Musings of Mistera - The Dark.

By the gods' grace, we may have found allies.

We found them after wandering through the passageways, some more hidden than others. I stayed silent for a while, with Nigori and Hrogar doing most of the talking, which ended up going nowhere fast. I sighed and spilled the beans, telling them exactly why we were here, what we're fighting, and what we're searching for.

Turns out that so far we have similar goals, and they've arranged for us to get to a nearby temple, which happens to have a rare plant that they want us to gather.

For once the gods are smiling upon our fortune. My smile continues through my first watch and only slowly fades away once caught in the arms of slumber.

---

A dim room.

A darker adversary.

The shadowy presence before the paladins cackles as their attacks fly through its form. Cries of anguish rise from my companions - old battle scars open and ooze blood with each swing of their mighty weapons. Nigori openly weeps, her arsenal of spells backfire, inflicting such pain on her loyal subjects.

My quarterstaff grows so heavy... and cold. It glistens, a blackened blade, a dark twisted claymore.

And it hungers.

I stop Nigori's screaming - through her chest with the blade. The steel lightens, the second stab into Nigori's young flesh swifter. I know she's dead as she drops Squirtle to the ground, who deliciously crunches underneath my boots seconds later.

Sztuczka is a single-swing kill, the blade cleanly separating her head from her shoulders, silencing her singing. Blood sprays across my face, and I can't help but break out into a wide smile and cackle.

Azam might have been a match had he turned around quick enough. I kick his legs out from under him and bring the blade into his heart.

The blade of black ends Blackender, with red swelling up from his multiple incisions.

Tupper cried like a little girl as I gutted him, dying at the sight of his entrails spilling to the ground.

All that's left is Hrogar, who is armed and ready. He bares down on me with his weapon, which I swing to parry - the black cuts straight through his weapon, leaving only the handle left. I only catch a glimpse of his face, staring at bewilderment at the remains of his protection as I fly into a flourish, letting the blade swing me around before catching him in the face. He staggers and recovers, but he now has no escape from the blade's terrible fury. The blade skewers him, and I shove my grinning face into his before kicking his dying body off my blade.

My laughter closely echoes with the shadows.

---

Wake up in a cold sweat. Something's wrong.

I tell the paladins nothing of last night, only that I need to do something.

I'll be back to help, but dear Artemis, please do not let my taint disrupt this mission.

I only pray that when I come back, I have done the right thing.