------------- Tales of the Silver Gryphon - The Other Apprentice

Her headache flared up again. She was not sure how this could be happening. There was only one who could penetrate her defenses, only one who might be able to overcome her psychic shields, and it wasn't the hermaphrodite trollop Fallon had brought back from the desert. There was a tear in the Kar'Thane. That much was clear, and not even the vaunted Jeweled Cobra had the ability to project that much psionic power, all Shadow Psyche. Only her former mistress could have hoped to cause such a ripple.

"Yes, child. Been grounded too long to remember how to fly? It must be a real task to put on that face every morning and pretend to love that groundling pig of a husband. I sense your mistrust, your jealousy. I can feel your hatred for the sluts he surrounds himself with. Do you really think that while you're out here, questing to your death against an unbeatable foe, that he'll even shed a tear when you never come back?"

"Stop it! Shut up! Get out of my mind!"

Giselle locked back to Elysia, wondering what it was she was shouting about. Savra began to move towards her when Serenity suddenly jerked and shook violently, then fell to the ground, having some kind of seizure. In the distraction, her old mistress shoved a vision into her mind, a vision of Drammis and Malloryn in his office, Malloryn obviously trying to comfort the distraught master of Syvasgaard, eventually seducing him. Elysia fought the feelings, tried to suppress the anger, the hatred, the revulsion. Moreover, she tried to maintain control of her mind and fend off the attacks of the Shadow Kar'Thane Sorceress, the very one who had taught her to be a Shadow Agent. But her skills were not sufficient, her strength, not enough.

"What do you want from me? Leave me alone!"

"Ah, I see that famous Karakian reserve failing. You are so well trained in hiding your emotions, suppressing them. Is it any wonder that when they finally boil to the top, they completely overwhelm you? Did you think your groundling male would be so blinded by your physical beauty that he could overlook how ugly you are on the inside? You forget, dear. I know your true self, your true face. I give you this one chance to return to the shadows. This one chance for forgiveness for a foolish girl's hollow fantasies of family and home. I understand your need to feel loved, your need for freedom. That is what the shadows are all about. That is why I allowed you this foolish indulgence for as long as I have. Now its time to come home."

"Never! Never! You can't make me come back. I've seen the light. The true light, the light of the Ashiri. And you'll soon see it too!"

There was silence in her mind, but she could sense the rage from her old mistress.

"Very well, Karakian. But you understand that we can't let our secrets wonder around unchecked, uncontrolled. There's no telling who you might share them with. So allow me to introduce my latest apprentice, Gorgon. Since a Kar'Thane Sorceress is so limited, I decided to make this one a warrior. Have fun now,… as you die."

------------- Credits

------------- Thanks and please comment.