The shadows had been quick to move her out of the open air of the planes. Where they took her was something she had not expected though... She found herself on the beach. The night sky was clear and bright and the salty wind raced past her. It was cool and dark and she looked around in surprise. This was where she had first arrived in Imythess. Two days south would have her in Taras, where she had made her first friends.

She wasn't the same person though, not now. She would never and could never be the same. She had been a fool, but she still wanted what she had always wanted. Now though, she knew what she wanted and didn't care how foolish others thought her. She wanted her little place of her own that Lynthaer had provided for her, the wanted to master the powers Seele had helped her so much in learning, she wanted to find out where Turin had vanished to and most of all, she didn't want to be as alone as she was now.

Aether Draka looked up and hoped, she had to hope. She was going to have to make her way back to the Divschatten. She was worried though, her wings... they marked her celestial blood. Even now she felt the holy aura around them. She had to figure out what to do about it. If she showed in the guild with holy magic pouring out of her she would be just as well as dead. If she could get rid of the aura they were draconic enough to pass as demonic wings... But she was still dressed in that white dress she had worn to see the God of Light. It was stained with her own blood... no, she couldn't go home like this, not like this.

She felt a single tear run down her face as she continued to look at the sky. She hated this, she hated it so much. Her wings were so very heavy and they were useless. She didn't know how to fly or even if she would be able to. If she had stayed with Gregory he could have helped, but she didn't want to be there. She only wanted to hide away... she only...

AD reached in her pouch and drew a long double-bladed sward she had been looking for a sheath for a few times, but had never found one. She could cut off her wing perhaps... then she wouldn't have to deal with it all and just say she had been attacked... Her vision blurred with tears and she let the blade fall to the sand. She opened her small bag and dumped it, scattering her belongings in the sand. A few lighter things were caught in the wind and she panicked, racing after them to save them. She managed to get all four rather quickly and she fell to her knees, clutching the four feathers to herself. They were large feathers, two black and two white, two were holy and two weren't... All were angel feathers. Slowly she got to her feet and started going back to her things.

There was a distinct silence that cut through the waves and the rustling leaves. Sargoth's lips grew into a thin line as he looked toward the sky to make sure the moon was still shining. He had felt a chill in the air for just a moment; it was the chill of a powerful shadow. To his content, the rock remained on its heavenly perch, and the noises of nature continued their symphonic chattering. To his left, the treeline teemed with birds. They had made nests just within the protective covering of the modest canopy. There were few trees in this area, but it was apparently enough to bring contentment to the skittish creatures that inhabited them. It was much like the current state of Imythess. It was one of the few remaining bastions of freedom, still unconsumed by the approaching shadows. Still, the inhabitants made their lives and thier homes in perfect happiness. Sargoth hoped it could remain that way indefinately.

To his right, the waters churned and marked the changing tide. There was something comforting about the familiar site. In all of his years, the ocean still offered the same sights and sounds. The waters could be no more different, even between waves, but there was still that atmosphere of familiarity. Just as a sailor curses and loves the sea, Sargoth appreciated its ever-changing but soothing existance. He walked near the edge of the water. He was too far into shore to worry about being licked by the edge of the tide, but he was close enough to clearly smell the foaming water.

His brown traveller robes felt comfortable in the ocean breeze. While they were thick, Sargoth's face was still exposed to fresh air. He spread his hands out to his sides, just above his waist, as he walked. He was enjoying his fleeting good mood. It was a welcome distraction from the moodiness he had been experiencing since his return. He did not know if it was better or worse that no one was around to see the subtle change in the guardian's attitude. He would be left with that question because he found that he was not actually alone.

Off in the distance, a lone figure appeared to be scrambling for something on the ground. It stopped soon after. He assumed that the chase was over. Sargoth could not make out any details, but he could make a very important decision. He was to be careful if he was going to approach and closer. He could see a swirling maelstrom of magical energy tumbling around the creature that stood alone on the beach. It was not necessarily that of a diety, but it showed signs of immortality. Confusingly, there was an unforseen mix. Most of the aura was shadowed and dark, but he could clearly make out something more benevolent. It was almost as though there were two seperate auras in constant struggle. The darker magic was by far the current victor. Sargoth's curiosity was piqued. With such a presence surrounding the being, he forgot of his common courtesy and took a more direct approach.

In an effort to diffuse any confrontation before it started, he chose to forgo his traveller robes. Time and reality split, and Sargoth walked through the crack that was formed. In the span of not even an instant, he appeared in front of the being, who appeared female. He glowed with his internal light, and his hair was tossed and turned by a wind that only he felt. His white wings stretched out, taking advantage of being free again. His eyes blazed with a hidden thunderstorm, and he was now clad in the white garments of his former position as God of Light. His hands glowed steadily as he held both Solos and Rai relaxed as his sides. He had not expected this woman to be wearing white. He noticed the blood covering her.

"Are you in need of aid?" he rumbled in a monotone voice.

Rith’s intrest had been called when AD had gone to visit the god of light. He wondered what she had meant to accomplish there, but couldn’t entirely divine what had occurred. It was hard enough to find out what little he could of what went on in the temple. She apparently hadn’t known that Faust was indeed the god of light as Rith called unsavory thoughts being tied to the half celestial. That had stemmed form some strange meeting with her friend Lynthaer and possibly something more, though that event had been pivotal. It seemed that AD would be fine, Faust held cared for her as a friend it seemed and would not seek her demise. He might attempt to save AD from her own dark nature, but Rith doubted he held the knowledge to even know where to start with that. Rtih however knew and in the end he would have to resort to that to reach his goals with AD.

One interesting development had occurred from her meeting with Gregory, the blossoming of celestial wings. Not feathered, but favoring her draconic heritage. They even managed to give off a holy aura, though enough to compete with here unholy aura thanks to the power she had been unwittingly sapping from Irucher. He knew there would be a development from her light side soon enough. Visiting the god of light facilitated the process and prevented the dark side form tampering. There was a notable problem though, one that AD knew well. She was content in calling Lynthear’s safe haven for demons as home, and they doubtlessly would see this new development in a different light. AD was already fearing what they would do to her, and how she would lose not only her friends, but her new found home as well.

Rith watched her make her way through the darkness to a secluded beach. Her problem was one easily solved, though he could let her solve it in the manner her own thought process was taking her. What’s more it would be another chance to drawing her trust closer to himself and further from Lynthaer. Rith was about to leave, yet, there was something else on the beach, a familiar presence. It quickly became apparent as the being of light unfolded before him, that it was none other than the former god of light, Sargoth. How ironic, she had fled from the present into the past. Perhaps Rith could glen some of what had caused the former god to leave the realm of Imythess. He could possibly present himself as problem in terms of Rith’s goals, but it was doubted. Sargoth would give Rith no need for confrontation and Rith would do likewise.

“Calm yourself, AD. You act as if all is lost, yet fail to notice the grand gift you have been given. Do not let panic and fear cloud your mind,” Rith’s familiar voice came to AD through the whisperings of the shadows. A whisper, but it was loud enough for her to hear. The dark night’s sky seemed to condense as ebon darkness molded into the form of a small child. He appeared as he had when he first met AD, with a curious pumpkin with a carved face that moved as if it as if it was more than just a carved pumpkin. His clothes were black with a flowing cape at his back and purple gloves over his small hands. His own dark aura was masked and it was unlikely Sargoth would have anything to recognize him by, particularly without his long gone divine powers. He appeared beside both AD and and Sargoth, gazing at both with empty eyes that showed only a deep darkness despite Sargoth's glow.

"Are you a freind of AD's as well?" Rith asked Sargoth. His voice was that of that of a child, all though his power was already beyond that of what most nomal children could accomplish.

Aether Draka didn’t realize she was no longer alone until a voice filled the air for a moment. Still keeping a tight grip on the runaway feathers, she halted and looked toward to sound, which was right in front of her. She looked up at him and just seemed to have a completely blank look on her face. It stayed there for a bit as time started to stretch on without a single word or movement coming from her.

Her shadow self had risen in her mind, enraged. It demanded she do something about this, and now. She felt it screaming at her, though she was only half listening to it. Then the shadows themselves seemed to whisper to her, something familiar and it was something important and she wanted to grasp hold of it so she could understand it, but then her light side chimed in, it’s power grown now that it had manifested as her wings. It urged her to take wing, to flee back to the God of Light and to ask for his help once more. What had been whispered fading and she tried once more to grasp the thought, but then the shadow part countered this with demanding she return to the guild and to speak to Lynthaer about this. The unholy aura manifested itself then in its rage and the holy aura about her wings flickered as it was countered. Her bright wings started to turn black, but then the wings renewed their own holy aura and AD wavered where she stood.

Aether Draka's emerald eyes flashed in anger and she shoved both sides out of her mind, even though both the holy and unholy magic still wrapped about her like an angel and a demon were having a stand-off, but it was just her. She searched for the shadow voice, but it seemed to be gone and she almost wanted to scream at her chaos as she felt the two sides broke once more into a war just like an angel and demon would, like Gregory and Lynthaer had… She knew she couldn’t go to either place and it was only enforced as pain lanced through her… inside her own soul.

Then, her blank look broke into a smile as she grinned up at the winged man before her. “I just dropped my stuff, it’s alright.” She lied and started to walk back to her things now scattered in the sand. AD only managed to take two difficult steps when she heard another voice and half turned to see Rith. Her relief at seeing such a familiar figure almost made her loose the incredibly frail mask she was using as a barrier between the world and her own inner chaos. She hadn’t thought that the two sides could manifest as they were doing and didn’t know that others could now sense the war inside her. She took a sharp breath and stubbornly ignored the fighting, letting herself focus on Rith and what she should say. What should she say? It was too long of a thing to explain, even though she wished she could. In that same moment, she had also forgotten about her things scattered along the sand now behind her.

Sargoth nodded to the woman without hinting whether he believed that she was only picking up her belongings or not. He examined the sword that was laying on the beach. His face remained hard and unflinching as he considered what to do next. The girl's wings had shown signs of changing color. Physical manifestations of a magical struggle indicated a substantial power. Solos and Rai hummed quietly as they waited for Sargoth's commands.

It was then all too apparent that something was terribly wrong on the moon-washed shore. Sargoth's gaze drifted to the side as a new voice entered, one that he could not identify. He had not been able to see any person besides the lone woman, but now another presence had appeared. The guardian was perturbed and wondered as to the meaning of this surprise. It seemed he had been away from Imythess for too long. His Istari senses had become dulled and inaccurate. Instead, Sargoth also accounted for the idea that this figure had simply not been there when he first viewed the scene. In any case, he was not pleased with his own mistake. It had been easier in the darker realms. The denizens were so consumed by their own bloodlust that there was never a call to watch for traps.

"In as much as I am not a foe, I am a friend," Sargoth responded in a minor riddle. "This statement precluded until AD chooses to join in the bond of this friendship or not. Of course, with an internal war raging as ferociously as I see before me, there may be a question as to whether the answer I recieve now is one created by the judgement of the victor or the defeated."

So now Sargoth knew the name of the girl he had seen: AD. As to the true nature of that name, he could not attempt to guess its meaning, but it was enough for now. He took a moment to inspect the child that had appeared from the ether. The night air seemed to collect around him. There was something unwholesome behind the innocent face. Sargoth had difficulty clarifying his sight any further while the sun remained hidden. He relied on his oldest sight, the one granted to him by his artificial eyes, to answer his questions. There were no footprints, save for those created by AD. There was not a layer of sand on the child's pants from walking. It was as Sargoth had suspected: the child had in fact appeared from the night.

His tolerance for those who stood in the shadows had grown significantly, especially on the plane of Imythess. There were those due swift justice, but those creatures existed elsewhere. Having forsaken and been forsaken by the good as well as the evil, Sargoth's own moral compass preferred to point toward convenience. The time for petty disputes was over, at least for a time. There was a more potent future looming ahead, and all of the plane would choose their sides when the time was right.

"It does seem that there is a lot of interest in a few dropped items this evening," Sargoth commented.

As he wove his way into her mind he noticed that his words had gone unheard, no doubt something to do with the manifestations of her light side. It was slightly unexpected as shadow was not bound to evil, though AD’s shadowdancer skills had indeed stemmed from her demonic side. He also noticed that her mind was even more unsettled now with both sides engaged in a vigorous battle. Getting deeper than her surface thoughts in this state would be difficult even for one with his psychic strength.

Content in keeping her secrets, AD tried to act as if she was fine and that nothing had happened nor was happening, just like the time he had summoned a black winged angel and reminded her of Raven. She seemed not to know that it was quite plain what was going on with her was particularly observable with one as well versed in arcane matters as Rith was and Rith knew Sargoth also was.

Rith was well versed in the matters of the soul. He used them to satisfy his own diet of psychic energy as the diets of his familiars. He used them to power the curious contraptions within his guild. He used them to power his golems. Bought and sold them in hell and other fell locations in the multiverse. He studied them well to see how to use them more efficiently. Yet, AD was still a strange case to him. It was unlikely for a child with a warring soul to live long after birth, particularly when one side was weaker than the other, though perhaps the mother’s change of heart had something to do with it. Most likely this was due to the late development of both sides, giving AD time establish somewhat of a buffer between the tow that would allow her to live on to this age. He had known that the holy wings would inspire the war of her soul to increase in magnitude, but had miscalculated how look it would take. He would need to find a way to help add mediate her soul soon, if he wanted her to be alive long enough to be of use.

“AD’s soul is at war. As such she is always the loser, yet as she still lives she is still the victor. She is presently distressed which makes it notably harder for her to mediate the two warring sides of her soul. Kind sir, if you could suppress the magic of both sides it should award AD some peace and give her time to collect herself,” Rith explained to Sargoth. He knew that the guardian knew a spell that could help. It was likely that all of those trained in the ways of the Istari were versed in at least one way of countering magic.

“This is of course if you would permit him to help you, AD. Would you like his help?” Rith asked AD.

Before she could reply he used his power over illusions to send his voice to her ears alone. It was not likely that this would be negated as the shadows had been. “I understand what you are going through, allow us to help.”

"Dropped items?" AD asked, not remembering that she had just mentioned them to Sargoth and now that they were behind her she couldn't see them to be reminded. She looked at him in silence for a moment as the two sides continued to war among themselves, with her caught in the middle of them. Than Rith spoke out and she turned her attention to him. She wasn't sure how he knew what he just said, but she remembered Seele mentioning something about having to keep her those two sides in balance or it would no doubt kill her. So where had she gone wrong? What had she missed? The Shadowdancing had helped keep her darker side from attacking her lighter side, but... She should have never visited Gregory, not that she had known he was now the God of Light, but...

Her darker side spoke up then, the thought surfacing in her mind in a hissing whisper, 'I don't trust Rith, he knows too much.' 'I think we should go, now.' countered her lighter side. Anger rose in her again as she thought sharply back at the thoughts pressing in on her mind. 'Rith is my Friend! He has helped me and never once hurt me, unlike both of you! You can go away!' Once more she shoved them away. She wished then that casting sanctuary worked better and was able to stop this, but knew it wouldn't.

She turned her attention outward once more and looked at Sargoth. He looked different, not like other people. Rith wasn't like others either. He was much smarter then he seemed and she did trust him. Just because he wasn't the same as others she knew didn't mean he knew too much. It simply meant he knew more about some things then she did. Looking back to Sargoth, she made her decision. AD simply nodded and murmured, "Alright."

Sargoth watched as the eerie tendrils of energy coiled around AD. The two fighters collided like snakes, slithering around one another and choking the life out of its victim. As one tendril was crushed and dispersed into the night air, a fresh combatant would seep out and continue the struggle. It was a morbid beauty. Sargoth was reminded of the play between incense. Each seperate plume would rise up and become entangled in an indecipherable cloud. It was a mist where each unique scent remained distinguishable, but so too did they collect and form a conjoined entity. The lighter and shadowed sides of the soul were so too supposed to form this type of union. The combination allowed a soul to survive with both sides acting in harmony, capable of withstanding the rare urges that pushed the balance to one side or the other. AD's case was not as fortunate. Both of her sides were too resiliant to succumb to one another. They instead continued to battle for dominance.

AD had agreed to allow Sargoth and her other friend to help as Sargoth watched the tendrils so closely. It appeared that they wished him to settle the battle, at least for a time. Sargoth wondered if anyone else on that shore understood how difficult a task that would prove to be. Without a natural flow of magic, the being could not be natural. It so happened that AD's natural state was in turmoil. The effect of settling the two sides would be like settling bloodflow. While it was possible to survive to some extent, even the basics of life became tiring and difficult. It was like severing a leg, or an arm.

Sargoth's eyes thinned as he seemed to consider his options. Solos and Rai still awaited his commands, although he had no use for them at this instant.

"I must make you aware that attempting to interfere with your very nature is no minor task. There may be unfortunate consequences that are beyond control," Sargoth stated bluntly, staring straight into ADs face with his storm-filled eyes.

Sargoth's own magical aura was visible to him now as it seemed to casually reach from him to inspect AD. The brilliant gold tones of immortality were in distinct contrast to the mixed tendrils of the girl. Sargoth watched as a single dark thread of AD's moved to intermingle with Sargoth's aura and as it was immediately erradicated. A new tendril appeared from AD to continue the war, as if nothing had changed.

It wasn’t too great a mystery as to why AD could not recall her dropped items, her mind was a battlefield in times of peace, and it was little wonder that it could not function all too well when her soul was partaking in active battle. It was shortly after that Rith heard two familiar voices within her mind; they were the two voices responsible for the chaos in her mind. Their random input and constant war had disorganized her mind terribly. He had heard them when he first met AD, but this was the first time he heard them manifest themselves clearly. Both of them opposed Rith, which was no surprise, he often was opposed by evil and the fact that he was trying to get to AD and just AD meant that he opposed both as they sought to control the middle ground and oust the opposing side. The darker favored Lynth and the familiarity of demons in his guilds which were a darkness it could easily relate to, while the good side liked Faust who followed her views completely and would surely have some means of getting rid of the plague of darkness that beset the rest of the body. Rith suddenly caught on to something he had missed. This was the result of something more than just her presence at the cathedral of light, and Rith drew himself into memories of this after seeing AD best both of the voices with her friendship and trust in Rith.

Finding out what he wanted was far easier than it than it had been before. Despite the chaos of her mind and its state of heated battle it was remarkably unhidden. The memory held violent pain and extreme elation, both one and the same, yet completely different. The light side saw finally the light shining in on the darkness that had bound her for so long and victory suddenly became more than just possible it would soon be a reality. Only AD saw the truth of the god’s act and knew the meanings of his misjudgments. Of all forms of torture, contortion of the soul was by far the worst and left linger pain even after the soul had been brought back to its normal form, but that had not even happened yet. Were Rith a mortal capable of emotions, he likely would find himself cursing the ignorant god for nearly destroying her, yet Rith was slightly pleased despite his shortcomings. Not because he could feed off her pain, but because AD had made a fitting exit and gave Gregory his just deserts. That would teach that pompous fool not to think he knew everything. If AD lived his involvement may have proved pivotal and useful, yet knowing what he knew, Sargoth’s involvement was even more important and possibly vital to AD’s survival.

He understood the guardian’s reluctance, yet did not see the major problems that would come from only the suppression of magic. There was only one problem that could arise and little to be done if it did, though that seemed even more of a possiblity given Faust's meddling. Still there was the possibility to Sargoth that magic was as much lifeblood to her as it was to him. “The worse than can happen is the war to move to new battle ground. If that happens more dangerous measures would have to be taken for her to bring peace, but if nothing is done permanent damage or death could easily be the result in her present state," Rith explained. If push came to shove Rith would attempt to still her mind, a simple task with her mind at 'peace', but it would be more of a complex feat with her two sides in open conflict. They were slightly harder to reach than AD, but if need Rith estimated he could do manage it, though there was a big question of how much it would help.

The two sides kept casting their holy and unholy auras at each other, each one not quite gaining any foothold. AD knew that if this was kept up her hunger would join in soon enough... It was really starting to hurt, why did this have to happen? It had been fine before! She should have never gone, never gone! The memory of what had happened was surprisingly clear for a reason, it had quite literally been burned into her memory just as her right hand carried a scar across her palm. Both were from the same person... perhaps she should just avoid him? Hiding from the light in shadows? How ironic...

Voices brought her attention to those before her, but she didn't understand? If Sargoth didn't help when she needed him to and asked him to, was he not a friend? She needed her friends, protected her friends, and they didn't hurt her, not like this, not like this. She stiffened, clinching her right hand in a fist over the scar, and met Sargoth's gaze. "If you can help, do. If not, leave me alone! I don't need more people who think they can help only making things worse! Someone else had interfered and it made things this way! I had stopped the fighting, I had stopped it, and they weren't fighting, but now they are stronger... I can't, I can't..." She lost track of what she had been saying. For a moment she could have sworn she had sensed something else in her mind. It was like someone else was in her mind... Turin?

She looked around then hoping to spot the telepathic fly dragon. He was nowhere in sight... perhaps he simply didn't know where to find her. Would he be able to help?

Sargoth did not appear amused as AD attempted to yell at him. The ancient guardian had little temper for the temper of others, and yet, he always felt it strange that some would attempt to affect him with emotion in the first place. It was a rare extreme that would shift the immortal's feelings, whatever few there were floating around in his artifactual mind. Of course, he could see how it could not be helped. He was all too familiar with creatures so attached to their emotions that it was their first source for all reactions. It was the fault of as many foes as friends, and Sargoth had taken careful notes of all.

AD was apparently disinterested in her own well-being. He only knew of a few egotistical mages that would be so quick to throw away life in a vain attempt at getting what they wanted so desperately. Sargoth felt it was likely her darker side talking. The child who had appeared on the shore was not helping instill logic into her either. Sargoth's mouth was a thin line as he considered AD's proposal to help or leave. With the ever growing shadow that was looming over Imythess, he could easily justify conserving his power and vanishing from this girl's life. At the same time, he had been too long away from his Istari gifts that he could use the oppurtunity to shake off the rust. His decision was made more simple as AD explained that someone else had caused her current situation: it seemed that the light had chosen a new champion while Sargoth was away. He would test this new immortal's power and discover what resistance Imythess could muster against the coming tide.

Very well.

His voice came from nowhere and everywhere as a beam of light shot out of the night sky and bathed the three creatures on the shore. Solos and Rai vanished as the old god raised his hands in front of himself, pointing toward AD. His palms were open, and he watched as the dark aura of the girl poured into one and the light aura poured into the other. The guardian's own power wrapped them in a cocoon. He clenched both of his hands into fists.

Make your choice, or choose none.

Sargoth's hands were visibily glowing now, one in a dark light and one as bright as day. The choices were clear, except as to what would happen next.

((OOC: Rith said I could go ahead and post.))

AD instinctively looked up as a bright light shined down on them. For a moment the shadows seemed to shiver as she was ready to call on them. Had Gregory followed her here? She couldn’t tell, it was too bright. She looked over at Rith and then to Sargoth. The light was on them too?

Then she felt the strangest sensation as the auras in conflict around her were drawn away. Her stomach felt like it did a flip-flop and then something shifted inside her and she felt like she was being shoved forward. This unexpected action caused her to stumble and fall. The two conflicting sides had stilled without the manifestations of their power under their control anymore.

It took her a moment to regain what she was doing and what was happening in the sudden calm forced upon her. Once she had come to terms with things she had a sudden realization. Her wings were gone! They were directly tied to the holy aura and when it vanished, they too had gone, knocking her off balance in the process. A bit unsteady, AD got to her feet and looked at Sargoth. She blinked looking from one hand to the other and back. What did he mean, choose? AD’s brow furrowed as she looked from one to the other of his fists. Then her face smoothed and she looked up at Sargoth’s face. Her voice was much calmer now and she seemed to have collected herself.

“I can’t choose one, or none. I’m sorry… I need both, and I need to keep them in balance. If I can’t, then my soul will die. Avarice said I would be a very boring person without a soul.” AD paused a moment. “Though it might be better if my soul dies. Then Chel can’t have it and I won’t have to worry about it.” She sighed. “That really isn’t what I had in mind though. I would rather live a while longer. All I know is I’m getting tiered of having people think they can help me by ripping my soul apart. I can keep them balanced without such help.” AD bit her lip with one of her almost fangs, uncertainty crossing her features.

“At least this sort of help doesn’t hurt…” she added softly.

Rith was not surprised when AD let frustration and almost anger inspire her words, she knew her situation could likely be dire and the various confirmations where only giving the two sides of her soul more time to wage their war and cause more damage. Sargoth seemed to understand her circumstance and did not take offense to her lack of composure, but with violent war going in visually within her and about her it was harder to imagine one who couldn’t understand.

Rith was not surprised with the bright beam of light that flushed over them. Sargoth was being with strong magic that liked very much to show off his mystical might and spectacular spells in of course the most the most wondrous and eye-catching manner possible. He wondered if the light could upset the balance in the moments before the spell took effect, though there was no addition of holy energy as was surely present in the purging in which Faust had attempted. He doubted it though he did understand AD’s fear that the god of Light had found her.

Rith was surprised by AD’s reply. It was not neither, but both, which surely would accomplish nothing at all. Rith was sure that Sargoth not entirely pleased with the prospect of his time being wasted, though this would serve to justify the guardian's reluctance. “If I am to understand your question correctly, her answer should be not both but neither. Both would only allow the battle to resume from where it left and would only served to spare her a brief moment and have surely wasted all of our time as well as your own magical might. Assuming that you hold her auras and not the different parts of her soul, as she woul otherwise be dead, dieing, or morbidly weak from the act of pulling them away, getting neither of the auras back would be the only way she can achieve balance. In a being with as much magic potential as herself, the auras themselves would develop again, but this time they would do so in equal parts and AD would have become adjusted to their strength as they slowly grew. Though, her magic and abilities that drew from either side would be diminished until the auras grew back and developed,” Rith explained to Sargoth, but also to AD as in the end it would be her word that Sargoth took and AD also needed to know and understand what he meant rather than just simply knowing that it was for her good.

The two orbs of light continued to pulse against one another, as if they were twins, seperated wholely at birth. Sargoth's own powers kept each side in check. Not a single, whimsical strand found its way out of the thickening shell. Rith assumed correctly; the guardian had not been pleased with AD's reaction. He had assumed that a creature so completely consumed by an internal struggle would have spent some time considering options. Now that a solution was presented, she was on the verge of denying it entirely.

The child spoke next, filling the silence that Sargoth would have used for his own purposes. The young form defined the solution and what it was that Sargoth was trying to do. He was very close, even if he was missing a few nuances that the old diety had considered before attempting this risky maneuver.

"You prove wisdom beyond your body," Sargoth mentioned without looking toward Rith. "However, the matter is not nearly so simple."

Sargoth shifted, his wings fluttered quietly in the continuing sunshine. The guardian stared at AD and began to explain more completely. This girl would know her own fate at the cost of an immediate choice. The longer Sargoth held the two auras, the longer he felt himself slowly deposit his energy into the powerful shields.

"You are correct that choosing both will result in a reversion back to the doomed form that I came across on this beach. Your two auras will resume their battle, but they will be enraged by my interference. You will suffer physical and mental pain while the sides expend themselves against one another," he began.

"Choosing one side over another will result in the ultimate destruction of your opposing aura. While your soul will still be whole, it will be incomplete. It will posesss a part that will never provide aid to you again," he continued. "If you choose none, both sides will slowly regain themselves, and there is a good chance that they will cooperate in order to survive and rebuild. The war will be over. Until that day, you will be weakened dramatically."

"Finally," Sargoth finished as he moved his hands close to one another, "you can choose the path of direct intervention. I will lend my own power to sewing your two halves into a whole. You will gain power, but there will be no predicting which side of yourself will be presented to the world. This mutation of your aura will likely take a physical toll on your body, perhaps each side manifesting in those lovely wings that you seem to despise so much."

"Of course," he mentioned in passing, "that amount of intervention would indebt you to me."

AD tipped her head slightly to the left as Rith spoke. She mildly wondered why Sargoth thought he was a child. Just because Rith was little that didn’t mean he was a kid. He didn’t look human to her. She wasn’t sure what race he was though. Perhaps she should ask him some time?

She let her gaze shift back to Sargoth and she listened to him speak for a while. She found herself rather confused by his last comment. Didn’t she already owe him for helping her? She thought she did, was she wrong? Either way she would have to return the favor… She didn’t like the sound of his intervening. Seele had offered something similar and Gregory had done something already that had caused what had just happened. AD took a moment to think. Finally though, she spoke.

“I think, for now, I will choose neither. I know the different parts of my soul are not the best of friends and never will be. I have dealt with them without their powers before though. They are both my greatest strength and my biggest weakness, but I know that. It is better to know it then to have some unknown thing thrust upon you, especially when it is your own soul. I think I would rather find a way to rid myself of the mark I know both a demon and an angel have left on my soul first. My soul is my own responsibility after all.” She closed her right fist in a tight knot, the scar she was told marked her soul pulled a little on her skin when she tightened her fingers around it. Her dagger was awkward in that hand because of it…

She beamed up at Sargoth then. “Thank you very much for your help! I will continue as I had been before the intervention that caused what you just stopped. I don’t think I was supposed to have wings yet anyways. When I have both sides balanced better and the power is more balanced I’m sure they will come back. Perhaps then I can learn how to fly!” Her spirits were much higher as both her dark and light sides were subdues and actually sulking in the back of her mind. She was paying them no heed at the moment though. Her tone dropped a moment. "Besides.. there aren't two halves of my soul that would be in any state to be sewn together... there are three. Sure there is an angelic part and a demonic part, but there is also me. I am what is holding the two opposing sides together. I am not an angel or a demon, I'm neither. So let them go without their auras! It would serve each side right for ignoring my protests in the first place! I was without magic for most of my life, I can live without it if I need to."

Something shinny caught her the corner of her eye then and she realized her stuff was still scattered across the sands. “Oh no! I forgot!” she said and rushed forward to start scooping up her things and putting them in her bag.

AD chose neither...