Connection

[Jaira]

She sucked the blood off the free flowing cut and held it firm with her other hand, stemming the flow. "You dont realise how much we take for granted", Jaira agreed. "I want to have my body back more than anything - I dont know how I got involved with this, but Im more than ready to get out of it."

[Kaden]

A thought ran through Kaden's mind, seeing her suck on her finger. A rude and untoward one, to be sure - considering it wasn't Jaira's body he was looking at. But it darted through his mind nonetheless. "Here. Come." He gently took her hand from her and touched his fingertip to the cut. A thin sheet of ice covered only the injured area. "I actually do realize what I've taken for granted." The words were soft, but meaningful. "Do you have any idea how you would go about getting your body back? Or, hell, anything about any of this? Because I'm flying blind."

[Jaira]

She shook her head, watching the wizards work with interest. "I think the symbol is the best bet we have at the moment. For both of us to have registered its presence here - there must be something in it that we needed to remember."

Jaira took a deep breath and removed her hand from his, deciding that it was probably the best time to share some of her story. "Torrik, when I last saw you, I was beginning to change. If you can remember - I could already shift forms at will. Honestly, at first it was a rush - but within weeks the power began to overwhelm me. When I turned wolf I was stronger than before.. and with that, all the more volatile. I had very limited self control", she stopped him with a sharp look before he could comment on that, "Even less than usual - yes".

She felt her jaw clench, "I decided to leave for a while, to get away from those I could hurt. I did come for you...but you seemed.. happy enough...". Jaira dropped her line of thought, finishing dryly, "I think I may have chosen the wrong place to get away too".

[Aazarah]

"So what do we do?", the elation at seeing her brother was already starting to turn into frustration. Every moment she spent here she could be doing something to help in her own body. Right now she was a sitting duck in an alien body. Next time she felt the werewolf pull on her, she was determined not to answer - she wasn't leaving her body again.

"If they know to go to the Symbol of Mayste..."

"Kaden was heading that way", Aazarah interrupted her brother. "They are in Night Worlds Catacombs".

"Then he is already on the right track. By activating the symbol there will be a distortion in the Toraq fields... for bare moments , granted, but we will have a chance to overpower the demons and send them back to Opora. Hopefully, for good. And hopefully...", he wringed his hands slowly, "... That will also mean a return to our bodies. Physical and whole".

It was slightly disconcerting seeing her normally infallible brother nervous."How will they know how to activate the symbol?", she found herself asking the question aloud more so to keep Nykos focused.

"That is something I could find no information whatsoever. All I know, is if they do not activate it before the Oporans do - this whole planet is in danger of becoming stuck like us - and we will have no one to reverse the damage". Nykos sighed, "So all I can hope is that these two are both trustworthy and talented, because, as at this moment. We all rely upon them".

[Kaden]

Kaden didn't miss her dropped line of thought. It resounded like an explosion to his ears. He couldn't miss if he tried. "I thought I was happy." The wizard admitted. "And you know what's funny? While I kept myself guarded with you at the start just in case you were playing me...I end up getting played by someone else." The wizard took a deep breath and began walking toward the back area of the catacombs.

"I hurt you and I'm sorry about that. And I'm sorry about what happened to you. That was somewhat my fault as well."

[Jaira]

"My own decisions led to this, Torrik", she followed him, keeping a distant pace. "I'm in Taroq because I followed the advice of someone I should not have". She deliberately left Jed from the conversation. "But I appreciate the sentiment. " It was as close to their past she felt she wanted to reach right now. Things were becoming to raw, too quickly. So many years had passed, and emotions had never been her strong point.

After a few more moments of tangible silence, she slid her gaze toward the familiar walls that surrounded them and stilled her breathing. Her focus regained, Jaira became aware of a tempting pull, emanating from the symbol now and resonating deep within her. "It must be close", she breathed quietly. Moving past Kaden, her heart beat sped to a dangerous speed at the heightened energy surging through her blood. Following the tunnels further, Jaira allowed herself to be led blindly through the final twist and turns until she found herself deep within the catacombs, face to face with the Symbol of Mayste.

The sight of it sent a crippling feeling through her entire body. One she hadn't felt in a very long time. After a long moment of confusion, quickly making way toward panic she turned to the wizard, eyes wide, "This body is trying to shift!".

[Aazarah]

Pain ripped through Aazarahs body, drawing a strangled cry from the earth witch`s lips. The sudden agony was unlike anything she had felt in her life, and building by the moment.

She was aware of Nykos by her side holding her, though what he was trying to say she had no idea. Segments of his speech managed to break through her shock... Questions about what was happening. Worry about how she was. She could not find the words to reply, let alone the ability to speak them.

Crouching her body into a tight ball, she fought against the spasms searing her stomach. She didn't dare scream and bring the Oporans on them, though she wasn't sure how long she could hold off from that. Another sharp pain gripped hold of her body - this one so hard she found herself throwing her brothers body off to breathe.

Nykos stared at her in shock. "Aazarah, your face - its changing!" He ran back to her side, holding her firmly by the shoulders, "Sis.... listen to me.. you're changing"

A low snarl escaped her mouth, as she fought the rage building within her, "Nyk... let go of me...I feel like I'm going to explode...."

"You`re turning.. Jairas body is turning. Aazarah what are you feeling?"

The earth witch dimly remembered she was within the werewolves body. All other parts of her mind were focused on dealing with the pain ,"How is that even possible?". She gasped as her heart began to squeeze within her chest.

"I don't know, perhaps they have activated the symbol? But, it shouldn't be possible for you to .. . He stopped short, "Oh no... God no... I know whats happening. Aazarah, look at me", he grabbed her face between his hands, "You can not change. I have read this... I had forgotten it. It is what they have done before.. You`re change will be the portal for the demons. They will use you both as you switch bodies between dimensions..."

A tortured scream shot from her mouth. She could no longer reply through the haze of pain. Aazarah could feel her body moving from within, muscles expanding and contracting at a rate that she felt sure her skin itself would break open. The idea of having to fight and prolong the torment bought tears to her eyes. But the alternative was terrifying, and so she fought.

[Kaden]

The ice wizard's gaze was on Jaira, but from the corner of his eye, he could see the symbol on the wall. It was glowing faintly. He could feel the pull of the darkness once again, but he fought it. It was visibly exuding out of him, conveying a dark, smoky aura from his body. It wasn't painful, quite the opposite. It felt good; it made him want to lose control, but deep down he knew he couldn't. He put together that the same thing in theory was happening to her.

Kaden held her, looking into her eyes. "You have to fight it. Get Aazarah to help you fight if you have to. But this is it, Jaira. We can't let them win now." He was as calm as he could be in this situation. It took all his restraint not to panic himself.

[Jaira]

Jaira gritted her teeth and focused on holding Kadens gaze. Something within him was changing too, the smokey aura that surrounded him only served to intensify the change in his eyes.

She grabbed his arms in return, squeezing them hard in an attempt to channel the pain from her body. "F*ck!", the word ripped through the tunnels as another wave of change hit her. The earth witch body had no ability to shift, there was no flexibility for the muscles expanding within and no memory of how existing within her. On Kadens advice she reached for Aazarah and felt only panic; as for whether it was hers or the witches, she had no idea.

[Aazarah]

The sudden connection to the werewolf tore at the last magical defense she had built around herself. It was as if in that moment the two of them were one, and the thought scared the hell out of her. She could feel Jairas instability as well as if it were her own and beneath it all sat the lurking mess of the Oporan magic, tempting them to give in to the ease of the change.

How much longer did they need to fight this? She doubled over in pain and reached out for her brother who now looked just as terrified as she felt. "You re changing back into Jaira, Aazarah, not a werewolf, they are trying to use your next switch as the doorway".

She realised instantly what that meant and knew Jaira would now too. The werewolf would permanently be reunited with a physical body - and she without. And the delight she felt flow from her counterpart did not bode well for the earth witch.

"Jaira...", she reached out in appeal across the connection. "Please fight. We need to fight this"

[Jaira]

A long, slow breath escaped her lips and the werewolf found herself averting the wizards searching eyes. Temptation rippled through her - for, if what the siblings were discussing was true, this shift would give her back everything she had wanted for the past several months. And all I have to do is let go.

The thought seemed to numb all the pain that gathered in her borrowed body - and for a moment, she found herself in a complete space of joy. Her old, proud Esteen personality flooded over her, and nothing - not even the echoed calls of Aazarah would penetrate the longing of being alive. After all, she was sure the earth witch would do the same her position... and any Oporan leak could always be dealt with in some way...

Her gaze found its way to the glowing symbol upon the wall, searing its ways on her mind. Memories of her childhood, forever filled with years of enforced scholarship of the Esteen line were reignited within her. Subconcious memories peaked from behind them, whispered by ancestors, offering information on the symbol - on the Portal. She knew now why so much had been hidden from her, Nykos was right - she was to be a Guardian. But it was to be at the cost of her life.

Something she was not yet ready to give. "Im sorry Aazarah...", with the strained words, she began to let go.

[Aazarah]

"No!", Aazarah all but screamed the words down the overwhelming connection that whirled around her. It was if the life was being sucked out from within her. If she had thought she had known pain, before - it had been nothing compared to what ripped through her body now.

The horror of Nykos face did nothing to calm the earth witch, she could feel her entire body structure breaking and reforming itself into familiar patterns. She began to wish for the mercy of being able to pass out - but the Oporans needed her awake for this, she could feel it.

The dark Portal that linked Aazarah and the werewolf began to magnify so that she could now see its form physically, stretching around the dark shapes of the demons. Her imprisonment in Toraq would serve as the birth of darkness into the world she was leaving behind. All the people left behind would surely be destroyed like those that sat in this middle world. How could the bitch be so selfish?. Nothing was worth this.

[Jaira]

Jaira was vaguely aware of her hosts body shifting into her own through the heady haze of pain. If only for that moment, for the first time in too many years, she was able to look upon Kaden with her own features.

To say how she felt in this moment was not possible with any words she had learned in her life so far. The ecstasy and terror radiating from the Oporans - the agony and anger of the earth witch - nothing matched the intensity of what she felt for the man that stood before her. And after all that time, a wordless gaze would have to carry those emotions.

She felt the moment the last demon entered the Portal and acted fast. Whatever happened from this moment, she knew they had very little time to mess up. "Aazarah shut down your connection NOW!", she threw up every last ounce of defence that remained within her and felt the entire force of the Oporans slam against her soul. "Torrik, destroy the symbol!", she slumped against the wall breathlessly, her body beginning to shake uncontrollably.

[Aazarah]

In shock, she threw up her end of the barrier just in time to feel the Oporans slam into it. Their intense anger had built to a climax - slashing between both ends of the portal that lay between her and the werewolf. The vibration within her body was close to unbearable as she became aware of tears streaming down her cheeks.

Her entire world had become one inside of her, nothing but the trapped demons now occupied her mind.

[Jaira]

Jaira felt rather than saw the moment the wizard destroyed the symbol. The ferocious barbs of energy weaved their way around her body, sucking upon her limited life force in an order to survive. They had nowhere left to run, no where left to feed upon but her own soul. A soul that was being sucked completely dry. Somehow she managed to retain a grim satisfaction that they had beat them at their game. They had finally reached their end.

Somewhere in the back of her thoughts she managed to repel the witch away, send her to safety and away from the fate she had resigned herself to. The moment she felt Aazarah fully disconnect from the trap, Jaira enclosed the last of the Oporan energy within herself and allowed her body to be consumed. A sacrifice in the service of NightWorld. Of the people she loved in NightWorld.

And then she was gone.