This feeling, it was, disorienting to say the least.

If Dan was to go into more detail he would have to describe it like his intestines were pulled out through his mouth twisted and shoved back in.

It was not a good feeling…

Taking a deep breath he opened his eyes and looked at the new world around him. It was a unique landscape to be sure.  They were standing on what appeared to be a floating island only around 30 or so feet across.

And it was not the only thing floating.

Everywhere as far as the eye could see was floating objects, from things as small as bricks to entire buildings and trees.

“We need to be careful, she is not stable at the moment.”  Amani said, her long black hair bobbed and swayed as she looked around at the landscape that surrounded them.

“How can you tell?”  he asked, pulling out his Khopesh, the sharpened sickle sword reflected the light back on his face coldly.

“Look around, the realm we are in is directly tied to Abyzou, it reflects the current state of her mind and soul.” she pointed to the floating buildings and other landmasses. “She is broken, disjointed.”

“If this is a reflection of her mindset we will need to go retrieve what we came to get and get out.”

“Agreed,” Amani nodded.  They slowly stepped forward to the edge. “Come here we need to get from one piece to the other.” she said.

“No teleporting right?” he asked looking at her warily,  her face twisted into a smile as she turned around and looked back at him.

“What don't like it?” she asked, she was currently wearing a cute innocent face, but he could see through her.

“Ha,Ha, funny and no I don't like it.”

“Don't worry, we will be doing something much more fun this time around.” she smiled, this time it actually felt genuine.  Reaching out she grabbed ahold of dan’s wrist and ran quickly towards the edge.

His every instinct told him not to continue running and to fall off the edge into the black murky endless void beyond it, he however forced himself to continue on with Amani, he would trust her.

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Reaching the edge she pushed off, jumping up over twenty feet or so pulling Dan along with her.  They landed in a small courtyard that had the shattered remains of three or so buildings and a large tree that had black flowering buds and bright red leaves.

“Valenathis, where has your heart gone?”  she asked softly pressing her head up against the tree.

“I assume you know this place?”  he asked.

She turned towards him, hands placed on the tree.  “Abyzou and I used to be good friends, the closest type,” she smiled as she looked at the tree. “Abyzou and I used to be like sisters,this is a tree from my old home, it was connected at the roots to another tree, I gave it to her, it symbolizes many things.”

She smiled bitterly “I used to say that this tree was actually two, but at the same time only one.”  she looked at it, lovingly stroking its bark with a hand. “It was one tree that grew into two, and even when disconnected it was still attached. Like us.”

He let her continue speaking, this seemed like something she needed to say out loud, not just to explain to him but to also explain it to herself.

“But now my tree is gone.” He reached up and picked a seed pod off of the tree branch and held it out to her. “Then we plant another.” he said placing the seed in her hand.  With a smile he wiped away the one tear that had escaped out of her eye. “Ok?”

“Ok.” she nodded.

“Oh isn't that sweet...” said a voice that echoed around them. “First you come into my house uninvited and then you have such a sweet and romantic moment in front of me, who is currently grieving, and you used to say I was the one without tact.”

Dan positioned himself in front of amani, sword at the ready, but she just pushed past him and looked around for Abyzou.

“What do you want? For old time’s sake I will let you explain it once, but I warn you if I do not find your explanation satisfactory,” a mirthless laff sounded in the darkness. “Well I am sure I can find something to do with the two of you...”

“Abby, won't you come out and talk?” she mentioned nothing of the plan on stealing the flower, seeing as there plan was already shot to hell.

“Why would I want to talk to you?”  the darkness spat around them. “Where were you when I needed you? All those years ago, when I wanted your advice you were nowhere to be found.”  a figure walked out of the shadows, or perhaps it was more accurate to say slithered.

It would appear that Abyzou was a lamia. Her lower half was that of a snake, with golden scales highlighted with a bright red diamond patterns.  She wore a red piece of cloth that loosely wrapped around her torso, barely covering her chest. And her hair was given just as much lack of treatment, as it was wrapped up sloppily in a similar cloth with bits of black hair peeking out in between the hasty wrapps.

She was a beauty, but one that looked like she had gotten dressed in haste to come see who was intruding.

Her golden snake eyes shone with a dangerous light as she looked over Amani and Dan.

“You came looking for me?” Amani asked, her voice slightly numb and distant.

“I looked everywhere for you, I wasted over 1,000 years of my life looking,” She slithered up to amani and raised herself to eye level. “You were no where when I needed you, and now you show up and want something from me? ”

“No, Abby I was-”

“I don't want to hear your excuses.” she said, "you are just like him, using me and then abandoning me…” her golden eyes narrowed. “Now explain why you are here, or leave while you can.”

“Abby, I didn't leave! I was captured!” she said, placing her hands on the lamia’s shoulders. “I was just freed not that long ago!”

Abyzou nodded to herself. “I had thought this might be the case,” Amani’s face relaxed, and she smiled. “But I had hoped you wouldn't.” Amani paused in her nodding and looked at Abyzou in confusion.  “I had thought you might be like this, that you might lie to me like this, I had hoped otherwise” the Lamia slithered backwards, pulling away from Amani. “You abandoned me, and then you broke into my home with the intent to take something, what I don't know, but you indeed want something and you are willing to steal it, and then you lie to my face,” A single tear traced its way down her face, before her eyes snapped open and blazed gold. “I hate it when people betray me.”  she hissed, her tongue flicking out to taste the air. “You are just like him.” She raised her arms and the darkness around them started boiling and bubbling.“And like him you now have to die.”

Dan narrowed his eyes looking at the shadows that were moving like they had a life of their own, stepping in front of Amani he pointed his Khopesh at Abyzou.

“You will have to kill me before you can touch her.”  he said, settling down into a fighting stance.