The Which Within Vol 1 Chapter One Awakening

 

The Birth Of Three

There was once a witch called Grasharlo, she was as evil as she was powerful. People were very afraid of her but could do nothing to help themselves, and those who tried to execute her cowered as they eventually found out that even though she could not be trusted to live it became well known that she could not be trusted to die either. Throughout the land and in every kingdom there was a dilemma of what to do with her. Her reign of terror lasted over one hundred and fifty years

It came to an end when a young man by the name of Raho had decided to take it upon himself to challenge the witch. He, unlike all the others that had come before him, had thought carefully about what he was going to do and had researched everything that he needed to such an extent that there was not one unturned stone in his ocean of information. He trained up his body and mind.

When he knew that he was ready he gathered up the things that he needed and set off on his journey. He snuck into the high courts and stole this device known as the reality sphere, one of the most powerful of devices. He then left a prepared note on the table that was on and left. Knowing by the time that the theft was discovered it would already be too late for them to do anything and he would have already fought Grasharlo and won.

He then made his way to her castle. It was surrounded by old ruin walls and an almost falling structure that Raho knew was only supported by Grasharlos' magic and the plant life surrounding it. In the center was an old Victorian-like mansion it was said that she should be found in the center room.

He ran quickly and as lightly as possible. He knew that he did not have to worry about things like traps for he knew that Grasharlo was confident enough in her own abilities that she did not need them. Then the doors opened and Raho knew that this was the last chance that he had to turn back. His heart was pounding like a drum in his ear. He let out a sigh to relieve his stress and buried his fear. He knew that turning back was out of the question so he pushed on.

He made his way to a corridor filled with overgrown ivy and had countless snakes camouflaged in the vines with only the sound of their hissing as evidence that they were even here. Slowly but surely he came to the witches' dwelling. The door that was in the same shape as a pointed gravestone opened revealing the sleeping witch. Her appearance surprised Raho for he had expected her to be an ugly old hag of a woman with wrinkles at every turn but no, in fact she had not one wrinkle on her body and her cold snow white beauty gave her a fragile appearance. His heart skipped a beat for part of him wanted to protect this beautiful maiden but he knew deep down that she was evil and cruel. So she had to die. He raised his sword and then she opened her eyes which was an odd shade of glowing crimson. Then she smiled a cold frightful smile that would scar even the most bravest of minds.

"Are you going to kill me young naive lad?" Her voice was thick of ice and darkness. She then turned as Raho was frozen in place. She then sat on the stone slab that she slept on. She then rested her delicate hand on his chest and started to stroke. He felt himself losing his strength but he resisted her magic and used his own power to cut it off from draining his energy.

"That is a new one! I must admit that I have not come across a power like that in all the galaxies and worlds. I must admit that I am impressed! Maybe I should keep you!" She giggled like a child. "For I would much like to find out all about that power that you have got and then I will like to use mine to take it!"

"I hate to disappoint a lady but I am not going to become your next fixation. I do hear that it does not end well for all of your other fixations." He said as he used his power again to plunge the sword in his hands into her black heart. He then used his power again to trap Grasharlos' soul inside of the reality sphere and left.

He then returned the reality sphere to the high courts who would have had him killed had it not been for his tale. They looked at each other nervously and looked at the reality sphere with nothing but dread.

"Unfortunately for you this will never be over, for the Dark Mistress cannot stay in the reality sphere forever she will escape and come back to plague your life. So this is what you must do, find a trio of still born triplets then split the soul into the mind, will and emotions and place each thing into one of them and then choose one for your own soul to inhabit for that will be your price." Said the head.

So Raho traveled the world and found a mother and father crying over three identical stillborns and sat in front of them and knew what to do. He explained his predicament and asked them if they would agree. They agreed with dread and sincerity. So it happened and Reho chose which of the three that would become his new life and the deed was done.

Soon the high courts knew of their identities and nicknamed them the Cerberus triplets and their mother gave them each individual names and they were Gracey, Sharimon and Lorra which then became known as Loc.

War Of The Witch Within

Fourteen years passed after Grasharlo was defeated by the great hero Raho, although the Cerberus triples were kept a tightly guarded secret among the high courts and their parents. They wanted to protect them as much as possible after all they all seemed to have no knowledge or memory of who they really were. They even kept a close eye on them and their wellbeing.

Then one day they were betrayed by one of their own, who was one of the Grasharlo Disciples, a group of people who followed Grasharlos' ways and her teachings. They somehow knew that Grasharlo lived on and that she was inside someone, they had called this person The Witch Within and they knew that the high courts had the identity of who that was. Which is why they had someone infiltrate it to find out. Their betrayal only signified one thing, they had found out about the Cerberus triples and that they were in danger.

The leaders of the high courts, The Order Of The Ring Of Elders or T.O.O.T.R.O.E for short contacted their parents and they had them move to a place in Underground Town in the Underground Kingdom below the Terra Kingdom. This was where Raho lived and they stayed in a house near his.

The front of the house was made from roots of the trees above and buried themselves deeper under the ground. Dry mud and cement made up the walls and some roots wrapped themselves around the windows and held them firmly in place as they did with the uneven wooden door frame and door which also had windows that seemed to have a frozen ripple in them which seemed to be separated by a plus.

They all decided to keep the girls in the dark about what was going on and why they were there so they did not feel guilty about the whole thing. They did their best to settle down but the girls cried themselves to sleep for they missed their friends and their family on their fathers' side of the family, which was the only family that they ever knew. They had never met any on their mothers' side for they lived far away and it would take far too long for ether to visit nor did they have the means to.

Loc was the only one that liked it there and lived wandering the streets and came across Rahos' home and wanted to know more about him. She then had almost made her home in Bancha Bendaniethous' bookshop and strolls too, with her sisters always staying at home. She tried to be happy and made the most of being there. She helped keep everones' hearts up and read the books that she had to them.

Then there was Gracey on the other hand she always found herself alone and kept herself to herself. She was hesitant when talking to anyone and hid behind Loc a lot and grew closest to her. Sharimon on the other hand was more enthusiastic but became troubled by the stairs that everyone gave them and always curled her lip at them as if they were nothing but vermin. It definitely lit a fire in her heart but Loc always gave her kindness that always dampened the flames.

They only spent three months there, when everything changed, the Disciples of Grasharlo attacked. They were in the fields of Underground Town when they spotted that they were slowly being surrounded they placed their backs together and as they came in closer they spotted that they were carrying weapons.

"Remember one of them possess Raho!" Said one.

"And that one of them has Our Dear Ladies' full power! So beware of that." Said another.

"Don't forget one has Our Dear Ladies' full imagination and the other has Our Dear Ladies' cunning!" Said another as they all approached. Suddenly they were in range and then they dived at the girls and they had to dodge but only barely. When they were divided they went for each individual girl and they quickly caught Gracey and Loc. They then turned to the final girl, Sharimon who was backing away.

"Listen girl, we either do it your way and we hurt your sisters or cone with us quietly and nobody gets harmed sound fair?" Said a tall dark one that looked like he could be anyones' doting father. As she continued to back away. Then he sighed.

"Lostoh hurt the one in your arms." He ordered. Loc looked up at Lostoh, who hesitated for a moment and took out a long and thin blade and then slowly drew a line on Locs' arm.

"Stop it."

He then drew another on the other.

"Stop it..."

He then slashed her leg diagonally and deep enough to leave a permanent scar. She cried out and her knees hit the grass.

"Stop it!" Sharimon shouted, releasing a pulse surrounding her waist of a blade like magic that sliced everything in its path, however Grecey and Loc remained unaffected. It was all too clear that everyone was dead as the ripple faded out as Loc and Sharinom screamed.

It was not long until T.O.O.T.R.O.E found out what happened and the girls were told the truth after they had explained from their perspective. They cleared up and identified the bodies. Then Gracey insisted that they had a proper funeral for all of them and to give her piece of mind they did so and the girls attended each one.

Then Gracey and Sharimon insisted on going out to war and was trained up and left, Loc stayed behind to help out her parents when need be and comfort them whenever possible. She did all their chores and shopping. She ran errands and made sure to keep an eye out.

She told T.O.O.T.R.O.E. that it would be best to keep her sisters presence on the battlefield a tightly guarded secret and that she should he used as bait to lure out any of the Disciples of Grasharlo in Underground Town and to capture them.

Meanwhile the other two in their spare time learnt to control their newly awakened powers. At the same time they turned all their enemies to dust and when the war was over they made sure that everyone all got a proper funeral friend and foe alike. They were welcomed back to Underground Town like heroes and there was a parade in their honor. The Cerberus triples became heroes throughout the Kingdoms of Merth and everything seemed to go back to normal. The Cerberus triples after a while liked Underground Town and they and their parents decided to stay much to everyones' joy.

However, little did they realize that their victory came at a cruel price; for one of the girls had awoken and she had a plan to wake her sisters too, for part of her wanted to become one again and for the one and whole Grasharlo to rise again and destroy all those who stood against her and everyone who potentially would get in her way.

For now she had decided to keep quiet and wait. She wanted to let everyone have their happy heroic moment, knowing that she was going to take it all away, like snatching sweeties from an infant...

A Fall From Grace

It was a year after The War Of The Witch Within and peace was endlessly around, until the awakened one started her work. She knew her sisters well enough to wake them up and felt that peace had lasted long enough and felt like it was time for the façade to drop. She also knew that Reho was in one of them but at that moment she did not have the opportunity nor means to do so.

So she started her work by seeking out the remnants of the Disciples Of Grasharlo and used her magic to gather them. Once they had done so she started working on her plan and told them. She made sure that they knew exactly what they each were doing and left nothing out so that if they failed, it would be on their own heads. She had each and everyone of them recite their parts at least three times and to visualize them doing it six before she returned to Underground Town.

First she tried to lure them away and directly deliver them into her followers hands but when Loc commented about the fact that Gracey was acting off, then after seeing the Disciples Of Grasharlo she put the pieces together in her head. She kicked her hard enough to crack a rib and took Sharimons' hand and fled before she could recover.

When they were sure that they were not being followed she contacted T.O.O.T.R.O.E.

"Gracey she has awoken, she tried to lure us into her followers' hands." She explained. Sharimon looked at her sister in astonishment.

"No! Not her!" She exclaimed. She turned to the Head.

"Is there any way to reverse this?" She asked.

"No, unfortunately once she has awoken she stays that way." He replied. Loc spotted that the corner of Sharimons' mouth twitched. Hollowly she sighed as Loc looked away.

"So this means that we can't have our sister back?" Loc asked as a lump in her throat arose.

"No, and she must be eliminated as soon as possible before she wakes you two." He explained. With that Loc no longer had it in her to hold back the flood in her eyes. Sharimon placed a hand on her back as her words became a scrambled mess.

Later when they were alone in their bedroom in Underground Town Loc was still drying her tears. Sharimon looked out with her lip curled and her eyes ablaze.

"We have to warn her." She said in a tone that clearly stated that she had already made up her mind.

"But-"

"She may be awakened but Gracey is still our sister. I couldn't care less for what those old fools said there must be a way to reverse this. There must be! We have to go to her and convince her to go back to the way she was!" She argued. Loc looked aside feeling guilty about giving up so easily. She nodded.

"Yes, we must."

They left that very night and found Gracey at a cliff on the edge of Underground Town overlooking the deep ink blue Underground River and ahead was Underground River Town that sat above the water as if it was floating on its surface.

"I knew that you would come. I also know what you plan to do and my answer is; no." She said her voice was cold and confident.

"I'm sorry..." Loc said not realizing what she was on about.

"I will not turn back as I was before. No, I wish never to revert back to that pathetic state ever again nor do I wish for the same for you. No, I wish for something more. I wish for the two of you to be awakened too and for us to become one. Then I can get my revenge on that boy and his family." She stated. "And nothing will stand in my way."

"And nothing we can say will persuade you otherwise." Sharimon asked as she let a sting of defeat enter her voice.

"No, but I must thank you for coming of your own freewill for now I hardly need to come after you." She said with a false sympathetic tone. Realizing what she meant Sharimon gripped Locs' wrist and used her magic to magic them to their home. Leaving Gracey to think up a new strategy to wake her sisters. At this point all she wanted was to wake at least one of them, she did not care for which.

A month later Loc was visiting Banchas' bookshop when a group of hooded figures walked right up to her and picked her up and as she kicked and she was about to scream when she felt something cold and hard press against her forehead and her body seemed to drop. She tried to move but nothing happened and she tried to scream but her jaw and voice box were unresponsive. As they carried her away all she could do was listen to the sound of her own heart beating and see her moving further and further away.

Then she suddenly dropped and all she saw was a blur and then Sharimon in her sight. She would have looked up at her but her eyes could not move an inch. She then took out a dagger and started to attack them. For a moment things seemed to be looking up but then one of them pressed a red jewel against her forehead and she too dropped, but unlike Loc she looked as if she knew what she was doing and then she disappeared from sight as did everything else. Then she woke in a bunk in the T.O.O.T.R.O.E. Headquarters. Only then did she realize what had happened.

Meanwhile, when Sharimon was taken and brought before Gracey she was manipulated into sitting at the long black table with different wood manipulated into a leaf pattern with the dark brown being the stem and the lighter being the leaves.

"Hello sister." She said as she looked up in glee…

Meanwhile Loc ran to T.O.O.T.R.O.E.s' head and told them what happened. They nodded in understanding and kept calm. They gave her a mandrake herbal tea to calm her down and make her feel better. Which tasted like a combination of camomile and Jasmine just slightly sweet and hydrating.

"Miss Cerberus, even though what you did was not your fault, I do say this; this situation has its consequences. For your sister, Sharimon might not be the same person when next you meet, however, having said that I and my fellow Elders will promise to help you in all which you ask and need of us. Now having said that, if you were to show any signs that you too have awoken then we will do our utmost to kill you." He explained. She nodded accepting of the circumstances.

"Then I will depart to confront Gracey and rescue Sharimon tonight. Please tell my parents where I am and what I am doing. If I am not back by tomorrow evening assume that I am awake and move my parents to a safe location and do all to eliminate me." She said with a voice that somehow hardly felt like her own.

It did not take her long to find Graceies' layer nor did it take her that long to find them either! It was all a bit too convenient but then again she should have expected as such, for she knew that Gracey did want to be found by her. It was all too clear to see by the hands and feet in the wall that the assault on Gracey was as successful as a fish climbing a tree.

She spotted her sisters together on the other end of the main hallway which was big and long enough to fit an entire street in with room to spare for a garden front and back almost the same size. It was lit by chandeliers with candles nested in them, and the walls were painted with drying blood.

Sharimon was pale like she was about to collapse form illness. What had Gracey done to her to make her like that? What exactly had she been told? A sick feeling dawned upon Loc as she saw Gracey playing with Sharimons' hair slowly, putting the girl in a nauseating trance. Then she took out a book, seemingly out of thin air!

"Lorra Cerberus I have been expecting you." She said almost in a singing like voice. She then wrapped her arms around Sharimon and placed the book in front of her to force her to read it as she pointed at something that made her cry out in a long horrified scream.

"No! You wouldn't! Just don't! Please don't!" She cried as Gracey combed through her hair several times until snap! She had plucked a few strands of hair from her head. Gently she placed the strands in the book like a bookmark and muttered words that Loc couldn't hear nor decipher. Then as if for a dramatic conclusion to what she had done she slammed the book closed.

Sharimon became emotionless as Gracey backed away and she walked slowly over to Loc and took out a dagger seemingly out of nowhere. She lifted it above Locs' head and drove it down but before she was hit Loc jumped back. She then tried to strike her from below and again she dodged but just barely. Then she tried again but this time she was hit across her chest near to where the heart is.

If something did not happen soon then Sharimon would kill her! She then felt something hit her in the shin and she fell to the floor. She then felt something hit her in the ribs. She looked down only to see the dismembered limbs hitting her then a dagger hit her in the back where it hit bone. She then felt a kick in her gut.

She then felt something rise out of her like adrenaline but this adrenaline made every part of her being feel saw. She just wanted it all to stop, Sharimon being forced to try to kill her, the dead lims that were attacking her and this thing that was rising in her making her feel sore all over. She just wanted it all to end.

She then felt an immediate release from it all as a shadow covered the whole room and she spotted that electricity escaping from her body and traveling, like a ripple around her as she looked up Sharimon and Gracey became trapped in the shadow. Then the electrical charge struck them and the shadow grew up. Then she spotted that ice now came from her pores and froze the pair in place as fire came out of her mouth and struck them as it began to rain balls or rock. Then the air became thin and Loc collapsed.

Loc then woke up in Underground Cities' hospital as her parents sat beside her. Her mother slept as she held her hand tightly. Her eyes were puffy and had dark circles underneath them with twin lines of moisture cut across her cheeks like scars.

The head of T.O.O.T.R.O.E. stood by her ankles.

"Tell me what happened." He demanded Loc looked away as she felt her eyes overflow and lost all control over herself.

She tried to regain control to explain but all she could do was tell him in snippets of sentences before she would lose control again. He then looked at her in shock as she tried to fight off the tears to explain what happened at the end.

"You used the Elemental Shadow without being taught and lived to tell the tale! This is remarkable!" He exclaimed.

"Is it?" She asked.

"Yes, that kind of spell can kill an untrained man because it uses all of that persons' energy for that is why anyone with an average magical level would end up dead. You did it just to stop your pain!" He explained.

"That is not what I meant. I meant is it remarkable that I killed my own sisters!" She cried as she again lost control of herself as her weeping echoed around the hospital...

Sharimon

Entry:  370
Subject: Lorra Cerberus (Loc)

It has been over a year since Lorra Cerberus claimed to have killed the other two parts of Grasharlo, whom she still considers as her sisters regardless of how many times I have tried to correct her, using the dark magical force known as the Elemental Shadow. She has, for the past year, suffered with a deep guilt complex and which then led to depression. A depression that seemed to be like an immovable wall in her head.

This started to, seemingly, change when she started to work at Bancha Bendaniethus' bookshop voluntarily. Interestingly enough she seemed, just like the local legend Reho, a natural at her work and, seemingly, better when he started paying her and gave her his old books to keep. From what I heard from him he was not only impressed by her work but loved her company too.

Then there were her parents, if you could call them so, who constantly keep an eye on her and have told me that they have to comfort her every night as she has become plagued by nightmares. This is not surprising for what she has been through and I cannot place when they should end, for I do have cases where a subject has had nightmares until the day he died, in fact that was the very reason that he did.

From what I have gathered from either her or people around her, Lorra Cerberus spends most of her free time either reading a book or sleeping, as if that should help her lack of at night. Despite me encouraging her she still has less of a social life than a hermit double her age.

It was not until last month until she showed signs of recovering, proper signs, not like before. Although the reason was not what I would have liked. The reason seemed to be more closer to utter confusion and shock, for she had claimed to have started seeing Sharimon in the streets of Underground Town and so when she runs after her she seems to vanish! Apart from me she told nobody else, it seems to me that she does not want to burden anyone with this until she knows what is going on.

This seemed to have continued for a matter of a week until, according to Lorra Cerberus, she turned around and smiled as she disappeared. This too lasted for the course of a week, until she claimed to have heard her speak.

"It's not your fault." Lorra Cerberus claimed that was what Sharimon Cerberus told her. This is what made her almost fully recover from her guilt and depression. I must admit that in all my years as a therapist working for The Order Of The Ring Of Elders, I have had some bizarre cases but none like this.

However, despite my relief of her psychological recovery, it is plagued with concerns, for if Sharimon is back then so must Gracey. If this thought process is correct then what does that mean for Lorra Cerberus, and what does that mean for those around her? What does that mean for Underground Town and more importantly, the whole of Merth?

I would place my concerns on Lorra Cerberus but I have not heard from her since last week and The Order Of The Ring Of Elders have informed me that I have been discharged from her case and that this shall be my final report on Lorra Cerberus. I wish that I could investigate further, however I have other cases to go on to.

Name: Thewick Underheart

Occupation: The Order Of The Ring Of Elders therapist

Unlocked

It had been almost a year since Loc had killed her triplet sisters, Gracey and Sarimon. She had never stopped having nightmares about that day. Even though she had a therapist and her parents kept on making sure that she was alright constantly their faces never escaped her mind or thoughts. She would always see them in her nightmares and they would ask her one single word and she would always wake up screaming.

"Why?"

She made many attempts to move on, like getting a volunteer job at Bancha Bendenietus' bookshop and exploring Underground Town but nothing truly worked. Even though everyone around her tried anything and everything to get her back to her old self again Loc knew that deep down that was out of the question, after what she had been through rendered that an impossibility.

Then everything changed one month before the one year anniversary of her sister's untimely death. Loc was walking back home from a full day working at Bancha Bendeniethus' bookshop when she thought that she saw Sharimon! She looked again. No! It was Sharimon! She looked alive and well but there was something strange about her, but Loc hardly cared about that. All that mattered was the fact that she was alive and well. So she ran off after her. When she turned a corner Loc ran and ran around that corner only for her to seemingly vanish!

Loc thought that she was seeing things but the event repeated the very next day at the exact same place in the exact same place. Now she was both freaked out and confused for if she was seeing this it meant that, somehow, what she was seeing was real and not just a figment of her psychology damaged mind. This continued for a week until, for some reason she turned around and smiled with a smile of pity and sorrow.

"It was not your fault." She said as Loc broke down and cried.

"Thank you!" She cried.

This too lasted for another week she would tell her therapist. Every time she would dehydrate herself crying out her gratitude. Then the whole thing changed as did the rest of her life when the third week came.

"It was not your fault." Sharimon repeated for the seventh time.

"Thank you." Loc repeated.

"For I, the will of Grasharlo, tricked you." She said.

Loc looked up in disbelief as Sharimon Cerberus smiled with a twisted malice that she remembered Gracey having. Her face looked less like hers and strangely more like Grasharlos' than when she thought back on it, Gracey too looked more like that witch when she woke. Loc would have slapped herself for not noticing, if she was not already horrified by what Sharimon had just said.

"W-what do you mean?" She asked clearly not even wanting to know the answer as she began to nauseatingly realize that she was playing into her hands. Even worse was the fact that she had been playing into their hands ever since Gracey woke up!

"I tricked you. I wager that you were even hardly aware that I was the one truly behind the War Of The Witch Within for I knew that I had to wake one of you up so that I too could be truly and fully woken. So I forged a mask for myself and made myself a hero and went along with everything. I knew that I would have to do something to seal everyone's confidence in me so I knew that I would have to sacrifice some of my precious disciples.

"Then when one of you did wake I knew that I would have to act the way my mask would have me to until I could take my first opportunity to wake up. So it was for my own ends that I had you return to The Order Of The Ring Of Elders. Why, even that was planned, for I knew that you would do all to selflessly come and try to rescue me before my other third woke me up and try to return her to the pathetic Gracey." She explained.

"Then is that why you are here? To wake me up?" She scoffed. "And if you are alive then Gracey is too, so where is she?"

Sharimon chuckled playfully like a child.

"Why? You are far from the truth! No, I hope to wake you in all good time." She continued.

"Where is Gracey?" Loc asked, more threatening than intended.

"I will get to that, however, would you like to know why I made my appearances predictable? After all, you must know by now that predictably is not something that I am famous for." She asked.

"I don't know, why?" She asked about losing her patients.

"It was to make sure that you would take notice and start to expect me. After all, that, I knew, would be the best way to keep you here. Talking, detracting you from our true purpose here in Underground Town. Rehos' home town I believe. I wonder which one has him accompanying us in our new bodies. Anyway, enough of that. What I want to know is, did you say goodbye?" She said out of the blue.

"To who?"

"To those fools that called us their parents." She replied.

"What do you-" she cut off as she realized what she was getting at. "No!"

"By now we have already killed them. Yes, Loc! I am nothing but an illusion. You see when I was whole I used to deceive many people some had even been through The Forest Of Illusions, although nower days my old tricks won't work like they used to. Now, that hardly matters for when you go back I hope that their blood will wake you up." She laughed as Loc ran through her and dashed to her house and was there before she knew it.

She opened the door only to see that she was far too late. There was nothing but a bloody pile of organs and bone awaiting behind to greet her. In her horrified state she saw her parents heads on a stake held up by the grim mass. Their bloodless faces frozen in fear as the pole was visible from their mouth opened by their fallen jaws. The worst part was the identical parallel lines down their faces. Loc backed away.

When T.O.O.T.R.O.E. found her she was unconscious in the contents of her own stomach, dehydrated from her own tears. Her body shook uncontrollably and all colour had been removed from her already pale face. When one of them touched her she was cold and soaking with sweat.

She did not wake for a week and had to be tube fed. Bancha had visited her many times and placed beside her bed a book, hoping that the smell of books would wake her up. However he was absent when she did. Only the head of T.O.O.T.R.O.E. was present. Her eyes were different than before. They seemed to scream of determination but they were somewhat distant. The first thing that they did was follow the line of light and dropped onto the pile of books beside her. They blinked the last tear of that day as her red eyes saw as they had to remain open as they looked up at him.

"You need not tell me what happened because I already know. I was afraid that this would happen, that is why I told you not to go after them. The Lady of Darkness Grasharlo always was sick and twisted like this." He said. Loc looked away.

"I heard Sharimon talk about this place called The Forest Of Illusions, what is it?" She asked, trying to keep herself calm.

"It's a place where you go to become immune to illusions. It used to have four terms but after The Lady of Darkness Grasharlo there are now six." He said. "Why?"

"I want to go there. After all if I was immune to illusions then mother and father would not be dead." She explained.

"And what will you do in return?" He asked.

"Anything that must be done."