Demon Hour.

Isabis walked past the shorelines of Westfall. In the distance, where the water touched the sand, a few murlocs fought over a carcase. It looked like a turtle, and the smell of the rotting flesh in the blistering sun was nauseating. Vultures circled above the beast, waiting for a chance to feast themselves. Isabis held her hand against the sandy cliffs to guide her steps. She had the feeling she could collapse any moment and that would mean that she would enter her realm again.

She found a pass leading to a cave; she took it and made her way to the entrance. By the looks of it, it wasn’t a cave but a mine. Tools and rusty pickaxes littered the entrance, but the mine itself seemed empty. She retreated as far as possible into the darkness.

She had to give in. She had to sleep.

Isabis was out of breath; she touched the ground beneath her and lay down. She stared up. She could hardly make out the lines of the cave wall. Sounds were absent but an occasional drop of water touching the cold floor. The sun made way for the moon.

She closed her eyes, accepting what was to come.

It felt only as if she blinked.

A green glooming light danced on the cave walls. She could hear a distinctive sound, the sound of the creature from her former nightmare. This sound was enough to pull her into the floating state again.
The hag materialised in front of her. Around her neck a giant centipede. The creature seemed to be partially dug into the hag’s neck.

“Soothing, is it not? Depersonalisation they call it. You have a strong mind, but even the strongest mind will break eventually, child.” the old woman said.

Isabis felt completely emotionless. No fear, no joy – no nothing. She gave of a feeling of complete numbness. Every emotion that would be normal in this situation seemed obsolete, not of this world.

“Ahh. This is proper ground for your new personality, child. This will be your only escape from your emotions, your ‘Isabis’.” the old hag stated while petting the insect around her neck.

Isabis could do nothing but stare. Not that she wanted to resist, she simply didn’t feel the urge to. Maybe her subconscious had enough. Now the time for acceptance came. She had a new mistress. Isabis reached out her hand.

“Good little girl. Clever little girl.” the old woman said with a euphoric tone.

The old hag reached out her hand. The creature around her neck twirled around that arm, its fangs aligned with her hand. She took Isabis’s hand, and the centipede immediately bit Isabis’s hand firmly. The creature flipped its body over, while keeping its fangs dug into Isabis’s flesh. It now twirled around Isabis’s right arm. It did hurt, but again, in this state such emotions and feelings felt other worldly.

“I’ll assign to you, your personal demon. It will be with you until the end. It will become your best friend and your link to me. You ways of the light are over. Now, your true destiny will unfold. Seek me out in Stormwind at the Cathedral Square when the bells ring three times at night.” she said.

She placed a lot of volume on ‘three’. It sounded like it was packed with lust and desire and foremost importance.

“Why at three?” Isabis asked while closely looking at the creature around her arm.

“Don’t ask questions you know the answer too. For you know it’s the Demon Hour. The darkest time at night.” she hissed.

To be continued.