Again was mission day. Cathandra hurried up early in the library and took for the umpteenth time to study. For missions she would get a new mix of theory and practice. After the lunch she sallied. She wanted at last back to the garden of darkness. The next visit was overdue long since. In addition she could get with that new powder and scoring. She was very attentive to not meet other recruits, because lately she got more and more inquiries to come with them.
The one or other recruit she needed to sway with force simpleness, so she called it. Gondor had told them, that this way just worked with mental weak ones. Okay …
Cathandra felt the big impatience. On this day the glider wasn't fast enough. Arrived at the destination station she ran, supported by her force, to the sewerage entrance and went down the ladder quick. She took the fastest way and handled only by the way some animals. This time there wasn't much. She reached the spot, where the acolyte had died. That was four month ago. His remains were eroded by bugs, worms and further vermin.
Scornful she looked at the body. "Vermin among themselves", she said low.
Now she saw to it that she was to go up the ladder quickly. She had a plan. Arrived above, she went ten yards and sat.
She breathed heavily and soaked up hungry the waves of darkness.
Similar nice as sex, she thought. The intensity of the dark streams this time was clearly safer. Either she had become stronger or it was another explanation.
She leaned back and on her hands. Breathing heavily she realized, that her force soaked up the arriving waves.
The find of the holocrone in time possibly has made something in her. Changed. Enhanced.
Like a drug addict, which took after long abstinence again drugs. Sort of it was so with her.
Again she moaned. Her full body blazed. Her head pulsed with an intense, that her visual perception almost freaked out.
She let herself fall forward.
"Shit … is … that … fucking … good …", slipped out of her mouth with some trouble.
A twitch went through her body. She turned aside and again belly-landed. With big joy she realized, that she had to approach to the center of the dark force because of the powder. She rose, spread her arms and slowly went on.
The intensity of the dark waves increased.
"More …", she gasped.
Glancing she noticed, that she passed the one bench, where in time she had seen the recruit with the dead eyes. His body lay, almost not touched by vermin, over the half bench.
Cathandra wondered, why the one person had a lower force ability and the other had a higher one.
Her heart still was racing. She turned silently the corner. The intensity of the dark side let her almost went insane. The force in her ranted and raved.
Later she reached the point, where the circumstances let her sink aground. She oscillated with her full body. Hey eyes watered. She felt, that she got until the spot without force protection. She fought with her curiosity to go on without protection, but the force blocked her legs. More was impossible. She activated the protection and felt, that the intensity decreased by three quarters. Some disappointed she went on.
She still enjoyed the rest of the dark energy, which she soaked up. At destination arrived she kneeled down and without bigger trouble she gathered the powder.
Cathandra rose, breathed deep and went back. At half of the way she deactivated the protection and paused. She opened wide her mouth to abandon preferably completely to the dark energy.
Later she forced herself to go back to the ladder. She climbed down and it almost seemed to enter a vacuum.
She shook freakish her head, to normalize her perception. It was strange - as would she sense ground, walls and ceiling at the same time. And the mud. Disgusted she shuddered. She even could sense here all live. Two little animals - distant from her - were there. Obviously the acolytes killed so many, that the population couldn't reproduce.
She went back to the other ladder and climbed up. Arrived there she met for the first time inquisitors as she was.
"Darius told, that there down are no animals currently", said the one soothing.
"The place is crawling with animals", she lied.
"Really?", said the other apprehensive.
"Of course."
"Darius told, that there down are almost no animals", the first said anxious.
"You have to decide, has is right. Me or Darius", she replied and added: "Cowards keep here up. All other go down, take an animal and roast it until it's brown. Well cooked they tastes the best."
The second looked at her, as if he had seen the devil.
"She is insane. We should go down quickly."
"Go ahead …", she snarled. "Before I make you get a move on."
And if the devil would be behind them, they climbed down.
Cathandra laughed.
She went back to the academy and came around. The mission assistant marveled.
"Acolyte Cathandra. Of course."