Cutscene: Love and Hate

Midnight, as proscribed by the book's formula for the ritual. Beneath the stars with a full moon clearly visible in the reflection of a natural pond. An'thirya prepared to strike her bargain with the goddess of magic and dreams. Holding out her hand inked with a silver-flecked pigment of black she intoned in sildanyari, "Eluna my Lady, my light in darkness and my beauty amongst the night sky. Hearken your servants unto me and find your supplicant desirous of your embrace. Light my path in gloom and send visions to correct my faults, that I may act for the benefit of all."

No sooner did the last syllable escape her lips, than the moon seemed to grow larger in the pond, until it swallowed her vision entirely and she fell unconscious. It was a starry void that she awoke to, dizzying in its depth but still able to be walked upon. Until darkness spread from it, a pair of eyes and a viciously familiar voice coming from behind her.

"An'thirya... You still have a bargain to complete. One life for Taara's favor." along with a chuckle. Swiveling around and shaking, An'thirya glared at the figure. It was as she remembered, a smug face tattooed with profane sigilia and robes delicately embroidered with chains centered upon a symbol of Taara in the center.

"You..." An'thirya said slowly, a smoldering anger rising in her heart. "I don't know how you survived. The terror on your face is nothing I will forget when I gutted your heart with my bare hands." she said, "Perhaps I damned myself on that day, but I will do it again IF ONLY TO ANNIHILATE YOUR SPIRIT!" she called out, expecting the same surge of power and rage that had consumed her before... Yet nothing.

"Poor, innocent little girl." the priest said, "I am not here to fight you, to call you a traitor. You can still return, you know." as a feminine voice began to overlay his own. "I never forget my children." the thing intoned causing An'thirya's eyes to widen. "No... No, no, no, no, NO!" she called out as she began to slash at the thing with her sword quickly drawn.

And yet with every slash she drew through the figure, the more it seemed to grow. The more the figure took on a hulking shape, before it looked to be little different from An'thirya herself, yet her features were plastered upon the form of an aeshma, a demon of rage and hate. "You can't escape this." it said, batting aside her sword. "I'm everywhere. In every moment of rage, in every moment of darkness, in every life you were willing to take. I'm not Taara, I never will be, but I am her hand in your life... Everything you've been so quick to embrace."

"I DON'T CARE!" she shouted in defiance, headbutting the demon's face as she came away and felt something on her head. Horns. Looking up at the demon in front of her, it was gone. Only a voice remained uttering from her own mouth. "Nothing ever remains in the face of anger. Not the people around us... And not you." it said.

"No... No... Please no..." she said whimpering at the realization of the influence of her own anger. It had gripped her tighter than any manacles, bound her faster than any chains. And yet, it was more than the priest, more than her desire to avenge Leydana with the blood of a thousand Taarans, more than the demon-blood within. It was her. Her choice. Her rage. Her malice.

And yet, as she began to lower her head she felt a familiar touch on her shoulder and a musical voice. "You're not stuck like this you know." it said, as An'thirya snapped her head up shocked. She glanced up at the source of the hand, and saw a face she had never hoped to see alive again. Leydana. "H-How?.." she asked.

"The same way you're here." Leydana said with that same, familiar smile An'thirya remembered so well. "Why do you think I preferred words to weapons? Why do you think your uncle found out about you so quickly? Why do you think I was targeted by that priest? I had expected an assassin... But never you." she says.

"...You worshipped Eluna. Wanted to change things." An'thirya said shocked. "The Shadow Crown needed my services. To change our leadership. Questions of contact were irrelevant so long as we were corrupt, they said. I quite frankly had to agree." but even as the explanation went on, An'thirya realized her own state. "...Don't look at me." she said, covering her body with the batlike wings signifying her corruption. "I'm not the woman you loved. Hate owns me now. Taara owns me." she observed, standing up.

"Does she?" Leydana asked.

"She owns all of us, you know that." An'thirya said in response. "We all took the Gwedhgalad, we all accepted her hooks in us." lowering the robe of her shoulder, Leydana showed a gaping hole in her shoulder "Yes. Yes we did. My spirit isn't whole anymore, we both know this. It doesn't mean I couldn't give what was left of it to Eluna, however. You're only damned if you want to be, not even her hold on individuals is set in stone." she said, embracing An'thirya. "Even if it was, I would still suffer the abyss with you. You're worth it... And I know you'll make the right decision." she said, smiling as the world faded to black with only the memory of that familiar warmth to comfort her.

Closing her eyes, An'thirya gritted her teeth. "Get out." she said, as she felt herself tremble. "You can't be rid of me that easily..." the voice said. "I'm more subtle than any control, any possession, I am all that you loathe and hate, I am YOU!" it said, though the fear of it was evident. "I SAID GET OUT!" she shouted, as the shadows leaked from her body before exploding off of her.

"...Thank you..." Leydana's voice came once more, before An'thirya jerked her head up, panting from the stress of it all. But as she did so, she felt a cool touch on her right shoulder. A mark of silver where Leydana had shown the hole. Looking back at the moon in the sky, all she could do was smile and weep tears of joy.