Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh

"Jani, starting tomorrow I will enter the Temple of Thoth and serve him for an entire month. In that time, I must remain pure, and so I shall have to occupy another chamber."

I nodded my head in understanding. "How often will you have to serve in the Temple?"

"One month every season, so a total of three months every year," he answered, brushing hair away from my face.

I lazily traced circles across his chest with my index finger. "Well, that's not bad, although I'll miss your company in here during those months."

"At least it won't be as bad as the month I had to spend at the Sacred Sanctuary," he said, pulling the blanket up to cover both of us.

"Mad, I overheard Lord Serewakht saying that the Ring might be too much for your abilities," I said, letting my eyes drift to his stomach, where the Ring glowed in the moonlight. "Just promise me that you'll be careful."

"It'll probably take me a while to adjust, but I've been training with my uncle for this for years now. I'll be fine, my love, I promise you." He pulled me towards him for a kiss. "Now let's sleep, Jani. Tomorrow I begin my career as a Sacred Guardian, and it would not do if I have only half my energy."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have spent some of that energy on me," I teased.

He smiled. "It was worth it, and if I'm to forego your company for an entire month, then at least I will have the memory of this night to carry me through that time."

Five days later, I was teaching Aramen and Safira in the medical wing when two men came in, helping a limping Semni into the room. I could see that his arm was burned. "By Aset!" I gasped. "What happened?"

"It was nothing," Semni replied, "just a tiny accident."

"It doesn't look like a tiny accident," I replied. "Really, what happened?"

"We were practicing our battle training, conjuring the elements to battle with. Mahado, having conjured a stream of fire, lost control, and Semni got burned," one of the men answered.

"What?" I asked, shocked that Mahado did this to his friend. "But he's never lost control before!"

"This is the second time something like this has happened in the past few days," the other man said. "The other time occurred when a flying sword he conjured moved erratically, but nobody was harmed, and after a great effort he brought it under his control again."

This was disturbing news indeed; I had never heard of Mahado not being able to control his heka before, and this new revelation could not be good. I rubbed a solution of aloe vera onto Semni's arm. "This will need to be applied every day for a week, but with time, it will heal completely." I turned to Aramen. "Aramen, I must go find my husband, will you be so kind as to bandage Semni's arm?"

"Yes, Princess," Aramen dutifully replied, and I saw her give Semni a small smile, and the man flashed her a charming grin. Perhaps this is just the man to put together the pieces that Karim left behind, I thought to myself as I went in search of Mahado. Even though Karim had broken it to her as gently as he could, and I did my best to help ease the pain, she had been crushed, showing little interest in her lessons for weeks. Only recently did she seem to slowly be returning to her normal self.

As I walked down a corridor, I overhead Lord Serewakht say, "This has gone on for long enough, Mahado. Please, see the wisdom in my recommendation."

"These incidents were nothing-only small accidents as I'm trying to accustom myself to the Ring."

"Nevertheless, two incidents are two too many. I recommend that you seal away half of your power as soon as possible."

"Rest assured, Uncle, that is not necessary. I can handle the power of the Millennium Ring."

"But can you stop it from reacting with your extensive heka and turning your soul evil?" I felt a chill work its way under my skin. "Please, my nephew, for your own safety and for the safety of those around you, you must seal half of your power away in the Sacred Sanctuary of Thoth. I shall make arrangements for you to leave tomorrow."

"I tell you again, Uncle, that is not necessary!" Mahado said, his voice rising angrily. "I need every bit of my heka if I am to control the power of this Ring. It is proving to be more difficult than I anticipated. Sealing my heka away will only put those around me in greater danger."

"I know that it is a great sacrifice, Mahado," Serewakht said gently. "But for the good of Egypt, and for the sake of your soul you must do this. Otherwise, the Ring will use your heka to tear your soul apart, and it will turn you into a demon! I do not want that to happen to you."

"Rest assured, Uncle, I have the power under control."

"This stubbornness of yours will be your ruin, Mahado," Serewakht said ominously, but Mahado walked away, ignoring him.

He bumped into me. "Jani! What are you doing here? How is Semni?"

"He'll be fine; don't worry about him," I said, cupping his cheek with my hand. "But what's this I hear of you losing control of your heka? You've never had any trouble with your heka before! Why now?"

"I suspect it's because of the Millennium Ring," he said, frowning. "But rest assured, it won't happen again, my love."

I wanted with all my heart to believe him, but I couldn't shake the fear from my mind. "Just be extra careful these next few days, Mad, please."

He lightly kissed me. "I will. Now I must go and attend to Thoth in the temple. I will see you at dinner."

"Before you go, could you tell me what you were discussing with Lord Serewakht just now?"

"It's nothing, do not concern yourself with it," he replied shortly as he walked away.

I stared after him in confusion. I had heard every word, but for some reason, Mahado didn't want me to know about this exchange. It was obvious that he didn't want me to worry about his ability to control the power of the Ring. But this desire and this secrecy, combined with the revelation of the recent events, made me worry even more.

Seven days afterwards, the toll of the Millennium Ring became clearer on Mahado's face. Dark circles appeared under his eyes, and there was a gaunt look on his face.

I was reading a scroll in the lotus garden when Lord Serewakht said, "I must speak with you, Princess."

"Yes, Lord Serewakht? What is it?" I asked, setting the scroll aside.

"Surely you notice that Mahado is slowly deteriorating?"

"I've noticed that he's been looking a little pale, yes," I answered. "Is there something wrong?"

"His stubbornness is draining him of all his strength. If he continues like this, he will lose his soul to the darkness within the Ring."

I shivered. "The darkness in the Ring? Of what do you speak?"

He answered, "There is a dark force in the Millennium Ring, and it can react with powerful heka and turn that person evil. That is what I meant when I said that Mahado might need help and that the Ring might prove to be too much for him."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, trying to keep my hands from shaking.

"Princess, I beg of you, speak to your husband. Convince him that for his own sake, and for the sake of everyone around him, he must seal half of his power away within the Sacred Sanctuary. It is the only way to stay the grip of the evil residing within the Ring."

"Perhaps if I, too, sealed half of my power away, it will prompt him to do the same," I said. "We shall share the sacrifice, for the good of the kingdom."

"Yes, that might work," he answered slowly. He sadly shook his head. "I understand that Mahado greatly values his heka and that it is an important part of him. I know the feeling, and the pride with which he regards his abilities. But I, too, had to seal a part of my power away, in order to save myself."

"Is there no other way?"

"No; I've tried to search for one, and I know that Mahado is searching as we speak, but as far as I know, sealing away one's heka is the only way to keep one's soul out of the Ring's evil grasp. Please, Princess, for I'm sure that you do not want your husband to succumb to the darkness, as do I."

"Yes, you speak true, Lord Serewakht," I said. "In fact, we are due to walk along the river soon; I shall speak to him then."

"Good. You just may be the key to saving your husband from his pride and from this dark force," he said.

"Mad, are you feeling all right? You look pale and tired," I said casually during our walk. I knew the subject of sealing away his heka was a delicate one, and I was trying to figure out a gentle way to bring up the subject.

He smiled wearily. "I'm fine; I've just been staying up late doing some research."

"Concerning what?" I asked.

"Just some advanced spells that will hopefully help me control the power of the Ring," he answered.

"There haven't been any other incidents, have there?" I asked worriedly.

"No! Rest assured, Jani, I have been extra careful with my spells. In fact, I've refrained from performing the more advanced battle spells until I have found a better way to control the Ring's power."

"Mad," I said softly, bringing myself closer to him. "Perhaps there may be no other way except to seal away your heka."

"I'm sure that there is another way to control the Millennium Ring; I just need to find it."

"Serewakht said that he has been searching for years for another solution, and he has found none. If you do not know this, he also had to seal away a part of his power."

He looked away from me. "My heka is an important part of who I am, Jani. If I cannot use it to protect Egypt and the Pharaoh, what use will I be to the kingdom?"

"You don't have to seal all of your power away," I said gently. "If it will make you feel any better, I will also seal away half of my power with yours; we shall bear the burden of the sacrifice together."

"I don't want you to give up your great power for my sake, Jani. That wouldn't be fair to you to limit your powers like that."

"But if it will convince you that it's for the good of Egypt, then it will be worth it."

"Jani, please, let's not talk about this. I have told my uncle that I will not seal away my power, and that still stands, no matter how hard you try to convince me otherwise," he said sternly.

"Mad, your own soul is at stake!" I burst in impatience. "This is not just a matter of your pride, but your own sanity! I will not lose you to the darkness of this new Item!"

"And you will not, my love!" he swore vehemently, taking my hands in both of his. "Trust me when I say that there is another way besides sealing away my power!"

As I looked into his eyes, I thought I saw a dark shadow in their depths. What if the darkness is already taking a hold of him? I thought fearfully.

"Lord Serewakht has already told you there is not!" I cried. "And I believe him! He has spent years searching, and is more experienced than you when it comes to this. I think it is your duty to him to follow his recommendations."

"And I think that it is your duty to stay to your own affairs and leave this to me!" he angrily responded. "This is my burden to deal with, Jani. I do not want you meddling."

"You don't want me meddling?" I snapped. "This is just as much of my affair as it is yours, Mad! You are my husband, and I care about your well-being! And I care for the well-being of the others of this court and Egypt! If there is a danger to the country, then it is every bit my affair!"

"This is my own personal business, Jani, and rest assured, the kingdom is in good hands! I would never betray my vow and endanger this country!"

"You already are!" I shouted. My chest heaving, I took a deep breath, before continuing in a lower voice, "Your refusal to do this simple task is endangering all of us, Mad, especially yourself!"

"This is no simple petty task that my uncle asks of me!" he yelled back, turning his back to me.

"If you won't do it for even your own safety," I said shakily. "Will you at least do it for me?"

He turned toward me, his anger dissolving. "If you would ask any other thing of me, my love, I would do it in an instant. But this is too much to ask."

"By Aset," I hotly swore, "I wish that the Seven Hathors had chosen someone else for the Millennium Ring! I don't doubt that I will lose you to the shadows residing in that foul thing around your neck if you won't do this!" He moved to embrace me, but I was too upset to do anything but turn around and run back to the palace.

Through the swirls of shadows I see my husband, looking very much like a lost, scared little boy. There's evil laughter surrounding him.

"No… stay back," he whispers, chanting a spell. The spikes of the Ring dig themselves into his skin, and he groans in pain.

A big creature appears and captures him into its grasp, saying, "There is no use resisting. You are mine now…" I watch in horror as his eyes turn to obsidian and his skin turns gray…

I woke with a start, whimpering, "Mad!" Seeing a shaft of silver on the bed, I sat up and hugged my knees. Senupi raised his head and looked at me questioningly. "It was only a dream, Senupi," I said, stroking his silky head. I sighed as I recalled our argument.

After I had stormed from him by the river, I had not seen Mahado for the remainder of the night. He had disappeared into the library, calling for a servant to serve him his meal in the chamber he was occupying while he served in the Temple of Thoth. After some contemplation, I now better understood his reluctance at sealing half of his power away. He had always been extremely proud of his magical abilities, and was very passionate about sorcery. I recalled that before we turned seven, he talked incessantly about when he would become a great magician, just like his uncle, whom he had idolized for all this time. To him, sealing away a part of his heka was like sealing away a part of his spirit; it would be like someone asking me to never make another glass bead.

"Perhaps I should go and apologize, Senupi. After all, it's not easy for him, having to deal with this new power, and being asked to sacrifice a part of his heka in the process." Senupi licked my face. I looked at the hourglass. Perhaps it's too late in the night… but I'll go and check on him. It couldn't hurt to try. Grabbing a robe to keep me warm in the cold night air, I slowly glided out of the bedchamber, with Senupi trotting faithfully at my heels.

As I approached his room, I saw the glow of a burning oil lamp. There was Mahado, huddled over a scroll at his desk. He seemed so engrossed in its contents that he didn't even hear me approach, and started when I laid a hand on his shoulder. I noticed that his meal was only half-eaten, and the rings under his eyes were even darker. "Jani! What are you doing here at this hour of the night?"

"I couldn't sleep, and so I came here to apologize," I said, hiding my shock at his appearance. "Might I ask why you are still up reading? And why haven't you eaten your meal?" I looked down to the scroll that he was reading, and saw that it was a scroll about exorcisms for evil spirits. "Why are you reading about exorcisms?"

He hastily rolled up the scroll. "I wasn't very hungry, Jani. And this scroll is just a part of my research. I was having trouble sleeping, and so I figured that I might as well make myself useful."

I shuddered. "You can't be very useful if you don't eat and sleep, my love. How long have you been going on like this?"

"I have had trouble sleeping ever since the first accident occurred," he admitted. "Most nights I've been tossing and turning for hours, and when I do finally fall asleep, it's full of fitful dreams, as if I'm neither awake nor asleep."

I gasped. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? You know of my healing abilities, why didn't you come to me for help?"

He averted his gaze. "I didn't want to worry you; I thought I had things under control."

"I'm your wife, Mad. Worrying about you when you're struggling comes with the role," I said in a half-jest. "It's just like how you've become more protective of me since we've married."

He smiled feebly, and then yawned. "I suppose that's true. Forgive me, Jani. I suppose my man-pride has kept me from coming to you, which would have been the wiser thing to do."

"Indeed," I said, placing my hands on my hips. "Well now, the wise thing for you to do would be to get some sleep. I am not making a request of you. To bed with you, Mad."

"I shall do as you say," he said sleepily. He changed into a sleeping kilt, and settled into bed.

I tucked him in like a child and kissed him lovingly. "May you sleep well, my love," I whispered.

"I shall sleep even better when the month is over," he replied, quickly succumbing to slumber. I waited until he let out a huge sigh before blowing out the lamp.

Mahado's skin is even grayer, and his eyes are pure black now. From his mouth the same great creature comes forth, saying, "The more you try to resist me, the stronger I become. Your strength shall drain from you like water, and my power will grow tenfold as it does. So relinquish your soul to me."

"No, I will not!" he feebly replies. Then, in a strangled voice, he continues, "Jani… I need you… help me…"

I bolted straight up, covered in cold sweat. This was the third night that I had such a dream. It seemed that Mahado's insomnia and sleeping troubles now infected me as well. I once again donned my robe, determined to put an end to this. Senupi drowsily stirred, and I murmured, "Stay in here, Senupi. I'll be fine."

I made my way to the herb storage area, and gathered some chamomile leaves. I heated some water and brewed a strong tea, adding other herbs to induce a peaceful slumber. I was just about to leave, when suddenly I realized that my concoction could perhaps help Mahado as well. I filled a second cup for him before making sure that I left behind no signs of my presence there.

I silently entered his room, only to find that he was sleeping. I turned to walk away when I heard him murmur, "No, stay away, you shall never possess my soul…" I felt my skin go cold.

A different, darker voice came next out of his mouth. "It's too late… I'm already in your soul… it's only a matter of time before you are entirely mine…"

Not wanting to hear anymore, I frantically shook him. "Mad! Mad! Wake up!"

His eyes flew open and he sat straight up, shaking. "Jani!" He hugged me. "Thank Thoth… it was only a dream."

"What did you dream of?" I asked fearfully.

"I… it's nothing," he said, letting out a long sigh. "The most important thing is that it was only a dream; it wasn't real."

I did not remind him that as a child, I had dreams that served as omens, such as the one of the snake. "I've come with some chamomile tea; it's supposed to help you sleep." I held out the steaming cup to him.

He took it from my hands and took a long sip. "Ah, that was just what I needed! Thank you, my love. Maybe now I can get the best sleep of the month." He lay back down, rested his head on his pillow, and closed his eyes. I softly stroked his hair until his breathing became deep and even. Convincing myself that the exchange I heard earlier was only a harmless dream, I returned to my bedchamber, took the tea, and asleep. But the dreams still came.

"So how is being the Guardian of the Millennium Necklace treating you, Isis?" I asked as we restocked the inventory of herbs. She had taken a break from her scrying fire to help me with the task.

"It's going well," she happily replied. "I'm glad to finally be free of my aunt's lectures. Thank goodness she's chosen to retire to the Temple of Aset and has left me here to my own devices!"

"You didn't have any trouble with your heka when you first put on the Necklace, did you?" I asked curiously.

"No, I didn't," she bewilderedly answered. "Why do you ask?"

"In case you haven't heard, Mahado has been having trouble controlling his heka, and he blames the Ring for it."

"He has been looking a little unwell lately, and he has been complaining of not being able to sleep well," Isis said. "But exactly why he, of all people, would be having trouble with his heka and adjusting to the power of his Item is beyond me. Karim and I have had no trouble whatsoever. Surely he shouldn't."

"That's what I thought too, and that is why this is worrying me so much. Serewakht mentioned something about the darkness residing within the Millennium Ring…"

"The darkness residing within the Millennium Ring?" Isis repeated. "But these Items were created to restore peace and uphold justice! How can there be a dark force residing in such an Item?"

"I don't know, but I fear for Mad's soul," I confided. "Lord Serewakht has asked him to seal away half of his power for his own safety, but he remains stubborn and refuses to do so! Serewakht has said that if he won't do it, then his soul will be consumed by the darkness! And last night, I witnessed something that I fear is proof of the darkness beginning to take over his soul." I told her of what had transpired last night.

She clapped her hand to her mouth in shock. "Have you told Lord Serewakht of this?"

"No, I have not; I thought that it was only a harmless dream," I replied, still wishing it to be true.

"Jani, you must tell him as soon as possible. It may be of the utmost importance!"

"Let's wrap up here, and then I'll go and find him," I replied.

Just then, Karim came running into the room. "Jasana, you must come quickly! It's Mahado!"

I rose to my feet immediately. "Oh Ra, what's happened? Has he lost control again?"

He nodded grimly. "Only this time, he has lost complete control, and the darkness in the Ring is taking hold quickly. You must come, for you may be the only one that can save him. If you cannot, then his life will be forfeit!"

Isis and I wordlessly looked at each other in horror before following Karim at the run. "Where is he?"

"In the throne room. Everyone's been safely evacuated, but his heka is growing more powerful moment by moment. Master Serewakht has managed to keep him contained to the throne room, but his strength can only hold out for so long; you should know that the reason he retired and relinquished the Millennium Ring to Mahado is because his strength is slowly deteriorating. I'm afraid he only bought enough time for me to come find you."

As we neared the throne room, I heard a strange rustling, which soon became a loud roar. Atem was cowering by Father's side, and the other Guardians were talking quietly amongst themselves. Lord Serewakht was there.

"Thank goodness you've come!" he said. "There's not a moment to spare. Listen carefully; the darkness within the Ring's grasp has now taken control of your husband, and its grasp grows stronger with each passing second. But there is hope yet; somewhere in there, the real Mahado lives. Somehow you must bring this out, and use your power to help conquer the darkness. It's the only way to save him."

"But… I don't know anything about the Ring's power. What if I can't defeat it?" I asked.

Seto approached Serewakht's side, his icy eyes piercing mine as he said harshly, "If you cannot, Princess Jasana, then there is nothing else to do but to kill him, for the safety of the kingdom. If you cannot defeat the darkness, then you must put an end to it."

"But that's impossible! I can't kill my own husband!" I cried. "I'll save him."

Shimon and the others stepped forward. "You may need all of our heka combined with yours in order to bring him down, Jasana." Isis, Karim, Shimon, Seto, Akhnadin, Father, and I stood in a circle and joined hands. I felt my heka surge as I absorbed theirs. "With your help, I will bring my husband back…hopefully," I said.

"Come, this way," Serewakht said, leading me inside. "You shall need my assistance as well."

"But Serewakht, what am I to do? How can I put an end to the darkness if you cannot?"

"You have a special bond with Mahado; I've sensed it all along, long before the two of you were married. Your souls are bound to each other in a way that can never be broken. You must call upon the strength of this bond to bring him back. And you are blessed by Aset; call upon her to help you. I can create a divergence that will allow you to approach him, but you don't have much time. I can only do so much. When you are ready, give me your word and we shall begin. Best of luck."

At that point, a dark voice called out from the throne room. "Relinquish the Items and return them to whence they came, and I shall release this man from my grasp. Continue to refuse, and I shall consume his soul before I activate the darkness in your own Items and consume your souls as well."

"We will never give up our Items, dark one!" Father angrily replied. Standing beside him, my uncle looked completely horrified.

"This is all my fault…." I heard him murmur under his breath. But nobody else seemed to pay him much mind.

I took a deep breath, and then exhaled. Aset, O Mistress of Magic, hear my plea: please, grant me the strength and power to banish this darkness from my love's soul! "I'm ready," I said to Serewakht.

He nodded. "Stay right behind me, and cast a Shielding Charm to protect yourself. When I give you the command, approach your husband as quickly as possible."

I could feel my entire body trembling. "I-I shall do my best," I stammered.

"Best of luck, for your sake, your husband's and the country's," Seto solemnly said.

With that, Serewakht opened the door with his magic, and we all dodged as a large stone came flying out. I could see that Mahado was hovering above the ground surrounded in a gray cloud, and around him were five shadow creatures.

"He has summoned shadow creatures to protect himself. We must summon our kas and defeat them if we are to have any hope of rescuing him!" Serewakht shouted to me over the noise. He summoned his ka, Chaos Mage, and I called for Empress Witch.

"Fools, your meager kas are no match for my army. They shall be destroyed, and your lives and your souls shall fall to my reign."

"Dark One, whoever you may be, I beseech thee, release my husband!" I begged. "He has done nothing to deserve your wrath."

The voice coming from Mahado laughed. "Your cries are useless, woman," it said derisively. "And you have come too late to save your husband. His soul shall be the first to fall to me; the rest of you will follow in good time."

"You're wrong!" I stubbornly replied. "I know that somewhere in there the real Mad exists. Mad, if you can hear me, listen carefully! You have the power to get rid of this monster! There is no one in Egypt who is more powerful than you are, you can still save yourself, don't succumb to the darkness's grasp, I beg of you!"

"Silence!" the voice roared, and Mahado shot a bolt of lightning at me.

This can't be happening… Before I could react, the lightning bolt collided with a shield. I looked over to Serewakht. "Thank you!" I consequently summoned a shield of my own.

"Your pleas are useless, Princess! We must defeat the creatures, and then it will be up to you to calm him down." Turning to his ka, he commanded, "Chaos Mage, attack with your Chaos Blast!" His ka did as he commanded, and sent a ball of black lightning to one of the monsters, destroying it.

"You'll pay for that!" the voice shrieked, and another one of the creatures swooped in, destroying the Chaos Mage and causing Serewakht to collapse to the ground.

"No! Lord Serewakht!" I cried, running to him.

"Defeat…the darkness…" he rasped. "That is…our…only hope…" Then he lost consciousness, and the whirlwind grew stronger, nearly sweeping me up in its clutches.

"Mad! Please!" I cried, fighting the tears gathering in my throat. "I do not want to fight you! And I most certainly do not want to kill you!"

"Leave this room, woman, and let your husband go," the dark voice said. "Or else you will soon follow the man at your feet and your friends as well."

"Not while I'm still standing!" I shouted. "Empress Witch, attack with Rain of Splendor!" My ka raised her hands, and a golden shower descended upon the monsters, which shrieked with pain. One of them dissolved, but it soon materialized.

"What? My attack had no effect!" I gasped.

"Your ka is no match for my army, and no you shall pay the same consequences as that weak man you call a mage!" One of the shadow monsters sent a dark blast at my ka. She dodged it. Another conjured a dark sword and slashed at her arm. I screamed as a cut materialized itself on my arm. "Now, my shadow creature, finish her off!" They all surrounded my ka.

"Duos! Attack!"

"Spiria, use your power!"

"Beaver Warrior, assist Isis!"

"Spirit Guardia, come forth!"

"Exodia, obliterate!"

Five kas came to my assistance, and I turned around to see Shimon, Isis, Karim, Seto, and Akhnadin standing behind me, their diadiankhs activated.

"We will distract the shadow army, which leaves you to approach Mahado!" Seto shouted to me. Their kas consequently drew the monsters away from my husband, who remained in the air. I inched my way against the powerful winds, and levitated to him. His skin was completely gray, and his eyes had turned to the color of obsidian, just as he had in my dreams. I cupped his face in both of my hands. "Mahado, my love, can you hear me?" I asked. "Break free of the darkness!"

For a moment the obsidian faded, leaving a trace of the familiar indigo in his irises. "Jani…" his familiar voice rasped. "Help me… I'm losing control… and this demon shall possess my soul…"

"Mad! Please, tell me what to do!"

"Call upon… the goddess… you must strike me with her power…."

"I can't attack you! What if I kill you?"

"You must… risk it… it's the only way…."

"Enough!" The dark voice regained control. "Begone, woman!" Mahado pushed me away and sent a blast in my direction. I cast a shielding charm, and then flew back to his side. I chanted a spell, and chains bound him.

"Forgive me, my love," I murmured as I placed both of my hands over his chest. Summoning all of my heka, along with that of the others, I called out as loud as I possibly could, "Great Mistress of Magic, Aset, I call upon thee, grace me with thy power and banish the darkness from this man's soul! I am but your instrument against this great evil, let me do your will!"

A great golden light poured from my hands into Mahado's chest, and as he screamed in agony, the cry seemed to tear right through me. The whirlwind dissolved, and the shadow creatures disappeared as we both lowered onto the ground. Much to my relief, his skin returned to its normal pallor, and his eyes became indigo once again.

Hardly anybody dared to move, and nobody spoke. I grasped his hands. "Mad? Are you all right?"

"Jani…" But in an instant, his eyes turned black again, and the dark voice roared, "Foolish woman! I warned you!" Mahado shot a dark blast at me, throwing me a good distance away and tossing me to the ground. Pain shot through every inch of my body, but it was nothing compared with my failure.

I choked on my tears, my vision swimming before me. "No… Mad… please…"

Suddenly, the room filled with a white light, and I saw a vague vast figure before me. She wore robes of gold, and shone with the brilliance of the sun, and her voice was like an overpowering song as she commanded, "Zorc, in the name of Re-Horakti, the Creator of Light, I command thee, be gone from this man's soul!"

The dark voice screamed in pain, declaring, "This isn't over! I shall return, and I shall be victorious in the end!" The voice screamed in pain, and then it became Mahado's voice screaming. As the light faded, the last thing I remember is Mahado running to me and tenderly cradling me in his arms, his choked voice murmuring, "Jani… oh Jani… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

A/N: Priests took turns serving in the temple. During their time of service, they had to refrain from sexual intercourse and follow strict procedures of cleanliness.

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