The rain spattered on the rooftop of the Krazoa Temple. Sauria's single moon cast dazzling reflections over every drop and over the small puddles that were forming. Hal looked up. He could see the rain through the glass dome above him. He sighed and looked back to the Krazoa head that marked the entrance to a shrine. He produced a small lighter from a pocket and lit a pair of candles. He closed his eyes and knelt on one knee with his head bowed.
"JAP JFAHAKJ. IDAK0. LUCEH. SEMFUJJAED. MU0 A IJO 0EIH NAJTEM UJ M0 END.
A EVVOH M0 MADT KE 0EI, WHOUK JFAHAKJ. WIATO MO UJ A VADT M0 FCUSO.
Umod."
He dipped his fingers into a small bowl of water and made the sacred mark on his chest. Hal's rage was irrepressible. Ethan was a jerk, but Hal felt terrible. Ethan was one of his oldest friends. He felt as though he had betrayed him. He was confused. What has happened? He thought,picking himself up and pocketing the lighter. He lent against a wall and sighed again.
Lorna knew that something was wrong. She saw it in Hal's eyes. Normally, he wouldn't have gotten so worked up about this sort of thing. It was as if he wasn't himself any more. She followed him, staying out of sight. Eventually, they stopped on the roof of the Krazoa Temple. The several tall pillars made perfect hiding places. Hal stooped. He was praying. Lorna knew that he did this often. It helped him relax. But this time was different. His prayer was different.
And someone else was here.
Standing in the doorway, shadowed against the recently started lightning, was someone. Lorna kept out of sight. That someone didn't look familiar, and they didn't look friendly either. They had several followers. Hunched over, they scurried along behind. All of their eyes blazed crimson. Even in the light, their figures were shadows.
"Perfect." The tall one hissed. Her figure became clear. A large reptile. Lorna couldn't see clearly. She and all her followers were clad in black chainmail with several plates of ornate armour over the top. They were engraved with spidery symbols and looked as though some pieces had been charred.
"What do you want?" asked Hal, still on the floor.
"You..." He tried to stand. The reptile raised her hand. An eerie power radiated from her fingertips. It lifted Hal off his feet and flung him against a wall. She made several small motions with her hand, and his chain unwound and tied him to a pair of pillars.
"You don't scare me." said Hal, trying to convince himself.
"I don't intend to." She walked towards him slowly, one of her claws outstretched. "I intend to corrupt you." She touched his chest, and a small patch of his shirt burnt away. She brought her claw up to his collarbone and made two incisions in the shape of a cross. She smiled as he writhed in pain.
"What are you doing?" Hal cried. She didn't answer. The feathers fell away from the area around the cut.
Lorna was close to tears. She couldn't believe what this total stranger was doing.
But then, the armour at one of the reptile's shoulders gathered into several droplets which slithered down her arm and along her extended claw into the cut. Hal cried out.
The armour-drops stained the flesh around the cut black. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he passed out, falling to the floor with a thump.
"Bring him." She said to her followers, assuming her shadowy form again.
Lorna gasped. Too loud. She thought as the reptile turned her head to Lorna's hiding place. She took a few steps towards the pillar.
Suddenly, Lorna felt strong hands grab her from behind.
"Don't make a sound." He whispered in her ear. He looked around the side, when one of the reptile's followers - who was carrying Hal's lifeless body on his shoulders – shouted: "Bissu!"
She spun round and stared at him. "Do you sense that?"
She looked as if she was sniffing the air. "We'd better get out of here."
He nodded. "Agreed,"
And they disappeared into the night, taking Hal with them.
