Well, here it is. I don't own anying but the mage.
"What...is this?" Solona asked, her blue eyes staring at a strange portal with a mix of terror and wonder. Looking around the forest clearing, the young mage saw what looked like a sacrificial altar covered in blood. But the blood mages that had performed the ritual were all dead, their blood flooding the forest floor and staining the foliage. What got her attention the most, however, was a strange purple portal that seemed to have magic flowing around it.
"So much blood. They were trying to summon something incredibly powerful." Mouse added from inside the woman's head, his nostril flaring slightly at the scent of blood, the demon looking at the bodies through Solona's eyes, the hair on the back of his neck rising. This wasn't right. His instincts were screaming to him that something was off. There were no wounds on these bodies yet the very blood seemed to seep through their flesh, feeding the strange portal. What were they trying to accomplish?
Solona approached the portal, brushing a black strand out of her face with a thin hand, her eyes squinting in curiousity. She could swear that she saw something on the other side. But of what, she could only guess. The image was too warped and blurry. Whatever it was it...seemed to be looking at her.
Solona tried to speak, but whatever it was wouldn't let her speak. She couldn't look away from the thing in the darkness of the portal. It was speaking to her, commanding her. It wanted her to touch the portal. Just one touch. That was all it wanted.
"Solona, NO!" The demon hissed, trying to take control and yank her arm away too late as the young maleficarum touched the portal with a thin, slender finger, the portal erupting with a massive blast of magic, sending Solona off her feet and into darkness.
Solona awoke, gasping as she struggled to breathe, her heart pounding wildly in fear. What just happened? Her ears were ringing, hearing a soft sigh in the distance.
"I tried to warn you, you know." Solona looked at the source of the voice, partly relieved upon seeing her demonic partner yet cursed, knowing she was in the Fade.
"What happened?" Solona asked, rubbing her head as she got up.
"You touched a portal full of dark magic that's what bloody well happened!" Mouse hissed slightly, his patience growthing thin before sighing, calming down. "But...never you mind. Let's just...get you out of here before something happens. I don't like this feeling. You feel it, don't you?"
"What feeling? Is something coming?" Solona asked, Mouse looking around, trying to pinpoint the source.
"I don't know. I just feel something powerful. I think when you touched that portal...you released something. And whatever it was trapped you in the fade. Like the Harrowing." Mouse explained, Solona frowning.
"We almost died in my Harrowing."
"Correction. I almost died to save you." Mouse stated, crossing his arms across his chest as Solona signed.
"Where is this...energy?" Solona asked, Mouse snorting softly before uncrossing his arms and walking towards the source, Solona automaticly following.
"What does it feel like?" Solona asked, slightly struggling to keep up with the Pride Demon's pace even in human skin.
"Powerful, dark. It feels...like another demon, but...not." Mouse confessed, his anger and annoyance growing slightly that a demon so powerful was in his territory.
"Great." Solona muttered sarcastically, noticing the very atmosphere of the Fade was changing. "Well, at least this will just be like the Harrowing."
"Oh? You won't get all teary eyed on me, will you?" Mouse asked, looking at Solona as the woman redded.
"No. You won't get disemboweled this time will you?" Solona asked, Solona practically hearing the demon growl deep down inside.
"I'll try not to." Mouse snorted, the air thickening, the very Fade twisting and morphing, as if it was another world.
"Here it is. As demented and twisted as the Fade." Mouse growled, Solona feeling fear clench her chest shut as she looked on in horror at the twisted beast before them. It appeared as if it was once a dragon, its flesh and wings melted into its hardened scales, one side of its face completely laxt.
The beast sensed them, its black eyes focusing on the mage and demon and it roared, the shrill roar sounding like the numerous cries of the dead.
Completely panicking, Solona turned and ran but was caught and roughly pulled back by Mouse. His grip was so tight she could feel the very bones scraping together in her arm. She felt the odd yet familiar sensation of cold iron and heat spreading through her body at the demon's touch.
"Remember what I thought you." Mouse pulled her closer to his body as he whispered to her, Solona feeling his breath on her. It was strange. Did demons even breathe? "Everything in the Fade is created by will. It is all a lie. You have nothing to believe in but your own power. Now fight unless you are willing to die." Mouse challenged, releasing her.
Solona faced the monster, her eyes wide in fear. She didn't even know what this thing was let alone how to fight it. Damn it.
The beast lunged, Solona gasping as she quickly shot a fireball at the monster, the fireball exploding as the dragon reared back, crying shrilly in pain as the flame seared its flesh.
Solona smiled to herself at the damage done to the beast but screamed, the woman suddenly getting sent flying several feet as the dragon's tail sent her sailing.
Landing roughly, Solona coughed painfully, blood spilling past her lips as she held her side in pain.
Getting up, Solona cried as the dragon lunged toward her again, closing her eyes as the smell of death invaded her senses. Suddenly, she heard a sickening crack and a shrill roar. Opening her eyes, Solona saw the pride demon clamp its powerful jaws on the Fade Dragon's neck, using its weight to push the dragon down onto the ground.
"Slay the demon! Slay it now!" Mouse ordered, the dragon fighting more violently as the pride demon focused its black eyes on the mage. Why was she just laying there? Stupid mortal!
Getting up painfully, Solona moved toward the dragon as fast as she could, nearly stumbling to the ground. Kill the demon? How the hell was she supposed to do that?
Mouse cursed as the dragon broke from his grip, the beast breathing a strange purple ray from its mouth as the demon roared in pain. Mouse jumped back, shaking his head wildly as his thick hide burned from the strange magic, the left his of the demon's face damaged. The flesh was smoldering and the remains of its eyes seemed to bubble and slowly ooze down its face, the strange bubbly liquid almost puss like.
Ignoring the pain, Mouse roughly raked his claws against the dragon, ripping the flesh from its face from the force and several of its teeth flying out. Now he was pissed.
Lunging at the dragon again, Mouse bit down on the deformed wing, the bone snapping. The dragon roared in pain, sinking its fangs into the pride demons shoulder.
"Kill it!" Mouse ordered again, enraging at the fact that his was half blind and doing all the fighting.
Jumping, Solona focused on all the energy she had, a massive ball of lighting forming in her hands.
"Very well. I'll end this." Solona whispered, casting the lighting ball at the dragon as Mouse broke from its grip, the lighting hitting the dragon as it roared in pain.
Blood flew out of the dragons mouth and nostrils as it roared shrilly, the dragon rising up on its hind legs before falling over limp, its very body hitting the ground seeming to shake the very Fade. Smoke was rising off the corpse, the body quickly disappearing as its energy dispersed in a powerful burst of light as a strange portal opened, a powerful energy pulling the young mage into it as she screamed.
When Solona awoke, her eyes adjusted to the light of the forest. Why was the Fade always so unpleasant?
Holding her head in pain, she slowly got up, immediately knowing something was wrong. This wasn't the same clearing where that strange portal was. Looking around, it almost appeared to be a valley.
Wandering around slightly, she was extremely confused as to why all the foliage and animals seemed different. This strange place seemed to be flowing with magic. Almost like it was the Fade itself.
It was then that Solona saw something move in low lying bushes. Curiously, the woman slowly advanced on the thing. Pulling the bushes away, Solona gasped upon seeing a strange little creature. It almost appeared bug like. She hated bugs.
The small creature looked up at her, its mouth wide open to reveal many small, sharp teeth as it began to grunt and hiss at the woman in its own language. It also appeared to be holding some sort of crude stick, which the creature promptly used to smack the maleficarum into unconsciousness.