Light, Shadow, & Lies
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 60521
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Mary could barely contain her terror, mounting as it was. She still held
the flat stone in her trembling hand, but she had no more power of will.
All about her was madness. The colorlessness of the whole arena sucked
at her spirit, while the presence of the monstrosities, grey blood and
greyer guts spewing forth, seemed to seep within her very soul, numbing
her, trying to fill her with their own anger and hatred. She seemed not
to hear the sounds anymore; the shock of silence to roar had brought her
to
her knees, but now she could barely register the deafening rage. Without
knowing, she was succumbing. Without knowing, she was turning.
Exotica felt her pulse quicken, the pain of her body (attacked by the phantom of Arahim) overcome by the faith she held in her brother. But her faith was shaken as that brother advanced, not upon the hordes of the serpent-winged Baal'zumel, but upon her very self. Though but moments before it appeared her brother was a hero, she knew now he was anything but. The faux Arahim laughed terribly, a sound most hollow; "Enjoying the trick, O King's daughter!?!" She could not speak, her heart quivered near a precipice of despair, ready to fall. "I'll explain everything!" shouted Exeter even as his flesh molded itself into a horrid vision of white chalk and grey veins. A wicked grin formed on the devil's lips and he continued his charge. Exotica failed to understand what was happening, her world was crumbling and with it her mind. She knew she was to die, she had no defense. She resigned herself to that and closed her eyes. At the moment of the death-blow, however, the demon dissipated into the miasma that filled the vestibule. She did not die, she did not fall, she felt a terrible spasm of relief and dread. Why was she spared? Her mind could not grasp any answer. Was she, in fact, spared at all? Her mind retreated from that contemplation. As to the pretender's knights, where it appeared they were riding to shield Mary and the Priest, the Priest realized quickly that their appearances were deceptions as well. Even as one wave of demons was cut down by these seeming saviors, the sigils of the riders wavered as in a great heat and transformed themselves from Lemonwood, Fairsfield and Thorne to those of Graal, Hilvenna and Mrtwood (deadlands within the horrid OuterPlanes). The first of these hellspawn to reach the Priest, however, met a surprise as a blinding rain of white-fire cut it to pieces. The others pulled back their steeds in haste, the play of whites and greys creating an eerie mist of motion. For the moment they were held at bay. About Exotica there was only one form, that of Arahim. She had come into this dread castle not knowing what to expect, not understanding the Path of the Cenobite. She knew nothing more now but for the terror of lies.
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YY
7/21/2006 1:11:07 PM
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