontrollably over the inexplicably strong sadness she felt from nearly murdering her best friend. She was apprehensive each time she gained control, because it seemed as though the creature was letting her have the control, and she could not figure out why.
Here was Serci, and he was speaking to her, and she couldn’t get a word out edgewise. It was like Azhizheth was letting her hear, letting her see, and letting her move – but it would not let her speak. Not, however, until Serci dropped his arms, and told Dalanesca that he wanted her to go home. She wanted nothing more than to go home – but the creature would not allow it.
She crawled across the ground to Serci, and within moment she was at the feet of the champion. ”I don’t… I d-don’t want this… Please,” she said, speaking the only words she had been able to muster. She didn’t want anything, and she felt so much pain – the creature almost made her feel as though she were being split apart from the inside, her organs and skin switching places. She clutched at his robe as another sob wracked her body. ”K-kill me…” she whispered, begging for him to end things for her. She felt it was the only way she could be stopped, the only way the creature would stop wreaking havoc in Revaliir.
”It’s the only way,” she whispered, sounding the most in control she had since he had stepped into the clearing. She clutched tighter at his robes, and suddenly, something changed. Her eyes were no longer icy blue, but now abysmal void pools, blacker than the blackest night. ”If you don’t kill me, then I WILL KILL YOU,” she shrieked, tugging violently at the fabric of his robes.
She suddenly pulled her hand away as though she had been burned, and her eyes faded back to blue. ”Serci, you need to leave,” she whispered, tears beginning to pour from your eyes. ”It’s too strong, and I don’t know how long I can keep it subdued… it wants to get out,” she whispered, and for the second time since they had known one another, Dalanesca seemed absolutely terrified. ”Please, Serci, I don’t want to hurt you,” she whispered. One of her eyes began to swirl dark again, and she contorted strangely, falling to the ground in the fetal position, a scream of agony spewing forth from her lips.
”I can’t hold it off much longer, you… you need to go,” she said, choking the words out through the pain she was obviously feeling as she tried to keep the creature pushed back. ”Serci, please… please go…” she whispered, pleading with him – though she knew it was futile.
Suddenly, however, the pain subsided, and she almost felt… normal? After a moment, she sat up, and it seemed as though Azhizheth had never inhabited her at all – though, she knew that couldn’t be the case. She was sure it was tricking her, and she didn’t know how long she would be coherent. ”Serci, listen to me,” she said, sounding more like herself than she had previously. ”You need to go. I don’t know how long I’ll be in control for…”