"Anna…ugh…I want to trust y….you…" Alexiel slurred, slumped against Dalaran's wall, lost in her drunken stupor. She fingered the stream of black hair among the blonde as Alexiel explained, "but you’re his "puppet"…"
Anna couldn't even hear the rest of the words that spilled out of her friend's mouth after that. The word, like a sharp stab in her mind, brought other memories on as Alexiel prattled on.
A flash of a page…
The Powers of the Void
Chapter 4...Page 56
'…upon receiving a demon, a warlock must recognize the very real danger of becoming a puppet to the forces that he or she intends to…'
The book was slammed shut before she could finish reading the sentence.
A flash of a voice…
Serah was in her head again, the insidious, softness of her voice whispering just inside of her ear. "…just give it up, Anna. Your body was meant for me, for HIM. Your nothing but a puppet…" The hissing whisper turned into a scream as Annaliese scalded herself with shadow magic to drown it out. Her own scream rattled the catacomb below the Slaughtered Lamb, but the woman knew the self-torment was necessary…to at least stop Serah's.
A flash of a face…
Screaming, Annaliese could -hear- it, the soul ripped from the crystal jar by his hand…it was a child's scream. Bastion cackled as he stuffed Amara's essence into the succubus, then dangled the screaming soul of Anna's damned son before his felhound.
"Ah, such a -good- little girl, isn't she…? She'll be my little puppet, yes…" He leered at the warlock as she sunk to her knees, begging.
"Not them…please…no…" Anna choked, pulling at her own hair.
"Oh, come on Mommy…they'll be such -good- little ones…"
It was too much…
Anna wrapped the stream of black hair around her fist, and -pulled- in a fit of anger, tearing it out of the elf's head. Alexiel screamed, a look of shock on her face as she stared at her infuriated friend, her trembling hand at her head as she slumped over her drink, shuddering into sobs at the pain.
Anna blinked, and shook her head, wiping the thought of enacting the action away. Gritting her teeth against the anger building inside of her, she refocused, peering down at the drunk warlock. The gleam in her glowing eyes settled as she calmed herself. She held her pale, slender hands down into her own lap, nails digging into her own skin.
"I…am not a puppet. And certainly not his. I need him, he needs me…simple as that," Annaliese spoke in a very soft, yet controlled voice.
Alexiel didn't seem so certain. She veered to one side, drifting off balance, and tossed her head back to drain the rest of her mug. Anna sighed.
"…want him, Anna. I do."
"I cannot make the decisions of your heart for you, my friend. You will have to do that. Now then…the ritual. Do you wish to be broken of the Shadow? It would be for the best…"
Alexiel said little, but nodded, wiping at her lips, and sniffing.
"…fine. I will send you a list of reagents I will be needing. The reagents are best gathered by -you-, since you are its intended focus. It will make your wish that much more sincere."
Alexiel nodded again, again twirling the stream of black hair between her delicate fingers. "…yes…"
Anna rose, and briefly hugged her inebriated friend. "I will be in touch…"
She left quickly, afraid of what she might do if she stayed any longer. Anna gritted her teeth again as the word "puppet' sounded off in her head.
…how she hated that word.
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