Night Falls

[Kaden]

Kaden couldn't believe what he was seeing. She seemed like she'd gone emotionless, like her soul had left her body when that goddess power entered it. She didn't care what she did anymore, once Melacham got what he deserved. The thought of Melacham reminded the wizard that he and Cassandra were not the only two in the room, so he turned his attention back to the sorcerer...just in time for the dagger to catch him straight in the chest. His eyes shot wide open at the sudden impact. It hit him with so much force, he got pushed back a few steps.

His mouth hung open, but no sound came out. Gripping the handle, Kaden found he didn't even have the strength to pull the blade out. Finally, a pained gasp left his lips as he fell to his knees.

[Eli]

Eli flew in raven form and landed on Melacham's head. He hoped Melacham would make a stupid move, so he would shift right on his head.

[cassandra]

Cassandra felt a pain go through her own heart so sharp she looked down expecting to see blood...but she was whole! Whirling around to see Kaden she watched in horror as he fell to his knees in agony, just as Eli flew in and landed on Melacham's head. Knowing the shifter would have Melacham's attention, Cassandra ran over to Kaden and with her new strength picked him up as if he were a child and eased him down onto his back. Leaving the dagger in place for the time being she placed her hands on either side of it and opened her mind and heart to the god Kane. "Kane,You gave me the gift of the amulet and the powers that go with it at my birth. I'm praying to you now for another gift. Please, please, I beg of you, pass Your healing powers to my hands and allow me to save Kaden's life!"

[Kaden]

The pain suddenly stopped spreading. It didn't completely go away just yet but it didn't worsen either. He felt himself being pulled, but somehow found the strength to fight it; strength he didn't know he had. Pulling himself in the other direction with the little strength he had left in his body, the wizard felt that whatever was pulling him stopped. The momentum carried him to the floor.

But the floor of what? There was nothing around that could be considered scenery. It was all fragmented splotches of black and white, with streaks of blue here and there. Kaden remembered this from somewhere, but where was it? The pain has become a dull ache all over his body, but he felt something else. It felt...familiar; comforting somehow. It felt like Cassandra, but she wasn't here. Cassandra! He thought. She's still with Melacham! I have to get out of here!

[cassandra]

Cassandra could feel Kaden's lifeforce leaving his body, taking her soul with it. Tears began falling from her eyes, landing on Kaden'd wound...and as they did the wound began to heal! Feeling a warmth in her hands, she pressed harder against Kaden's chest...and felt his heartbeat getting stronger!"Thank You Kane! I knew You heard me! Thank You....Thank You!" She had no words other than those, but she knew Kane could see into her heart...and see the gratefulness in it.

As Kaden began to stir slightly Cassandra felt it was safe to remove the dagger. Pulling it out slowly...wincing at the pain she knew she was causing him she was amazed...and relieved..to see the wound closing as the dagger left his body...it closed completely...leaving no sign it had ever happened.

"Kaden? You wake up now! You hear me? You promised me you wouldn't leave me! You promised! Now you just wake up right now and come back to me!" Cassandra called out to Kaden from the very depth of her soul.

[Kaden]

The dull throbbing ache all over his body suddenly became a sharp pain in his heart again. Clutching his chest and gasping, Kaden felt like something was being pulled out of him. The pain tore through him, and reached a crescendo before fading into nothingness. It was completely gone just like that. Huh. Right when the pain dissipated, he felt himself being pulled again, this time in the opposite direction. Before he knew it, he was back in Castle Obsidian; in Cassandra's arms and with no wound in his chest. "Could you stop screaming at me?" He said softly.

[Kane]

Kane heard Cassandra summoning him. He knew from the moment he saw her with that amulet that she would be calling on him sooner or later. Kane kissed Dyra on her forehead. "They need me out there, but I promise I won't be long."

He gave Cassandra all the help she needed, stopping Time to call on a few favors. But to everyone else, it seemed like no time had elapsed. When Kaden's wound was healed, Kane turned visible. "I'm here with you now Cassandra. Seeing as we are family and all."

[cassandra]

Cassandra smiled and wept at the same time in relief that Kaden had come back to her. Bending down and kissing him she said, "Yes, my darling....I'll quit yelling at you...but don't ever do that to me again. Startled to hear a voice behind her, as Kade had everyone but Eli encased in ice, she quickly turned...and froze in shock at seeing Kane standing there. She had felt His presence, but hadn't expected to actually see him.

Bowing her head she softly said, "I can never thank You enough for what You just did for me...had Kaden died, my soul would have as well. I don't feel worthy to be called family by You....but I'm so honored."

Laying Kaden's head gently down, she stood and turned to face Melacham again. With Kane backing her she knew the dark sorcerer was about to be history! She couldn't help but laugh however, at seeing how well Eli had done at keeping Melacham occupied! The shifter had toyed with Melacham, flying in to peck at his eyes, then darting away before Melacham could swat him. Cassandra had drained Melacham's magic to almost nothing, and
Eli had wisely not used any magic for him to absorb.

Cassandra turned to survey the room. Seeing her brother Kratos near death for the first time.....seeing the wounds that had been inflicted on her friends....Looking again at Kaden and knowing how close she had come to losing him....would have lost him forever if not for Kane....and the Power...fueled by cold fury began to rise in her again! She began to walk toward Melacham with slow, deliberate, steps....feeling the power grow in her more with each one. Not saying a word aloud, she used the power of her mind to show Melacham just what he had done....what he had nearly caused! He had nearly destroyed the only place she'd ever felt loved and accepted....hurt the people she loved and considered family.....nearly killed Kaden!

At that last thought, most of what had been the woman Cassandra vanished..and in her place was one very pissed off goddess with not only her own power...but that of Kane fueling her as well!

All the rage she had ever felt surged in her at once and she leaped at Melacham, shifting as she did so! Only instead of the small leopard that she normally shifted into, this time she reached nearly 6 ft in length and 150 lbs of pure muscle and raw fury! Landing on Melacham, she knocked him to the floor and landed on top of him. Giving a mighty roar of rage right in his face, she bared her fangs at him.....drawing out the moment and savoring the fear that was roiling off Melacham in waves, she roared one more time. Then, she lowered her head and grasped Melacham's throat with her teeth....with 2 or 3 mighty shakes of her head, she ripped the sorcerer's head right from his body and tossed it to the side...amazed at how GOOD the killing had felt!

Shifting back, she still felt the raw power surging through her..looking around to see if there were any guards or soldiers of Melacham's left to defeat she was disappointed to see there wasn't! For the first time in her life, she felt truly invincible....and it was as exhilarating and as intoxicating as any drug! Feeling the amulet glowing hot against her skin, she turned to see if Kaden saw what she'd become...what she was..and saw by the look of saddened horror in his eyes that he did indeed. Feeling Kaden's emotions as her own, she realized he wasn't horrified at the kill...nor even the brutal way she'd done it...but rather at the enjoyment she took in it...and at her disappointment that there was no one else left to kill! At that moment Rincon's words came back to her...what he'd tried to warn her of in the forest....how corrupting that kind of power could be!

Realizing that with her nature she couldn't exert the discipline required to control the power the amulet gave her, she reached up and carefully took it off her neck. Walking over to Kane, she handed the amulet back to Him. As He took it from her, she knelt at his feet and said, "Take it back! Please take it back! I can never thank You enough for the gift, or the power You loaned me this night, but I'm not cut out to be a goddess! Not the kind I'd want to be, at any rate. I never wanted to be one in the first place! Please...take the amulet back and bind whatever powers it gave me....I beg of you!" she nearly wept at the last...so earnest was she in wanting to be rid of the whole business!

[Alledyra]

Dyra was safely nestled where time felt suspended, as she waited for Kane's return. She didn't wonder about her body, didn't wonder where Kane had gone...didn't pause to contemplate what was happening elsewhere. Inside the safe place she had gone, she didn't feel the need to worry about what was happening any where else. If she'd been able to worry, she would have wanted to know what happened with the sorcerer and her friends....but now, she just let her thoughts flow without the accompanying guilt that was usually there. Kane would return when he could...her body would be where it had to be...and hopefully all of her friends were safe....after all, no matter what happened, she was safe, and there really wasn't much she could do from where she was at, was there?

Stepping towards what looked like a window, Dyra peered out quietly, taking in a scene that she couldn't quite understand...

[Kaden]

Kaden glanced away from Cassandra to the severed head of Melacham on the floor. His face was still, and would forever be, twisted in that final look of pure fear. This dark sorcerer, one of the most evil people on the planet, was genuinely afraid of what Cassandra had become. That in itself spoke volumes. He himself couldn't claim to be a saint in any sense of the word; he had killed before as well. But he'd never found himself enjoying it. And from the look in her eyes as it happened, she did.

The young wizard blinked once when he heard the second change. Now the cold murderous goddess he'd seen a minute ago was pleading with Kane to take the powers away. Utterly confused at exactly what was happening here, he just shook his head and stood up shakily. No matter what the case, it was pretty much guaranteed that Melacham was dead, so he removed the ice domes from around everyone, as well as the bubbles. We still need to deal with the king. Kaden thought, trying to focus his thoughts.

[cassandra]

As Kane had not bound the powers yet, Cassandra was still feeling Kaden's thoughts and emotions as she would her own. When he thought about the king, she remembered there was one more person she had to deal with yet.

The tears seemed to go in reverse back to her eyes...and she looked up at Kane, who had not answered her. In fact, he appeared to be in shock at the sudden mood changes she was having!

Reaching out and gently taking the amulet back from Kane, she said, "Uhhhh...hold that thought....I just remembered there's something I have to do yet...ummmm...don't go to far away? Because after this one, I for real want to give this thing back." Backing away slowly from the god as she said the words, when she felt she'd reached a safe distance away she put the necklace back on, and told Kratos, "If you want to go talk to daddy dearest...follow me....cuz after me...I don't think he's gonna be in a talkiing mood."

Reaching out to Kaden she softly asked, "Will you go with me? I need your support to do this.

[Kaden]

Kaden nodded, but he put a hand on her shoulder before she could turn away. "Cassandra, you um...." The wizard wasn't sure how to say it. No, that wasn't true. He knew how to say it, he just wasn't sure how she'd react to him saying it. Thinking back to that look on her face, he steeled his nerves. Touching the necklace gingerly, Kaden sighed. "You don't need this to deal with the king, Cassandra."

[cassandra]

"We don't know what little toys or trinkets Melacham might have given him, and magic can't touch me with this." Cassandra said as she turned to face Kaden. Once she met his eyes, she was unable to keep the the rest of it to herself. "He was my daddy Kaden! I used to toddle along behind him all the time...without the amulet I'm afraid I won't have what it takes to deal with him...to ask him what I have to ask him!"

[Kaden]

Looking down for a second, Kaden took his hand off her shoulder. "Okay then, lead the way." He replied softly. It seemed she was gonna do what she was gonna do, and it didn't surprise him at all. It was how she'd always been. At least that much hadn't seemed to change. "I'll go with you."

[Kane]

"And I as well," Kane spoke up. "The amulet's power grows more and more addictive the more you use it. You have used a phenomenal amout of power in a very short time and it will be very hard for you to give it up. I apoligize if I have to use excessive force, but I am warning you now, it will at first seem like part of your soul is being torn from your body."