//------------------------------// // Chapter 15. Broken minds crush a broken heart. // Story: How Death Lived // by Crimson Wisp //------------------------------// //////////Everfree forest, present time////////// Azazel sat on his makeshift bed with his legs crossed and his tome in hand. The ancient library was relatively quiet, only Anvari's occasional giggle or simple command to the undead manticore audible. Blazing shot had been delegated four of the armoured golems to patrol the castle while Avalon, and the rest of the golems hunted for food. Cherry Wing, Silver Lining, and Scarlett Stream flew laps around the perimeter to keep an eye from above and on the sky. Savant Dancer, Honey Blossom, and Spectre Luamoon had been ordered to search the castle for anything of value or artefacts that could provide a strategic advantage. The demon shifted his gaze from the book in his hands and looked at the laughing skeleton and her over-sized cat. The skeletal feline had been learning simple tricks on Anvari's beck and call. And at the moment, the beast was "playing dead" while on it's back. "Good! Now, shake my hand." She ordered happily, the chimera doing as instructed, much like a dog. With the beast's paw in her hand she pressed her jaw against it, emiting a resounding smooch. This made a smile grace Azazel's lips, however, it was not to last. As Anvari's gleeful laughter filled the ancient library, a tidal wave of memories of a simpler time began to drown his heart. A painful scowl slowly replaced the gentle simper of a smile he had as a result of this. He shut his eyes, and did his best to stop the inevitable. The only sign of his internal conflict were the bitter tears welling up in his eyes. //////////Five years ago///////// Deep in the Ursan forest, in the humble keep that Azazel called his home, he sat on the floor of his moderately sized room. In this room, Mia combed and braided the wild mane of hair on Azazel's head. She sat on the large bed while she labored away at the wild mess of brunette hair that adorned Azazel's head while he sat on the floor with his back and wings uncomfortably pressed against the side of the soft matress. Or at least... she tried to. "CAN YOU STOP TOUCHING MY HORNS!?" The demon that barely reached up to Mia's clavicles whined, swatting her hands away from his head and covering his growing crimson horns. His tail swaying wildly and whipping the floor as he could no longer sit still. "But you look handsome with your braids! Just let me make a few more so we can-" Mia began, only for Azazel to lurch his torso away, his cheeks burning with a furious rosey hue. "I do not care if I look handsome with my hair braided! I do not want you touching my horns! It is uncomfortable enough that you are making me wear these ridiculous trousers underneath my loincloth! I look like leprechaun from hell!" He protested while standing up and walking away from her, his back now pressed against the wall and his wings spread into a concave semicircle. Undoing the finished and unfinished braids with irate abandon, Azazel let his wavy hair drape down the back of his head and down to the nape of his neck. "Goodness Mia, I didn't know you were a kiddie fiddler!" Trephor exclaimed with a gasp, faux shock and a cultured accent lacing his words. This comment resulted in everyone, save for Azazel, present in the room to look at him and in nigh perfect synchronization, shake their heads and let out a cringe induced sigh. "Not helping Trephor!" Azazel chided, rather annoyed that his cheeks got warmer and that his nether regions were growing more and more uncomfortably constricted thanks to the lascivious implication. "Oh, fuck off. That was a good joke" He pouted, crossing his arms and tapping his foot rapidly against the stone floor. This ilicited an angry growl from Azazel, the sound akin to that of an angry wolf. "Hey! hey! Look at me. Take deep breaths. Last time you flew into a blood rage, it took us weeks to rebuild the kitchen. And you know how Lilith got after she saw that." Mia asserted, standing up and walking over to him. She placed herself directly in front of him to obstruct Azazel's vision of the undead who's body and eyes brandished a verdant hue. The reminder of being on the receiving end of the Blood Queen's fury made Azazel shut his eyes and shudder, taking a deep and slow breaths to calm himself. "More like a rabid dog going on an hour-long rampage against Astoshan..." Trephor muttered under his breath. In the deathly quiet of Azazel's room, this comment was easily picked up by everyone present. A bout of poorly contained snickers from Mia and a single snort from Avalon lit the fuze to Azazel's short temper and made his attempts to calm himself all for nothing. "You know what!? All of you can eat a steaming pile of dragon shit and die! I've had it!" He snapped, turning towards the door, kicking it free of it's hinges and storming out of the house. "Kinda hard without a stomach!" Trephor shot back, his eyes burning with verdant amusement. The green undead's comeback was clearly enough to cause Azazel even more discomfort, because the sound of something made of wood being broken rang out; swiftly followed by the sound of the front door being forcefully opened. Once the trio of undead heard the front door downstairs slam shut, they took the opportunity to let out the tsunami of laughter they had been woefully trying to contain. After a few seconds, Avalon had gotten the last of the giggling out of his system. "You're an asshole, but I will admit, that story cracks me up EVERY time." The onyx skeleton confessed, wiping a green ember from the corner of his left eye socket. Mia and Trephor stopped laughing a few seconds after, and the green undead was the next one to speak. "How long do you think he'll hold it against me?" Trephor asked, turning to look at Avalon who sat on a nearby window sill; keeping a watchful eye over Azazel as he stormed off into the woods cussing and cursing at Trephor's name with every profanity his vocabulary could produce. "I'd give him a week." He estimated. Azazel disappeared into the forest, and a minute passed before the sound of a tree being violently uprooted resounded. From atop the canopy of trees, a sizeable birch wood sapling flew into the air in an Eastward direction, only for gravity to pull it back down and make it disappear under the foliage of leaves and startling a flock of birds that flew away to safety. "...maybe two." Avalon added, garnering another round of laughter from Trephor. Mia rolled her eyes and let out a sigh of resignation. "You two are the worst. Alright, let's get everything in order before Astoshan and Lilith come back. Hopefully, by the time we're done, Azazel will have cooled off." Mia ordered, walking out of the room. Not long after this, Avalon and Trephor followed her and they began to repair the disheveled door. While all of this was happening, Anvari had been sitting under a tree in the Ursan forest, quietly watching a doe and her foal resting under a glade of trees five or so yards away. As she enjoyed the tranquility of nature, that same stillness was abruptly ended by the sudden intrusion of a tree falling out of the sky. The cacophony of leaves being rustled, branches being torn apart, and a small tree trunk hitting it's floral brethren before impacting the floor with a weighty thud startled the doe and her foal. As they fled the area, Anvari was left thoroughly startled and disappointed that her peaceful afternoon had been so rudely disrupted. She got up from the ground and inspected the fallen tree from a distance. She deduced the trajectory in which it came from was westward, and her curiosity urged her to go in that direction. After walking for several minutes, she picked up the sound of quiet sobs. Following the sound, she came across a sight that only she was familiar with. Although she had been given undeath only a year ago, she had been the only one to see Azazel in this particular spot and state, save for Lilith, of course. He would go there every time he got angry to try and relax. However, that usually ended with him getting even more furious. He was sitting on the ground in between two roots branching from a mighty deciduous tree. His large inverted wings were wrapped around his body, but failing to muffle his lament. His long tail was coiled around him, laying limp on the grassy ground as the joy that would make it sway was nowhere to be found. Scattered around him were the remains of some form of a green fabric she recognized was a pair of trousers Mia had been sewing a few days ago. She knew that he would wail himself to sleep eventually under the tree's shade and the Ursan forest's gentle breeze. Anvari knew his mother would come looking for him, and normally, she would just leave him be and let Lilith deal with him. However, today was different. Today was Lilith's birthday, and he and Astoshan had been planning a big surprise for the Arch succubus that demanded Azazel be focused and centered to make it happen. Steeling her nerves, she walked closer, using the massive tree as a barrier should he attack her. "Red?..." She asked, fear lacing her voice. Azazel did not flinch at the sudden realization that he was not alone, but rather at the nickname. He would've blasted with hellfire whoever dared invade his "happy place", but not Anvari. She was... different from the rest. Avalon was very helpful and could be fun to be around, but he could not have a profound conversation with the loyal, though hard headed skeleton. Trephor meant well, but his antics and propensity to drive Azazel up the wall made it difficult to stay near him for too long. Of the original three, Mia was the heart that kept the strange trio together since their "resurrection", but even she could be overbearing at times. Anvari, however, had gained a special place in Azazel's heart. While Mia, Trephor, and Avalon were like older siblings, Anvari was the only one Azazel really considered a friend. When Azazel wasn't traveling or learning new spells with his father, building things with his other undead, or learning how to hunt with his mother, she was by his side. "...go away..." He said, trying to make himself smaller by bringing his wings closer together. Anvari would have followed the order, were it not for the fact that she knew what was at stake. "N-no." She began, doing her best to not succumb to fear. "Let me help you. Tell me what's wrong." She ordered, coming out from behind the tree. Azazel said nothing, the only sound coming from him was the occasional sniffle. Anvari hesitated only for a moment before walking over to him. As she knelt down before him, his wings seemed to wrap themselves even tighter around his body. The dwarven undead gently placed her left hand on the brim of one of scale plated wings. "Azazel... please..." She asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Anvari gently tugged and spread The demon's wings apart, revealing his body to her. Azazel sat with his legs held close to his chest, and his head was held low. Anvari could see the stream of tears that had been steadily trickling down his cheeks. The vulnerability Azazel felt was more than obvious, as he was fighting a losing battle to not shake like a leaf. The small undead closed the gap between the two and sat on his left side, their bodies as physically close as comfort would allow. She then rested her head on his shoulder, causing him to look in the opposite direction. "Red... was Trephor being mean again?.." She asked, hoping she wouldn't set him off. After a few moments of silence, Azazel let out a sigh in defeat. "He is right..." He confessed, his voice almost inaudible. "Right about what?" She asked, now less hesitant and more curious. "I'm nothing but a rabid animal..." He answered, shutting his eyes in a vain attempt to make himself disappear. Anvari, on the other hand, lifted her head to look at Azazel. There was silence for a moment, before Anvari set her head back down on her friend's shoulder. "You may think little of yourself..." She began, her eyes smoldering with red and blue wisps of magical fire. "But I don't think you're an animal. You may get angry sometimes... but... I know for a fact that your anger is not the whole of who you are." She said with a gentle finality. Azazel did not contest this, mulling over her words instead. Anvari could feel the little movements of his wings and see the small twitching of his tail as he contemplated her words. Wasting no time, she spoke up again. "An animal wouldn't practice for months with his friends songs for someone he cares about. An animal isn't smart enough to learn new spells and teach them to their friends. An animal doesn't stick up for their family and show them how much they are loved!" As she finished, she let out an exasperated sigh. Anvari closed her eyes only for a moment, but upon opening them, she was startled to find Azazel looking at her with longing in his eyes. "Do... do you really think so?" He asked, letting her know that her next reply would either make him or break him. Anvari would have smiled if she had lips to do so, so instead, she reached out with her boney hand and ever so softly wiped his tears. "I do." She replied, her words sinking deep into Azazel's heart. He sniffled once, and couldn't help but smile. This gave Anvari a risky idea, the likes of which she hesitated only for a moment to take said risk. She wrapped her arms around his torso, forcing herself in and under his arms so that she could nuzzle under his neck. At first, the demon was shocked by the show of affection, but soon gave into it and reciprocated. The two remained like this for several minutes before Anvari spoke up. "Are you ready for our show today?" She asked innocently, her soft voice adding to the serenity of rustling leaves in the gentle summer breeze and chirping birds.This made Azazel chuckle, which caused his undead friend to laugh with him. After a minute or so, he finally spoke up. "I am extraordinarily nervous." He answered still holding her in his arms. "Why?" She asked, glad they could move onto a much less loaded topic. "I'm worried I will have wasted your time for something mother won't like..." He explained, sounding a bit dejected. This caught Anvari by surprise, making her move infront of him and kneel down to his eye level. "What!? Lilith loves your songs, why wouldn't she like your the new ones?" She asked in disbelief. Azazel tried to hide his flustered expression by looking away, but his cheeks and pointy ears betrayed him. "I-I don't know! I just-!" He stammered, trying to think of something to say; only to be cut off by Anvari. "Red, you spent four nights coming up with our performance. You made me, Avalon, Mia, and Trephor practice it for WEEKS! Hell, you even asked Astoshan to help you out with some additional voices!" She pointed out with the utmost vehemence. The undead's reasoning and tone left no room for debate, no matter how much Azazel wanted to. As he sat there, unable to look his friend in the eye, she gently clasped his cheeks between her hands and reoriented him to face her. "You did all that for her and you made sure that this would be the best gift ever. An animal wouldn't do that. You're the kindest, and most generous person I know. And Lilith will be reminded of that tonight. Ok?" She added, her eyes now glinting with red and green. The colorful display rapturing the young demon, making it impossible to look away. As a single tear of liquid joy rolled down his cheek, the slitted pupils of his eyes relaxed; letting him take in the light of her eyes while he nodded. Anvari used her thumb to wipe away that single tear, and let her hands slide down his neck and onto his shoulders. "Let's go inside, we can practice for a bit more if you still don't feel sure. Ok?" She asked, her voice acting as a soothing tonic to the young demon's ears. With a smile and a small nod from Azazel, the two got up, and walked together in a peaceful silence towards their woodland home. /////////Azazel, present time/////////// I don't think I've ever felt as miserable as I did that night. As I sat there, wanting nothing more than to hear one of Trephor's stupid jokes, Mia getting mad at me for destroying a pair of pants or some other uncomfortable piece of clothing, my father lecturing me on the importance of basic healing spells, or even to be held by my mother again; I felt the tree trunk I was on jerk slightly. Before I could pull myself together, I felt the familiar phalanges of my little one gently brush against my left cheek. The sudden contact with my skin made me flinch, my eyes opening on reflex. "Red?..." Anvari asked in a reserved and hesitant tone. As I looked down to my left, I saw her kneeling on the bed besides me. The manticore was sitting patiently by the foot of the bed, looking at me with it's head tilted slightly. Her hand was retreating back towards her side as she looked into my eyes, her blue embers being the tell tale sign of concern. "What's on your mind?.." She asked. This was not the first time she's been there for me, but now more than ever, I felt unworthy of even being in the same room as her. I averted my gaze, steeling myself in order to tell her I was fine. However, she didn't give me the chance; moving my head with her hands for me to look at her. "Red... please... I don't like seeing you like this... what's wrong?..." She asked, her voice was but a whisper. Whatever emotional fortitude I had managed to conjure up was immediately demolished as a nigh endless waterfall of tears began to pour from my eyes. I shivered and clenched every muscle in my face in a vain attempt to keep it together, yet no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't force myself to stop. I cried... hard... so much so, that time had lost all meaning as Anvari held me. "They're gone... Mia and Trephor... I ran out on them... They're dead because of me..." I said between sobs after who knows how long of me babbling incoherently. "Azazel, it's not your fault." Anvari denied. I wanted to believe her... I really did, but the souls within me screamed and howled otherwise... "YOU DOOMED THEM!!!" "TRAITOR!!!" "YOU DO NOT DESERVE THEM!!!" "YOU BETRAYED THEM!!!" They wailed, their incessant assault on my heart hammering away at what remained of my sanity. I began to sob and condemn myself with even more fervor, while my little one's concerned voice was being drowned out by the cacophony of voices in my head. "I left them to die... they're gone... Trephor and Mia... They're gone because of me..." I managed between sobs. As I clutched my head in a desperate attempt to make them stop, I failed to notice Anvari had let go of me. She had somehow managed to breakoff one of the sturdy branches off the trunk's side and wielded it like a warhammer. This impromptu weapon was then used to literally and metaphorically beat some sense into my skull. With a solid hit to the left side of my head, I was left dazed and with a throbbing headache after flopping to my side. On the bright side, the voices had all gone silent, if only for a moment. "AZAZEL ASTOSHAN LILITH!!!" Anvari shouted, causing me to panic internally as if I was about to be mauled to death by a mighty dragon. Immediately, I turned in the general direction from where the attack came from, and was left speechless at the sight before me. Anvari was standing at eye level infront of me, Her eyes were deep crimson embers which shifted to blueish lilacs in a mesmerizing spectacle light. I tried to open my mouth to say something, but whatever I was going to say was made mute by Anvari speaking up again. "DON'T YOU DARE SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN!" She ordered furiously, wordlessly threatening me by raising her weapon. The manticore seemed to pick up on Anvari's threat and proceeded to roar, then growl at me in agreement. "Listen to me! Trephor and Mia are gone because of Celestia! SHE'S THE ONE WHO KILLED THEM!!! Not you! Don't you DARE put their blood on your hands!!!" She said, teetering on the edge of tears herself. "I love you too much for that..." She confessed, lowering the club in her grip. The manticore stopped it's growling to look at her. As the branch fell out of her grip and clattered to the floor, she brought her hands to her face to cover her eyes and cry. Sitting up right, I know not what left me more flabbergasted; her sudden, yet understandable mood swing, or her last statement. Never once had she said she loved me. She made it obvious that she cared, but never had I been told I was loved. Or at least... in the way that I assumed she meant... The manticore, who had been standing at the ready to defend my little one, moved towards the bed. The undead feline placed it's forelegs on the bed and let out a small whimper as it closed the distance between it and Anvari. As my little one sat down, still covering her face out of embarrassment for her outburst, the manticore let out another small whimper as it gently nuzzled against her side in an attempt to make her feel better. "...wh-what?..." It was all I could manage to say, finding myself at a lack for words. "I love you! Alright!? I've heard you blame yourself for things that you have no control over for years... And I don't know what to do anymore! I don't know how else to make you understand..." She confessed angrily at first, letting her hands fall to her sides. The reality and harshness of her words hit me harder than the branch from earlier. The thumping in my head was forgotten as my gaze was cast downward in shame. "I'm sorry... but it's true..." I began, the unintelligible whispers of the damned babbling what I could only assume to be assurances of my sins. "I... I am poison to anyone who dares to care about me... especially you... I-" I was cut off by Anvari standing up, grabbing my horns and pulling me closer to her. Though small, dwarves were remarkably strong and she was no exception. As she roughly oriented my head so that I was forced to lock eyes with her, she bore into my very soul with twin stars the burned with outrage. "STOP IT DAMNIT!!!" If there was anything I could've said, the words never escaped my lips; as I was yet again yanked out of a spiral of self damnation. After a few moments of gut wrenching silence Anvari let go of my horns along with a sigh of exasperation. She moved her hands down to my cheeks, holding me in place so I couldn't look away. The near murderous fury that emblazoned her eyes had softened to a fuschia flame I'd never seen in her eyes before. "You are NOT going to use me as an excuse to avoid dealing with what is behind all this!" She began with an order, her firm tone leaving no room for dissent. Never had I seen this side of her, so in control of a conversation. My one and only friend, who I had always believed to be reserved and quiet her down to her last metaphorical breath, was now leaving me verbally disarmed. "You always talk about how much you hate being blamed for things you are not responsible for. Yet here you are, plunging a knife into your chest because you've let a delusional pega-corn mongoloid and insane souls fill your head with lies! And I think I know why you let them." I was so focused on her words that I didn't notice my eyes had resumed their incessant leaking of bodily fluids until Anvari's tone became a lot less firm and she wiped more tears from my face. "You punish those that hurt you and torment those that hurts us. And deep down you blame yourself just as much as you blame them... if not more... Azazel you need to forgive yourself... If you don't you'll never stop punishing yourself for it." She warned. I once believed that only mother truly understood me, but here I was, sitting in front of a dwarf who knew me probably better than anyone alive or dead. As her words finally sank in, I found it near impossible to breathe. It was all too much, the emotional dissonance coupled with a violent barrage of flashbacks of Mia and Trephor's deaths... along with mother and father... My heart began to pound away in my chest with such force I feared it would burst. I felt nauseous, my sight became blurred, and I felt like I was being cooked alive. The abhorrent overwhelming of my senses only stopped because Anvari noticed it and came to my aid. The indicators of this were the slow, yet much needed dampening of the nausea and the sensation of a cool and soporific spell being cast on me. "Red... please... you have to forgive yourself..." She begged, her eyes now alternating between lavander and navy blue. She was... running her fingers through my hair... For as simple as it was... it gave me peace. "I... I can't..." I said, my nausea vanishing completely as she kneaded away my pain. My head felt heavy, along with everything else. I was tired. Tired of fighting. Tired of everything... "Why!? Why can't you let it go?..." She pleaded, her tone leaving no room for doubt that she needed an answer NOW. I wanted to disappear, but I forced myself to answer her anyway... with the painful truth... "I don't know how!" I replied with my throat dry and irate. I wanted to cry even more, but my body had no more tears to give. Hell, if it were possible, I would've forced my body to use my blood as tears if only to rid it of the heartache I felt. "I-... I don't even know where to begin... b-but..." I started again, but struggled to get the words out of my throat. "...but what?..." Anvari asked, her hands clasping my cheeks. "YOU DESERVE TO SUFFER!!!" "SHE LIES!!!" The souls within me struggled, fighting against my will and forcing me to remain quiet while I struggled to subdue them. I shut my eyes, they... burned with how dry and irritated they had become after opening the flood gates. It was only through sheer force of will that I said what my heart felt. "...I want to..." I said with trepidation. I opened my eyes after a long and unsettling while where my little one said nothing. I saw Anvari looking at me, her eyes lighting up like fireworks with embers of blue, green and even more pinkish colors shooting out from the wisps of her eyes. She gasped with her hands covering her mouth. She let out an excited chuckle as her eyes flared with a gallant green and hot pink. If she had a face with skin, I could've bet my horns that she would look like a castaway seeing dry land after who knows how long of being floating aimlessly through the sea. "Red... You just took your first step!" Anvari said excitedly, her tears now gone as she got to her feet and leapt onto me with the intention of squeezing me half to death. I caught her mid-jump, and corrected her trajectory for her to land on my lap. She wrapped her arms and legs around me as much as her small frame would allow. As we held each other, I felt an odd feeling growing in me. At first I was partially aware that it was there, but as seconds turned to minutes of holding my little one, it was becoming more and more intense. With her head nuzzled into my neck, I backed away slightly so that I could look down. Her green embers... I'd seen them a thousand times before, but... never like this. Here was someone that... loved me. Not because they were obliged to, but because they saw something in me they liked. The feeling in my chest grew stronger, and soon, I felt my lips pull away towards my cheeks, forming a humble smile. As we gazed into each other's eyes, my eyelids grew unbearably heavy, and I hesitantly moved my lips closer to her as my eyes were shut. I will admit that I was too wrapped up in the heat of the moment, because I failed to notice the very rapid flicker from green to yellow in Anvari's eyes. I was hoping to plant a gentle kiss on her... but instead, a small hand pressed against my lips, stopping me from moving forward, along with my little one putting some distance between my body and hers while remaining seated. Contact with her hand snapped me back to reality, making my eyes open and lock with- Why are her cheekbones pink while her eyes are yellow!? "Red?... W-What are you..?" She asked, sounding startled. At around this time, Anvari released my mouth. To say that I was caught off guard as well would have been an understatement. My face became hot with the familiar and inconvenient rush of blood towards my brain through my cheeks, resulting in me looking like a druidian beetroot. "I-I thought that... you and... and I..." It was all I could stammer out, unable to look anywhere other than her eyes. Those red embers had been shifting between blood red and a golden hue, but it wasn't until I stuttered that my little one's eyes shrunk... and shifted to blue... "Dear Gods... ...Red, I... I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to mislead you! Please don't be angry! I swear I didn't mean to!.." She pleaded, standing up on my left while holding my head against her ribcage. I was vaguely aware that she was stroking my hair, and that she was still talking. I was... I don't even know how to describe it in a single sentence. My chest felt like it was trying to implode, the souls within me had gone so quiet that for the first time in a very long time I knew what true silence felt like. Every muscle in my face relaxed and returned it from whatever expression I once held to one of neutrality. All thoughts ceased; and soon, the dull pain in my chest I had only become aware of because of it's absence, was replaced by something else... I felt... empty... How much time passed, I'm not sure, but I was eventually brought back from limbo by the sound of a whinny, yet distinctly masculine voice. "S-sir?... Is this a bad time?..." ///////////////////// Despite the stutter, Azazel recognized it as Savant Dancer. His head was downcast and his eyes out of focus, and after a few seconds, the world came back into focus. The half-breed raised his downcast gaze to meet the yellow orbs of fire in Savant Dancer's eye sockets. Azazel then realized that Spectre Luamoon was also standing before him. Their black and red attire would have brought on a small tinge of pride whithin the demon, yet he felt nothing. "No. What is it?" He answered, his voice hoarse and quiet. "Avalon has returned from his hunt and requires your presence. He's out by the Castle's entrance." Spectre began with a polite and professional tone. "Sir?.. pardon me, but are you alright? You look... ill..." She hesitantly finished, the underlying concern for her master's well-being surfacing through the cracks of her professionalism. This concern was not without merit, for the young necromancer did in fact look very unwell. His skin seemed even more pale than usual, and dark veins streaked outward from around his eyes. Unbeknownst to Spectre and Savant, the first symptom of the first blood rage he had had in years had already manifested itself. "I'm fine. I will go see what he needs me for." He replied, now looking around his environment. "What time is it?" He asked, taking note that Anvari was nowhere to be found. "The sun should be setting in a few minutes, sir." Spectre explained, her head tilted slightly to the side as she scanned his face for any indication as to what he was thinking. Azazel said nothing as he stood up, making Savant and Spectre move aside. "Did you two find anything of use?" The half-breed asked while he idly stretched and popped his joints. This made the golden embers of Savant to light ablaze with verdant fire. "We did! We found a private suite in the eastern tower that housed several tomes and books on old Equestrian magic! It was a little difficult to read them all without magic to move them around, but we managed." He happily answered, Savant's giddy demeanor causing his undead compatriot to roll her eyes. "Shall we bring them here?" Spectre asked. Azazel simply nodded and continued to stretch and take deep breaths. As the half-breed stretched, the undead pair left the room to begin their assigned chore. Now by himself in the library, he walked towards the exit. "Red? Are you feeling alright?" A feminine voice asked from Azazel's left as he opened the door to leave, causing him to stop and shut it. He slowly turned to his left and locked eyes with the dwarven undead. The two stared at each other for a few moments, until of course, Anvari's gaze landed on his eyes. "Azazel... Your eyes... What is that?" She pointed out before asking with worry in her voice. While Anvari was unaware of the looming danger, Azazel became acutely aware as the edges of his vision slowly came out, then back into focus. "You left them to die..." "Traitor..." "You failed them..." Voices in the demons head whispered with sensuous malice. Recognizing the danger, he shut his eyes and focused on silencing them. Soon, their voices became nothing more than the occasional incoherent babble in Azazel's ear. As this happened, the dark streaks branching out from his bloodshot eyes began receding, whose dark sheen was violated by veins and capillaries of liquid malice of the glowed with an angry red. By then, the only indicator of him being unwell was his unnaturally pale skin. Feigning being slightly tired, he left his eyelids droop slightly as he looked at his dwarven friend. "I am fine little one. Everything will be alright soon." Azazel lied, a humble smile grazing his lips. "Red, you haven't said a word since you came back from the forest with Saros. Matter of fact, he didn't even come back. You've been staring off into space for hours and you look like you have a fever. Are you sure you're alright?" Anvari asked, drawing closer and taking his left hand in hers. Holding her hand, Azazel tightened his grip and said nothing, opting to nod instead of saying anything. Her red eyes lit to green if only for a moment, before walking away towards the sleeping manticore resting on a mound of damaged books a short walk away and letting him leave. As he walked out and through the corridors of the abandoned castle, the souls within the half-breed began to stir once again. "Too late to save mommy and daddy..." "Too late to save Mia and Trephor..." "You will kill her like you kill your brother and sister..." "You are unworthy of their love... And soon... No one will be able save you... FROM US!!!" Several voices hissed. Azazel said nothing for a while as the rest of the voices inside him echoed their insults, that is of course, until he reached the massive twin doors that led to the castle's front. The cacophony of jabbering abruptly silenced itself when Azazel placed his hands on the twin doors. He stood there, with his eyes closed and struggling to keep his breathing steady as he strained himself to stay as calm as possible. The dark veins began bulging outward from his eyes, spreading and receding erratically. This went on for about a minute before the streaks receded completely and the bright red capillaries that pierced through the black of his eyes faded. "I know..." He muttered under breath before pushing the doors open, and walking pout into the cool evening as the sun slowly set over the Everfree's canopy of trees.