He woke up from the incredible pain in his head, pain shooting from the back of his head through his brain until it ended behind his eyes. His breath was quick, his heart beating way to fast and he still felt like his head was penetrated by thousands needles, pricking his brain. The sorcerer was thankful that his room was dark and that it was quiet. Oh, you are awake again. Don't worry; the pain will pass my vessel.
The sorcerer gasped when the voice appeared inside his head and bolted upright, a mistake as he soon discovered when another sharp bolt of pain shot though his head. Clutching his head, the man curled himself together. "Who-are you?" Now really? You summoned me, don't you remember? Poor vessel, the pain seems to dull your mind. The vessel blinked. Summoned? So then…"You are…Navlaan? But-I thought…" Don't tell me you didn't know that I would be summoned in your own mind? Hahaha…how unfortunate. But don't worry. It's your body. Still.
Swallowing around a lump in his throat and tried to stand up again, the sorcerer stumbled and fell down immediately. Suddenly, he felt like someone grabbed his arm and moved it. And really. He supported himself on his mattress without knowing how he had moved so quickly. I said take it easy! Listen to me. I know what's best for you now. Relax, my vessel. Sleep some more.
Navlaan was there. In the back of his head. A lingering presence, sneaking its ghostly arms around him, pulling him back up. The sorcerer blinked when he realized that the feeling of standing up was real. He moved back on his bed without moving on his own. His eyes dropped close again, tired and still in pain, his mind fogged, the voice of Navlaan whispered sweet nothings into his mind, relaxing him further. At some point, he felt like someone was holding him close, pressing his head against a chest. Disoriented, he reached up to whoever held him but only touched his headboard.
Now, don't try that. You can't touch me. I can't touch you in reality. I only use my powers to create the illusion for you that I can touch you. Now. Relax~. Relax, my vessel. You are exhausted, tired. The pain will be gone when you wake up, trust me. Trust me…
Despite the feeling that something was wrong with this, the sorcerer relaxed against the feeling of something behind him, felt the feeling of someone petting his head until he fell asleep.
Oh yes, my sweet vessel. Sleep. Sleep~. Let me have you…
The first time was horribly wrong. Terribly wrong. The vessel only had been better for a couple of days, still got used to the feeling of someone constantly following him. And then…he fell asleep.
To wake up in a puddle of blood. He stared down on his hands, covered in the red liquid, the smell of copper. "Wh-what? What…happened…?" "Seems like we underestimated Navlaan to an unhealthy extend." Looking up, his hands still shaking, the man saw Aldia standing in the doorway to the room he was in. His lord seemed curious, his hand under his chin, a glow visible in his eyes. The lord came closer, stepping over body parts and in the blood, uncaring, his eyes lingering on the trembling sorcerer.
"He takes control over your body when you sleep. I already had some chats with him and felt that he could be trouble at some part in history. But this…truly magnificent. That power you both hold now…casting spells without a catalyst. Beautiful. Wondrous!" Aldias hand shot out and grabbed the sorcerer by the collar, pulling him closer.
"Despite your own rather weak magic, you are able to compress such a great source of pure power taking shape in an own personality. Most interesting. We need to run more tests with you two. More results about this." The sorcerer fell to the floor when he was released again, trembling like a leaf stuck in a hurricane. He felt something stir inside him, Navlaan seemed to yawn, waking up from a short rest. Without a word, the vessel scrambled up and ran past the Lord and left the room, bolted to his own chamber where he locked the door. He still didn't know whose blood was it on his hands, whose life he had taken. His trembling was now accompanied by shacking breath and small sobs, tears leaking from his eyes. Never did he fell this vulnerable, never like this!
My vessel, my dear vessel…Did you really think that life was simple? You brought this on yourself. Now live with the consequences. Hear me? This man died by my, your, hands. The vessel broke into a shacking fit of sobbing and curled himself together, put his hands on his ears. "Stop…please, stop! I-don't want to think about it." Laughter answered him but suddenly, he felt a hand on his back. Soothing, it stroked over it, small circles on his shoulder blades. Now, don't cry…It's true, I used your body to show our new power. Ours! We can do everything together. Leave the nasty things to me, my vessel. Don't bother thinking about it, it's not your fault. I used you. The man on the floor only curled up more. He never wanted to kill someone innocent. Of course, he tortured people, killed them in horrible ways. But…the other mages, sorcerers…they had nothing to do with this! Disgusted, he blocked Navlaans voice out. He didn't want to hear him.
But it's hard to ignore something that lives inside you forever, isn't it? My vessel…
It has been a few weeks now. He would wake up, coated in blood, the body of someone in his reach, all of his subordinates dying. That's when it started: He locked himself in his chamber, sitting in a corner, ignoring Navlaan, his hunger and thirst, his lack of sleep leaving him in a weakened state. But he refused to sleep, the fear of waking up in another blood pool. Aldia would visit him, forcing him to eat and drink, staying until he made sure that the vessel wouldn't vomit. This was also the first time he thought about killing himself. The knife had been lying in his reach. He didn't realize that he had it in his grasp until it's sharp edge cut into the skin on his wrist. Not enough to be fatal. But that was when the thought crossed his mind the first time. And Navlaan didn't like it at all. He watched from the back of the vessels head, getting concerned more day by day. His vessel had to stay healthy, he had to survive. Somehow he had to wake the other up…
The vessels head dropped forwards again but he quickly catched himself and stared at the knife in his hand. If only he was strong enough…what held him back? Then it was like a hand clutched his neck, cutting of his air. Stupid vessel! Death won't save you! Death is no salvation, it's an endless maelstrom of suffering and pain! You want to die? Very well! I will kill you but before that, I will steal everything from you. Your mind will forever linger behind mine, you will know what I do. But then you won't be able to stop me anymore!
The sorcerer grasped at his neck, tried to forget Navlaan. This was only an illusion! He wouldn't die if he managed to be stronger willed. Then it hit him: The reason why he couldn't force himself to use the knife like intended.
"I don't want to die! Let go! Let go! You will get nothing!" He both screamed in real and in his mind, pushing Navlaans presence back. "This is my body! You won't do as you please!" Navlaan let out a purring chuckle. Ah~. Look at my sweet vessel, learning to walk again. Good vessel, good vessel. Fight for it. Entertain me…
The sorcerer now spend his days like he always did, though he tried to keep people away from him, a thought has struck him when he had once again woke up from the murder he had committed. All victims up until now had been working closely with him. His thought was disturbing but somehow felt right. "Navlaan fears that someone might separate us, my Lord. That's why had killed those men. He wants me for himself, for entertainment. Watching me suffer from the death of those people…knowing he has such power over me seems to lighten his mood. I suggest to keep him from killing outside the tests that I work alone." Aldia hummed, looking the sorcerer up and down, then shrugged. "Granted. I can't afford to loose more minions anyway. Try to keep him in check, find a way. Just keep in mind that we still have to be able to communicate with you and Navlaan. Dismissed."
A sigh of relief escaped the vessel when he stepped out of Aldias laboratory. The first stone on his path was build. Now he only needed to know where it would lead. Navlaan slept when he started to experiment on a way to cage both of them. He wouldn't know what happened when his vessel was done.
Oh, but my little vessel. I can still read your thoughts…
It was almost night, when Aldias chamber door opened. The sorcerer stepped in, bags under his eyes but still stood proud. Aldia heard that his loyal test subject hadn't slept for almost three days to prevent Navlaan from going on a riot. "Everything is set, my master. I made a new fog wall, one you may use on us to lock me and Navlaan. I was so free to install it in the entrance hall under the skeleton dragon. You can speak through it and even seeing my body is possible."
Aldia tapped his fingers on the wooden table he sat at. As much as he admired the sorcerer for his intelligence and Navlaan as an interesting speciemen, the killings were too much to handle at the moment where other things needed his concentration badly.
"Very well then. But what about your life? There might come a time where no one is left to bring to food."
"I found a way to survive by using magic. We won't need any food, for the fog wall will keep us in the state we have entered it. We won't age, nor die. But Navlaan will wake up and force me back. That is one thing that won't change." The sorcerer bowed a last time before Aldia. "I will go now. You know where I will be from now on. Just please, my Lord, forbid everyone in this mansion to pull the lever on the other side of the hallway." And with that, he left.
It only had been a few hours he sat there, now restricted in his movements by the fog wall before him, but it felt like years already. And for Navlaan, it felt like a millennium.
Very clever, my vessel. Very clever. I see that you learned something from me. Very sneaky. But useless nonetheless. I will get out of here, sooner or later. You know it! "Maybe, Navlaan, maybe not. First you would have to figure out how this mechanism works and then find someone from the outside for help. I didn't make this prison so that the ones locked inside may escape at any time. It's made to keep us inside until someone lets us out."
Navlaan got quiet for a long time. Then suddenly, the sorcerer felt Navlaans illusionary hands wander again until they grabbed his face forcefully.
At least now you are mine alone, my vessel. Mine alone…