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Samael had been gone from Sundren for the better part of a year now. After the climatic battle at the Necropolis and the turning of Alyrian into a demon, Sam had felt Charun slowly taking control. Being in that place for two long had been a terrible mistake. He had to get away from the people he cared for, otherwise the darkness would overtake him and he would no longer be in control. As he had fled the city Charun had been laughing in the back of his mind. It had only grown stronger, more hateful as the days turned into weeks and months. He couldn't take it anymore.
He was running through an unknown forest somewhere near the Sword Coast trying to block out the sound of the laughter in his mind. It was impossible to run from it, Sam knew that. But he had to do on something to avoid thinking about it at least. 'Come on now, Sammy boy. Come out and play!' A shriek of laughter followed him through the undergrowth and made his soul quiver in fear.
He had been running for days. While strong, his body was not immortal so he had to take a rest. He slowed down to a jog and then to a walk. The laughter had quieted. That has never happened before. It was always there, even a slight giggle in the back of his mind. But now there was only silence. Counting his blessings, Sam created a small campfire to drive away the darkness and the wolves.
He sat there, staring at the campfire, mesmerized by the dancing flames. They waltzed and twirled as if they had not a care in the world.
"Hey there, Sammy boy." Sam looked up in shock to see...himself!
"Charun...go...away..." Sam growled angrily at the shadow of himself. The other Sam put up his hands in surrender.
"Whoa whoa there, stuttering wonder. I just came to tell you that this little game of our is at an end. I'm tired of it." Sam glared at him suspiciously.
"What...do you...mean...? You...will stop...?" Charun nodded sagely.
"That's right Sammy boy, I'm going to stop." Sam still didn't trust his other self.
"Then....go..." Charun grinned with very large teeth. "Who said anything about me going?" Charun lunged across the fire, demonic grin on his face and a knife in his hand. The next thing Sam knew, the handle was sticking out of his chest and he could feel himself slowly dying. The fire was growing dimmer, and the last thing Sam saw was the very white teeth of Charun grinning at him with his face.
Charun got up and dusted himself off. "Well, that was a problem that needed to be taken care of. It's about time too, I can't believe I didn't do this sooner." He giggled with laughter and danced around the flames with glee. "Sammy's dead, Sammy's dead, so now I go to work and earn the bread!"
A new voice came from out of the shadows. "I don't think so."
Charun stopped in shock and looked to see where the voice was coming from. An older version of Sam walked from out of the forest of Sam's mind. He looked stern, the innocence of the original lost in his gaze.
"From now on, you will be contending with me, madman." Charun hissed at him in displeasure. "And who exactly are you?"
The man walked over to Sam's body, growing colder where he was killed. "You can just call me Samael." Charun chuckled.
"You know, I will still have an influence on you. Possibly even more of one. Little Sammy's innocence was the only thing keeping me back." Samael's eyes flashed, and Charun was gone.
"But my will is stronger yet. Sammy was too kind to you, demon. I shall not be so merciful." Everything faded away, and Samael found himself sitting where Sammy had been originally, on the log with the fire dying down. But while the fire was almost out, it was no longer needed as the sun was rising. Samael slung his sycthe over his shoulder, one side glimmering with brightness while the other seemed to suck it away.
It was time to head back to Sundren.
He was running through an unknown forest somewhere near the Sword Coast trying to block out the sound of the laughter in his mind. It was impossible to run from it, Sam knew that. But he had to do on something to avoid thinking about it at least. 'Come on now, Sammy boy. Come out and play!' A shriek of laughter followed him through the undergrowth and made his soul quiver in fear.
He had been running for days. While strong, his body was not immortal so he had to take a rest. He slowed down to a jog and then to a walk. The laughter had quieted. That has never happened before. It was always there, even a slight giggle in the back of his mind. But now there was only silence. Counting his blessings, Sam created a small campfire to drive away the darkness and the wolves.
He sat there, staring at the campfire, mesmerized by the dancing flames. They waltzed and twirled as if they had not a care in the world.
"Hey there, Sammy boy." Sam looked up in shock to see...himself!
"Charun...go...away..." Sam growled angrily at the shadow of himself. The other Sam put up his hands in surrender.
"Whoa whoa there, stuttering wonder. I just came to tell you that this little game of our is at an end. I'm tired of it." Sam glared at him suspiciously.
"What...do you...mean...? You...will stop...?" Charun nodded sagely.
"That's right Sammy boy, I'm going to stop." Sam still didn't trust his other self.
"Then....go..." Charun grinned with very large teeth. "Who said anything about me going?" Charun lunged across the fire, demonic grin on his face and a knife in his hand. The next thing Sam knew, the handle was sticking out of his chest and he could feel himself slowly dying. The fire was growing dimmer, and the last thing Sam saw was the very white teeth of Charun grinning at him with his face.
Charun got up and dusted himself off. "Well, that was a problem that needed to be taken care of. It's about time too, I can't believe I didn't do this sooner." He giggled with laughter and danced around the flames with glee. "Sammy's dead, Sammy's dead, so now I go to work and earn the bread!"
A new voice came from out of the shadows. "I don't think so."
Charun stopped in shock and looked to see where the voice was coming from. An older version of Sam walked from out of the forest of Sam's mind. He looked stern, the innocence of the original lost in his gaze.
"From now on, you will be contending with me, madman." Charun hissed at him in displeasure. "And who exactly are you?"
The man walked over to Sam's body, growing colder where he was killed. "You can just call me Samael." Charun chuckled.
"You know, I will still have an influence on you. Possibly even more of one. Little Sammy's innocence was the only thing keeping me back." Samael's eyes flashed, and Charun was gone.
"But my will is stronger yet. Sammy was too kind to you, demon. I shall not be so merciful." Everything faded away, and Samael found himself sitting where Sammy had been originally, on the log with the fire dying down. But while the fire was almost out, it was no longer needed as the sun was rising. Samael slung his sycthe over his shoulder, one side glimmering with brightness while the other seemed to suck it away.
It was time to head back to Sundren.