Serci was still suffering from his wounds. The searing pain shot through out his body, running like fire through his muscles. His legs threatened to collapse on him, his arms hung heavy at his sides. His breathing was ragged as he stumbled his way through the Virens Forest, tripping at every root and branch that he crossed. The entire air smelled of deep bark and dirt. Everything felt so unfamiliar, this far into the forest and away from the city. The rumors about Virens was true, the further you walked into the forest, the blacker your eyesight drew. Even now, it was a struggle to just see a few trees ahead of him. Serci’s pain however did little to slow him down. Serci pushed through the pain, swallowed the vomit, fought the black outs, and suppressed the screaming agony that he was in. His blue eyes were hot and alight with determination as he trecked through the forest of darkness, and although he could see only a few feet ahead of him, he saw the forest through the trees.

After handing Wisteria off to Angela in Sularia, his destination was set. It was an off feeling, focusing the dark side of his link. He had to embrace everything death and desire for his link to lock onto Dalanesca. But sure enough, the link shifted from Angela to Dalanesca. He could feel the darkness that surrounded her and smell the wooded aroma of the forest. He felt the hot passion running off of her, the pure killing instinct that dripped off her like sweat. He could feel it all around him, tugging him to her. The closer he got, the more suppressive the aura was. It crashed down upon him, looming over him trying to push him into the ground. Fighting through the frightful aura and his pain, his eyesight never swayed from ahead of him.

Dalanesca needed help. While the world searched for answers, he searched for her. It was a losing battle he was told. He was told she had gone too far and that she was lost. But he knew deep down in the core of his soul that his Dalanesca, the Dalanesca that he had come to know, was still there… Somewhere. And Serci be damned if he ever turned his back to a friend in need. He was tired, dirty, and deathly ill. He long past threw his concern of dying behind him, now, it was only a question of when. But he pushed all that back, continuing his way to Dalanesca. Pushing his way through more branches, he found his self in a clearing. A beautiful meadow with a multitude of wild flowers of various colors. The tree’s towered above him, but a handful of rays of sunlight had managed to pierce the densely packed leaves and branches and provided light for the meadow.

In the middle crouched a woman, covered in blood, heaving and shivering. Her back convulsed violently as if it was fighting something within its body. Her head hung low, the pitch black hair covering the pale skin. Maniacal laughter filled the meadow, followed by echoed sobs. A look of horror washed upon Serci as anger welled up in him as he saw his friend in such a state. He closed his eyes, picturing Angela covered in her own blood, Dalanesca’s twisted smile haunting him as he did. When he was composed, Serci called out to her and calm demeanor. “I’ve found you.” Serci took a couple of steps towards Dalanesca, stopping as she twisted her body to face him. He froze when he saw her Icy blue eyes, sizing him up. A look he had come to get used to. “Look upon me, and see the pain that you caused Angela.” He said, he spread his arms, revealing his bloody robes. Serci was known for his neat appearance, his clean robes. His hair that flowed naturally. However, as he was now, his robes were tattered, blood matted his skin. His hair lay in messy heaps, clomped together by blood and dirt. His face was a mess, caked in his blood. “I don’t think I ever told you.” He said lowly, “I always had a suspicion you knew.” Dalanesca sat unmoving as Serci spoke. “My sword links my self to Angela. Therefore, if she were to stub her toe, I would feel it as well.”

“The same goes for if she was stabbed in the heart. I mirror her pain. You can look at me, see how she suffers.” His voice never wavered, and though his words were harsh, he said them ever so gently, so warm. “I tell you this, because I know you care.” His eyes softened as he dropped his arms. “I know it wasn’t you Dalanesca. You once threatened my life if Angela was ever to be harmed, yet you stick her like a pig. I knew from the very start this wasn’t you.”

His voice grew soft as tears welled up in his warm blue eyes. “Let’s go home, Dalanesca. I’ve told you before, I am your champion as much as I am Angela’s. Whatever this is, we can fight it together.”

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…”