Kaelith stared at the unconscious guard then to Sonnia who looked around to the surrounding bodies. The scent of remorse and misery was in the air. His eyes scanned the area and he took a sigh.

  “I will return now Sonnia, you should rest. You haven't properly rested in a while. We have much work to do while you are in control. Many places to experience. For now you seem tired and stressed.”

  Sonnia aimed her staff at Kaelith without looking at him as she walked off. Trailing off with a light stumble deeper into the city.

  “I’m not tired, Kaelith. I’m too mad, those guards didn’t even give them these people a chance. They split the city into two pieces. It’s disgusting, now I’m gonna get sick being here because I need to do what’s right. It’s not fun at all, I wanna party and drink instead. I’ve hardly been able to do anything I want since arriving here. I hate it.”

  Kaelith took a deep breath and a purple portal opened in front of him. Before walking through, his face turned to see Sonnia one final time. Her head was slumped over and she dragged her staff along the stones in the ground.

  “What you are doing should at least let her rest easier. Afterwards she shouldn’t have any quarrel with you, living life a little, she isn’t completely selfish, just broken.”

  The portal closed and the city went back to a dead state. Sonnia then walked to hide in an alleyway next to a pile of trash. She laid down frowning thinking but then started whistling a tune softly as her heart calmed. She tossed her jar in the air repeatedly to keep herself busy. Watching the purple petals flutter about inside. She thought to herself about the guard but heavy noises distracted her along with shouts of men.

  She watched as the golem from before heaved itself into the gap in the wall. Its eyes were back to a somber blue but it looked heavily cracked and damaged after its rampage in the city. She heard a familiar voice talking and smiled.

  “Double the patrols, I don’t know what caused the ramapage but I have my thoughts, go check for casualties in the houses as well. Watch out for the blonde girl, Chester was a fool to trust her.”

  Sonnia stayed hidden while listening to him talk. The voice belonged to the same soldier who restrained her earlier. A gleeful smile morphed her face, she hopped up to her feet with a light slam to

  The ground.

  “WELP enough being sad then. I need to find somewhere safe. Chester is going to owe me big time just he wait. I’m gonna be a hero and fix this town and attend that festival with Homeless Derrick and Freeg. And buy everything.”

  She walked deeper into the quarantine zone, looking around at the area. She saw the occasional body abandoned. The houses of this part of town were mostly looted with doors and windows shattered. She went inside one building seeing everything thrown apart. Chairs broken, tables flipped over, empty cabinets torn open. She went further in and saw a bed with some stains on it, no sheets or blankets and pillow ripped open.

  Sonnia laid on it smiling a little at its softness. It felt like a bed of stale clouds. She got comfortable and held her staff like a teddy bear and sat her jar of petals on the floor next to her. Letting out a light yawn, Sonnia slowly closed eyes, drifting off to sleep.

  Back in the bar, Sonnia the Paladin was swinging a sword , her steel armor shined in the candle glow. Kaelith continued shining the same mug looking bored.

  “My lady, you’ve been here a while. You have had much time to think things through. I am curious what you think about. My own mind trails to when we first met a long time ago. You begged for help from anyone who would listen, and I found you. It made me smile to be wanted, now look at us.”

  She stayed silent but finally caved in saying a few words. In between swings.

  “It doesn't matter what you say, Demon. You don’t care about it. You only care about tormenting me. You wanted them dead from the start. That has to be the truth. I remember how you talked to me. I don’t know what your plans are but you won’t take me.”

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  Staring at her metal gloves while tightening her grip. Her voice was almost on the verge of crying as she shook.

  “You continue to torture me demon. I won’t give up. I used to think death was the biggest hell I could afford but whatever you did to me. That white void, the voices of my dead friends haunting me, the loneliness. What could you possibly gain from that?”

  Kaelith stopped shining his mug and glanced over to the paladin. In a careful slow voice he said as his eyes looked down at the table avoiding eye contact.

  “It means nothing if you are still here my lady. You can’t defeat that girl as you are. You are too broken and sad. I can still help you, our pact still stands. Let me help you get control of your body again. I still think we can be friends.”

  Sonnia picked up a nearby candle and threw it at the demon as hard as she could. Hot wax poured down his head. His head moved up meeting her glare.

  “I see. My lady, I am not your enemy. I never was, I wish you could remember everything that happened. You used to have such a pretty smile. Is it because I am not Theorin?”

  Hearing that name the paladin tossed her sword onto the ground. The hunk of metal bounced off the ground. Then letting out a scream through her teeth she went and punched Kaelith in the face as hard as she could.

  “Don’t say any of their names! You are the reason I can’t protect them.”

  She punched him again and again. Each punch slowly getting weaker. Kaelith looked at her taking every hit without reacting even talking in between hits.

  “Running from your past won’t change what happened my Lady. It’s why you lost yourself to Sonnia. You can’t lash out like this.”

  Yet the barrage of attacks didn’t stop even breathing hard. Until a hand went on her shoulder pulling her down on the ground. A smiling version of herself looked over in robes.

  “I thought paladins didn’t hurt the defenceless. I am shocked you have more hatred than me Sonniiaa. Now get up up up,sit at the table and be upset again. Or if you want we can dance some, but it won’t go well against me.”

  The Paladin laid on the ground not moving. Staring up at the ceiling deep thought. Then the Paladin said to both of them.

  “You don’t know me, you only pretend to. You are another demon here to ruin me. I hate you both more than anything. ”

  Dark Sonnia though let out a laugh. She picked Sonnia up from the ground in a quick motion. Their blue eyes clashed one behind a smug smile and the other a frown.

  “How have I ruined you? I’m doing what you would do, We are helping the town, I’m just doing it faster than you could. I still feel what you feel, I just act better. What would you want me to do that’s different?”

  She paused briefly looking at Sonnia with a twisted smile.

  “Would you want me to smile when Chester stared with his pervy eyes all over my backside? Or perhaps not give the petals to the homeless people who need it more than a rich man? Lecture the guards about why you shouldn’t cast bodies away? Or pray for the people who have already died?”

  The Paladin stayed silent. Lost in words as she tried coming up with a response to fight back. Nothing came out, her body tightened up.

  “That’s what I thought. By the way, I don’t hate you. I know you hate me a lot. I always watched you do things and be miserable. It’s not for me. Buttt when all of this is over I’ll let you pick whatever man you want to make US feel good. Cause I care. I want us to feel good. Even if you don’t want that.”

  She walked away phasing out leaving the Paladin alone with Kaelith.

  “My lady, don’t accept her words as the total truth. You and her are right in your own ways. I still love you the most.”

  Sonnia scoffed and sat at the table alone. Stewing alone in her thoughts. Ignoring both demons that plagued her mind. She thought to herself.

  “What would I really do if I was in those situations?”

  Slowly fading out Sonnia woke up in her bed from her damp robes. She yawned and jumped up from bed running her fingers through her hair. She grabbed her staff enjoying the warmth from the metal. Her jar of petals were gone. Looking around the room in a frantic look she looked under the bed, in the closet. Tearing the whole room apart to no avail. Breaking everything around her in an attempt to make it spawn. Her stomach tightened as she tore apart the whole house.

  “Hmmm where is it, where is it! Without them I might get sick! Mmmmmmmm damn, someone got confident while I was asleep. What if I get sick?”

  She walked out of the house, it was still dark out. The moon was slowly going down in the sky about to hide itself. Sonnia's head moved around left then to the right while she walked deeper into the city.Confidently strolling around. Few rats ran around along the ground into a hole in the ground and sounds of chanting in the distance. She walked closer to it. There were a few houses which had collapsed. Over the rubble stood a man dressed in the same mask as the guards from earlier. He wore black clothes and talked out to a crowd that bowed to him all obediently listening to his words.

  “The plague is a scourge that pollutes your very soul. It’s a scourge! Even worse on the other side they all lie to you! Only through my hands may you seek salvation. I care about you more than they do, otherwise they would be here! Not just me. Fret not though, the black roots can’t hurt us much longer. I will soon have a cure, Veythe will bless us all!”

  There were torches scattered along with blue flames, while the man preached he had guards around him. They wore commoner clothes, their eyes looked empty and dull looking at the ground. No weapons could be seen from any of them yet no one dared get close as the crowd cheered at him. Sonnia walked forward closer to the group the cult leader noticed and said in a loud voice.

  “Ah, another stranger approaches! Come child, there are no strangers here. We are one, welcome to my flock miss, your new name will be Daisy. I welcome you as one abandoned man who found the light.”

  Sonnia shook her head and pointed her finger at the man.

  “I am Sonnia, Daisy is a stupid name. I am here to cure your disease and get a big house. What do you know about it? What’s your cure?”

  The cult leader carefully stepped down the rubble. Few heads raised looking at Sonnia after her question was said.

  “The cure isn’t someone we can give to new people, we only give it to those who have proved their worth to our cause. Make no mistake though Daisy, the black root has no power over us.”

  His guards followed now walking in unison trailing behind, looking down at the ground. While Sonnia watched and listened.

  “Have you seen a jar of petals anywhere? I was robbed on your side of town. I’m sure you know of it.”