Fallen

Throwing down her sword, she stood, swaying, panting hard and glaring around the darkened forest.  Alone, spent, and bleeding profusely from her left side, she snarled into the formless black figures surrounding her, “What the hell do you want from me?”  The shadows grew deeper and longer as evening fell all around her.  She mopped sweat from her face with a swipe of a grimy hand, suddenly sensing an ethereal, but nonetheless evil laugh.

You… are not… finished… 

The voice hissed, taking it’s time with the words.  Letting out a frustrated growl, she picked up her sword again, weak on her feet, but forcing herself upright, glaring, glowering into the shadows, waiting for the next move.

Out of the darkness, surrounded by a thick haze, a figure emerged.  Setting her jaw, she watched as the being materialized.  Her eyes widened with recognition as the figure took shape.  Though in a very different form than she was accustomed, her former comrade stood before her, a minion of the darkness.  His eyes – or what once might have been his eyes – gloated, and his presence commanded power.  She felt it seeping into her, and her sword lowered once again as her composure wavered.  He had been missing for months, presumed dead… now apparently dead and reborn into the shadow.  He smiled knowingly, stretching the dark space where his mouth used to be into a cruel approximation of a grin.

She felt, rather than heard his words.  He had always had a talent for mind control and telepathy, but this was a twisted, evil presence in her mind.  Squirming uncomfortably under her bloodsoaked armor, she closed her eyes and offered a small prayer for her fallen friend.  His thoughts invaded, infected her, seeping in through her pores as she called on the fire as she had been taught.  He was not there to kill her.  She was, as always, valuable to him.  She would be turned.  As he had been.

Dropping her weapon, she clutched at her ears and fell to her knees, screaming loud and long to drown out the darkness that was choking her, curling around herself on the ground.  She heard his mirthful cackle, piercing her brain and she clutched and clawed at her head, trying to stop the screeching from splitting open her skull as she cowered.

“Foolish girl!”  His voice boomed through her body, making her cringe in pain.  ”You always were foolish.  You cannot win here.  We will conquer this world and all the others… and you, Glyllena, are powerless against our legions.”

Grinding her teeth and gathering herself, she slowly reached a hand out to her sword.  He reached a shadowy hand out to touch her forehead, and a vision passed through her, literally sickening her.  She lifted her head and looked up at his new form, studying him. Her face tightened into a grimace and she flung her sword with all her remaining strength, aiming at the center of the shell of her former friend and ally.

It failed to make contact with was once his face and the darkness crumbled around him, falling and disappearing into the muddy ground, her sword falling into the muck.  The forest fell silent, dark and lonely, and she fell forward on her face and cried.