[Durelin]

It is around noon in the game.

The cold, damp feeling pressing against her skin was distant, almost the sense of another person completely. Any pain from the pressure or sting from the chill existed outside the mind, outside of her existence. The stones she lay on were barely visible to her, though her eyes were wide, and she did not look for them. Emotions and thoughts hovered beyond reach, and she did not try to touch them. It all felt so wonderful, the freedom of floating in nothingness, the separation from all worldly disadvantages, all worldly troubles.

Her body took in the air on its own accord, for its own survival, though she had no connection with it. She was mindful only of the flames that surrounded her, her self - being, her soul. They were flames, they caressed her with a soft, searing chill, but they were black as the starless sky, blacker even than the darkness that surrounded her mind, cutting off the thoughts and feelings and life of the world. She lay there for what seemed ages passing by, ages of such pleasure. She was scarecly aware of thoughts crawling through the darkness, penetrating the seal over her. But her thoughts continued to hover outside, cut away from her.

These thoughts had no connection to her, but they came to her, were able to pass into her. She cherished them, for all they were not hers, they were thoughts at least, and from somewhere she had always wished to go. They felt as life giving as a breath of air, though they stung her mind as gasious air would sting her lungs. One by one they came and left. Then, with the passing of another into non-existence, they stopped seething through the dark shell.

She screamed in agony at the loss and reached out, groping through the black flames, searching for those thoughts, the air she breathed that gave her life. She couldn't see her arm or hand, couldn't feel them lifting, yet she knew that she was getting closer to those thoughts. All at once she felt the very tips of her fingers, and in an eruption of loss, the flames and darkness left her, the seal vanished, and all thoughts, feelings, emotions rushed back into her head, all in a moments time. The returning of awareness of her flesh brought a slam of pressure upon her like a ton of stone. She cried out a long howling note of pure anguish at her loss of freedom, pleasure, ecstasy.

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Sevora lay prostrate on the black stones of a small rectangular chamber in the Citadel, her long robes flowing about her. The chill of the cold stones on her flesh was not near as strong as when she had been surrounded by the dark void. The Void! She had been taken into the Void by her Lord, by the Great Eye, the lidless flame! He had spoken to her in the Void, bringing great honor to her. Now she was sure that the Eye would be with them on this mission, with them in their very hearts and minds. He could pull her into the Void of His own accord. He was getting stronger, and Sevora along with him. Her laughter bubbled with cold mirth. She was getting stronger and stronger. This mission would bring much reward and power.

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Her newly adorned light brown robes swished around her soft - booted feet as she glided down the black stone steps once more out to the courtyard of the Dark Citadel, Rahvin at her side, Naramarth and Dristi behind her, all three also wearing rugged brown. Sevora actually smiled at the sight of her warriors, but not because of their presence. She pulled her dark brown veil over her face to hide her smile, covering all but a small slit where her dark eyes peered out of, burning with a fierce light, cold without a trace of the mirth she felt. Those eyes moved to look above her at the bright sun at its highest point in the sky, burning rays beating down on the stone and Haradrim without relent. She brought her gaze back to trail lazily across the people standing before her.

"We move southeast, the noon sun searing our bodies. Do you know why its rays scorch us? Because the Eye looks down on us, His burning gaze speeding us on our mission, giving us hope and strength! I have been into the Void, and He has shown me what it is like to be in His presence. We now are held in His praise for our devotion. Open yourself to the Great Lord and do His will, and perhaps He will bring you to stand before Him, giving you much pleasure." She stood still before them, showing no signs of her great emotion except the heat in her voice. Suddenly she let out a laugh, a wheezing, strangled chuckle that sounded painful, wrenching out of her throat as if she had been holding it in too long.

"We will bring the life everlasting to the tribes people, and bring the everlasting, tormented death to those who will not bow to the Lord. There screams will sing to us till our death, singing us to sleep in the arms of the Lidless Eye, where we will be given life eternal."

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The short shadows of noon left no freedom from the scorching of the sun, the gaze of the Eye, as the servants left the Citadel to do their lord's will with pleasure.