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[NightShade]

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The Drezkel were encircling her, their sharp weapons aimed high at the white flesh of her throat. Silence was broken by the resounding tones of a deep voice far behind them.

Nightshade, Grandaughter, do not move or I will have them incapacitate you.

Nightshade listened to the all to familiar voice, should she quake with fear? She began to laugh. Haunting echoes of what was once a young girls laugh rang from her body. Drezkel hold her prisoner? She bent over hysterical laughter taking hold and the Drezkel flinched pushing their spears menacingly closer.

Hold! The voice commanded a bit of surprise in its tone. She returned to a defiant upright position covering a hand to where the girls heart should have been…

Her eyes gifted her with keen sight as she stared beyond skeletons, beyond the wave of flesh golems, till they locked with the green eyes of her grandfather. Her eyes shifted from his face and roved over the figure next to him and her anger grew alarmingly, perched on his arm was that harlot, that woman of her own destruction. Aggie was fair of face, she held herself proud, for the moment.

Your minions are no more than dust to me grandfather. Her voice cut thru the silence harsh and angry. As taught, Nightshade shot out her arms and whispered the words of power into the night. A ripple of brilliant blue light radiated out from her body glowing intently. Loudly the bones of skeletons around her began to crack the noise sickening in the stillness of the night. Gracefully as if they were no more than dominos they shattered and fell in tiny shards to the ground. Specks of white beauty glistening in the moonlight.

The Flesh Golems at his command advanced, Take her, but alive! Nightshade it is time to come home!

A deadly look in her eyes she stood silent and still her sinewy muscles, from hours of sword training, taut, just watching the approaching masses of corrupted flesh.

They stepped mindlessly into her bone trap field and the shards clung to their flesh like sticky honey digging mercilessly in. Her magic still clung to the shards as they ripped the Flesh Golems apart. The tearing of flesh a sound not commonly heard, leaving behind piles of torn up limbs and a massacre of organs.

Grandfather I have broken bone and torn flesh do you tempt me further? Her eyes rested venomously on Aggie next to him. Nightshades hair gone black in her fury, she raised her head level with his her green eyes glowing.

Jonathan Strathmore was shocked, what are these spells! I have never seen them before..they are not normal dark arcane.

Nightshade spoke softly I will not go with you today..
As for Aggie, the smile had faded from her lips, and the woman stared at Nightshade in horror as if she stared at death itself shame registering on her face for what she had helped create. In that moment Jonathan saw the hate in Nghtshade's eyes and knew that Aggie was in extreme danger.

Quickly he tried to pull her out of the way but the red beam of energy hit the Sorceress full force sizzling intensely thru her body. There was no time to block, or protect the woman, the damage was done.He released Aggies arm in horror as her skin bubbled and grew hot, melting off her bones, loud wailing screams of agony erupting from her throat. Flesh dripped like molten lava down her bones into a puddle at his feet. The smell of burning blood mixed with the acrid smell of burning flesh made him gag and he staggered back staring at his granddaughter in amazement. I will be back for you granddaughter.

Nightshade calmed, her hair lightening till the green strands were once more visible, a large mockingbird flew down from the trees and landed heavily on her shoulder. I can not leave my studies, my teacher would be most displeased.With a smirk she and the bird were gone leaving him to stare at the surrounding carnage.
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Something is Wrong, I can still feel Existence...

[NightShade]

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Slowly she walked down the corridor it was dark and cool. Nightshade could feel the strong magic protecting this shrine; she could feel the eyes of many unknowns watching her carefully. She knew that it was only because of the one she sought that she still existed. Soft chanting could be heard, men in robes draped red stood out in the courtyard, they chanted constantly, for days at time, until they dropped dead to the ground. Some of their brothers already lay dead at their feet but they continued on just the same. Nightshade stopped and watched for a moment. They were just tools nothing more.

Nightshade came at last to the great shrine doors, symbols were etched painstakingly into every part of the door, and no stone was left untouched. She reached up and touched one of the symbols, ironically it was an artistically embedded depiction of a twig of nightshade. She traced her fingers along the carving and it began to glow brightly, she pulled from her pocket a twig of nightshade, and it fit perfectly into the grooves of the carved replica.

The doors swung open and she saw a beautifully carved lounge chair, Silks and tapestries adorned the walls a large mirror dominating the room. A gnarled hand pulled back the thin silk covers on the lounge and a thin green haired woman turned her body towards her. Nightshade jumped, she had been so fascinated by the room she had been caught off guard.

Come closer child… Nightshades voice rang out strongly. I am not a child! You are a child of my child come closer. She walked forward cautiously, and a thin white hand, skeletal, reached out and gripped her arm. Nightshade looked down upon the face of the one she had sought, the face of her paternal grandmother.

The hand ran along her arm chanting softly, Flesh of my Flesh, Bone of my Bone, and Blood of my blood. Nightshade stared fascinated as the woman pulled out a dagger, much like her own and cut into Nightshades arm. Blood dripped from her arm but she did not move she could not tear her eyes away. Her grandmother dipped her finger in a drop of blood and rubbed it gently between her fingers. It is rich! Strong! Excellent, magic flows within it.

Child, your grandfather and I, gave some of our own flesh, bone and blood to create the man you knew as your father. Why you must wonder, and she cackled lightly, I can not tell you as that would put you in more danger. She stared at Nightshade, but I loved him and see now what love has done to me.

She waved her hand about the shrine. You look comfortable grandmother… Nay child I am not free I must stay here under guard a prisoner, while he roams ,the lands, searching for you.

Her gripped tightened on Nightshades arm and pain surged thru Nightshade, a pain she had not felt in a long time, it brought her down to her knees, she suddenly longed once more for the shrine of ice.

That is my pain child, as you to have felt a pain like this before. I carry it every day. With those words said the remnants of Nightshades own pain swirled away being absorbed into the hand of her grandmother. Some say I have just made you less human, some would say I have just made you more reckless. I will not have this distracting you, this bit of pain you carried still within you. Nightshade felt calm, peace flowed over her, she felt her focus returning and blessedly, she felt numb. I know the path you seek and you will obtain it, this I will not let you fail in.

She placed the dagger in Nightshades hand, and a group of five women filed into the room as if they had been summoned.

Now flesh of my flesh and bone of his bone…you will release me from my prison of eternal agony. You will give me peace, let the sacrifice begin.

With those words the women came and lifted the old woman off the lounge and laid her on the floor, a pentagram beneath her. The chanting in the courtyard grew louder and rang in Nightshades ears, bells tolled from atop the towers and she could hear the loud squeaking of bats as they took flight leaving their once quiet homes. The doors to the shrine flew open and a gust of air swirled thru the room lifting the women’s hair. A great cloud of ravens, swirled in and gracefully landed around them. The cawing was loud and incessant and Nightshade felt a strange need welling up inside her to plunge her dagger into the old woman’s heart.

The women all kneeled as Nightshade leaned over the wretched figure of her grandmother the dagger lifted high above her head, both hands upon the hilt. She stood there poised waiting, for something. Her grandmothers eyes fluttered softly open and she nodded her head slightly to her. Whispering in a cracked voice, Give me peace….

Nightshade plunged the dagger down the birds shrieking angrily as the hilt protruded from the woman’s bleeding chest. Dark blood oozed from the wound and the women who knelt around her pulled out daggers of their own and plunged them deep into their own chests. The birds themselves seemed to scream in agony and fall, like the women, dead upon the ground. All had grown silent.

Then like the crackling of breaking ice, the great mirror on the wall shattered into a thousand tiny pieces its shards embedding themselves into Nightshades skin. She withstood the fury of its last reflection and turned dropping the dagger to the ground. The bells were silent, the men were dead. The women were no more. She traveled down the hall her skin crackling from embedded shards of glass.
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Something is Wrong, I can still feel Existence...

[NightShade]

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This time the ancient family house did not loom up as ussual. She was being called to a different location. One she did not recognize but suspected she knew of. The grounds surrounding the fortress were covered in brambles and they tore at the soft flesh of her legs. Why did she have to do this without armour?

Silently, she moved forward her two green eyes peering out of a bush as a guard walked by. She shuddered, as she hadnt realized how deep in politics her family was. These were guards not of her family, but of some high ranking official. They patrolled the grounds their eyes a great void, not much thought produced within their minds. They were all affected, everything was infected.

Nightshade was not scared she stood slowly walking towards the guards and they, seeing her green hair inclined their heads. Making no move to stop her. This surprised her, and she wondered idly if it was a trap. She didnt care, she had to see for herself.

In her hand she clasped a small peice of glass, it was her protection, why hadnt she thought of this for Nyxy. She understood now why the mirror had broken when her grandmother died, why the bits of it became absorbed and intwined within her. Walking forward she heard the whisper of a familiar voice and the gates opened for her. Her grandmother, Eva Gryfith-Strathmore materialized her spirit staring down at her grandaughter.

This is the lair of his expeirments. Here you will see countless twisted hidden experiments. You will know why my love was lost, you will know why I fled. You can do nothing for them, your dream gives you no power, but tonight the power lies in knowledge of what you will see. Whom you will see, what you will see.

Shade walked forward thru the gates her grandmother vanishing, the protection of her grandmothers family holding strong within the shard of glass she held.

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Shade awoke with a gasp on her lips, and yelled into the darkness of the room. IT CANT BE....

Scratches like those of brambles covered her from head to toe and she was bleeding profusely. Myrddin awoke with a shock as he heard her exclaim and felt the warm disturbing stickiness on his hand. Shade what have you done to yourself!

Shade jumped up from the bed her eyes wild blood rushing down her in droplets, and fled to her daughters room, the glass was still clutched in her hand. Myrddin followed quickly bewildered and ready to tackle her. He paused seeing Shade raised the small peice of glass high above Nyxys arm as she slept, the child twisting and screaming locked in some deep nightmare. Shade shoved the glass peice with force into her daughter's arm, blood rushing out. Myrddin growled, he couldnt beleive what he was seeing, she had gone mad!

Yet Nyxy slowly stilled, her face grew peaceful, her nightmare ebbed. That will protect her till it is destroyed.... Shade collapsed as the loss of blood made her weak, but at least Nyxy was safe.
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Something is Wrong, I can still feel Existence...