Sedris gasped for breath, his chest heaving, a result of relentless battle. He casted a desperate glance towards Zia, who was still hacking and slashing at the Night Terror with an unquenchable vengeance.

"This is getting out of hand," he panted, sweat pouring down his face.

"Keep going," Zia replied, her voice tight with barely suppressed fury.

"But our weapons are useless against that thing!" Sedris shouted, pointing his glaive at the Night Terror's towering form.

"If you have a better plan, I'm all ears," Zia clapped back, her eyes glittering with a cold, furious light.

Sedris shook his head, defeated. The Red Reavers had been locked in combat with the Night Terror for hours now, their numbers dwindling as the creature tore through their ranks with a savage, unrelenting hunger. They had inflicted little more than superficial wounds on the monster, which now dripped with the blood of their fallen comrades. And still it appeared as if it hungered for more.

"More... blood..." The Night Terror growled. Its already fearsome appearance had become even more twisted and monstrous over time, as if it had been corrupted by some dark force. Its feet had transformed into blackened hooves, while the talons on its hands now sparked with pale lightning, giving off an eerie glow that seemed to dance around its monstrous form.

***

As the battle between the Red Reavers and the Night Terror raged on. Rhea was facing a challenger of her own, deep within the recesses of her mind. The princess was speaking with an entity that seemed to be a twisted parody of her own form.

“Night Terror.”

Princess.

Rhea's voice shook with frustration as she demanded, "I would appreciate it if you return my body back to me."

The Night Terror chuckled. You mean, our body, yes? it countered, its voice dripping with malice.

Rhea bristled. "There's no 'our' here. You're quite literally in control of me as we speak."

Only because I needed to save you, the Night Terror replied, its voice cold and calculating.

Rhea's eyes narrowed. "When I died at the hands of Sir Falkner, was it you too who took control of me?" she asked, her irritation growing.

I saved you then, and I saved you now, the Night Terror said lazily, its hooves clacking on the ground as it approached Rhea. I am you, and you are me.

Rhea's lip curled in disgust. "I don't see it," she retorted. "You share my face, but everything else? Not quite."

The Night Terror's scarlet eyes seemed to ignite as it replied with a contemptuous voice, You're lucky that you are important. I'd have killed you by now otherwise.

Rhea scoffed. "Trying to win my trust with a threat? Just baffling."

The Night Terror dismissed her with a wave of one of its massive talons. Not a threat, princess. I was merely stating the truth.

"I suppose such things are relative. Why are you so keen on keeping me alive anyway?"

You are weak, so you need my power.

Rhea's voice shook with anger as she spoke, "I don't recall ever inviting you to stay in my body to begin with."

I didn’t need an invitation, I made my way in when you sold your soul.

"I did, to Vhael, the harbinger, not to you."

The Night Terror scoffed, The harbinger is but a small piece of the great song of the underworld. A notable piece, but a pawn nonetheless.

Rhea's eyes narrowed, "You're speaking awfully fluently right now, how come you can’t do that while controlling my body?"

The Night Terror replied with a voice filled with condescension, It’s only because of your stubborn resistance, princess. Once you accept me, all will be well.

Rhea's voice dripped with venom, "Then tell me, why do you or the underworld give a rat’s arse about me?"

Language, princess, it's unbecoming of you, the Night Terror chided.

"I didn't know monsters cared for decorum," Rhea replied with a bitter laugh.

The Night Terror ignored her and lowered its head to Rhea's level, pressing a talon against her neck. It is best if you took me seriously, Princess of Ishgria, for your own sake.

"I am a princess in name only now, while you wrestle control of my body, Ishgria is consumed in civil war," Rhea said, completely undeterred.

If it is the throne you seek, I can help you.

"I’d rather not, besides, I still need to find Remuria before I try for the throne."

Remuria? Ah yes, I wish the underworld chose her instead of you, but alas, here we are, the Night Terror mused.

"So you know of her?"

Of course, I see what you see and so much more

"Do you know where she is?" Rhea pressed.

Maybe I do, maybe I don't, it depends, the Night Terror replied coyly.

Rhea sighed, “Alright, what do you want?"

Just accept my power, the Night Terror demanded.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

Rhea hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and relented, "Fine, I accept."

Excellent, the Night Terror purred.

***

Back in the present, Zia and Sedris were still locked in a brutal battle against the Night Terror. Sedris had been gradually pulling back from his strikes, attempting to retreat and regroup with the rest of his kin that remained. But Zia was lost in an unbridled bloodlust, her eyes empty except for a thirst for battle that seemed to consume her entirely. Her body moved with reckless abandon, striking out at the Night Terror with furious strikes from her twin axes.

“Sister, cease this madness!” Sedris pleaded with her, but Zia didn't seem to hear him. Instead, she let out a fierce cry of rage, her movements growing even more frenzied.

Sedris could see the signs of the curse that had afflicted her: Morak’s Frenzy, a curse that affected roughly one third of all Red Reavers. It was a state that disgusted him, for he knew that those who were affected by it lost their sense of self and sanity rapidly, becoming nothing more than maddened berserkers. But at the same time, he knew that the curse was the only thing keeping Zia and their comrades alive. It granted those afflicted by it incredible strength, speed, and regenerative abilities, allowing them to withstand wounds that would normally be lethal.

Sedris struggled to stay on his feet as he watched the frenzied Red Reavers continue their relentless assault against the Night Terror. The metallic tang of blood mixed with the acrid smell of flesh charred by lightning, creating a sickening miasma that clung to the air. Sedris felt his own breaths becoming shallower and more labored, his body wracked with pain and exhaustion.

Despite his own dire condition, Sedris forced himself to survey the scene around him. The once-lively Red Reaver camp was now a desolate wasteland, littered with the broken bodies of his fallen kindred. Sedris counted them in his mind, a grim tally of the dead. He estimated that at least one hundred Red Reavers had been present before the Night Terror appeared, but now, only about a fraction of that number remained.

Sedris couldn't help but feel a pang of despair as he looked upon the devastation. As a Red Reaver, he was no stranger to the sight and smell of blood, but the fact that it was his own comrades' blood that stained the ground filled him with dread.

Sedris knew that he couldn't reason with his sister and the other frenzied Red Reavers. Their minds were lost to Morak’s Frenzy, consumed by the insatiable bloodlust which drove them to attack anything in their path. He tightened his grip on his glaive and pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the pain that radiated through his body. His eyes scanned the Night Terror, searching for any weakness that he could exploit.

However, before Sedris was able to act, he tensed as a deafening sound erupted from the Night Terror. Suddenly, a bright flash of pale lightning surged forth from the creature, striking Zia and the other Red Reavers with devastating force. They were thrown back like ragdolls, their bodies crumpling to the ground in a heap. The air was filled with the acrid smell of burning flesh and smoke, and as the smoke cleared, Sedris could see that Zia and the others were unconscious, their bodies twitching involuntarily as electric energy coursed through them.

“Yield, Red Reavers, you have lost,”

The voice came from the Night Terror, in a surprisingly lucid voice. Sedris was taken aback by the unexpected words of their enemy, unsure of what to make of it. But he didn't let his guard down just yet, cautiously watching the transformed creature before him.

“Night Terror, my kindred are not ones for peace and surrender,” Sedris responded, his grip on his glaive tightening. “Once they awaken, they will come at you once again.”

“Fear not, I have pacified them. And I suggest you call me by my actual name,” the creature replied, its voice calm and controlled.

“Which is?” Sedris asked, still suspicious of its intentions.

“Rhea, Princess of Ishgria,” the creature said as its form began to shift and change, surrounded by a coruscating pale flame. As the flame died down, a figure emerged: a woman who appeared to be unharmed save for the tattered remnants of her cloak.

“What are you?” Sedris asked, warily raising his glaive.

“I am Rhea, rightful heir to the Ishgrian throne: a kingdom in the material plane.”

Sedris was taken aback by the revelation, unsure of what to make of it. “What happened? Why did the Night Terror disappear?” he asked, still trying to make sense of the situation.

“I was, no, am the Night Terror. I made peace with the creature, and now its powers are mine to wield,” Rhea explained, her eyes meeting Sedris's in a steady gaze.

Sedris lowered his glaive, still wary of the princess's true intentions. "What do you want from us, princess? If you wanted us dead, you could have easily taken our heads."

Rhea's eyes narrowed, her voice cold and steely, "I want you, your sister, and your comrades to join me."

Sedris raised an eyebrow. "You want the Red Reavers to fight alongside you? But why?"

"I need a force that is unyielding and powerful enough to crush my enemies in the material plane."

"But many of my comrades, including my sister, are like rampaging beasts. They live for the thrill of the kill."

"That is precisely what I am looking for. A force that will stop at nothing to achieve victory."

Sedris sighed. "If that is what you wish, I will accept on behalf of the Red Reavers. But I need time to convince my sister."

Rhea nodded. "Take all the time you need. I trust that you and your sister will make the right decision."

Sedris took cautious steps towards Zia's unconscious form, his heart pounding with worry. As he drew closer, he could hear her muttering under her breath. His ears strained to catch her words, and when he finally did, a wave of relief washed over him.

"Blood...blood...vengeance," Zia muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. Sedris couldn't help but shake his head at his sister's stubbornness, even in defeat, she was a Red Reaver inside and out. He let out a small chuckle, a mix of amusement and affection for his sister.

“Zia, wake up,” Sedris urged, shaking his sister's shoulder.

Zia groaned, her eyes fluttering open. "Sedris, shut...up," she muttered, still dazed.

Sedris let out an exasperated sigh before resorting to more drastic measures. He pinched her nose until she gasped for air and sat up, her eyes burning with anger.

"You bastard! I could have died," Zia shouted, her voice hoarse.

"And by all counts, you should be dead. Look around you, sister," Sedris retorted with a shrug.

Zia's gaze darted around, taking in the unconscious forms of their fellow Red Reavers and the ruined tents nearby.

"Did we manage to slay the Night Terror?" she asked, her voice weak.

"I'm right here," Rhea interjected, waving a hand in their direction.

"You!" Zia snarled, lunging forward with her glaive. But she was met with a sudden wave of pain and doubled over, coughing up blood.

"Calm down, Zia. The battle's over," Sedris said, catching her before she fell.

Rhea's eyes scanned Zia's rapidly healing wounds with a mixture of surprise and disbelief. "I'm surprised your sister is still able to stand," she commented.

"You won't believe what she's gone through. I'm often surprised by how fast she is able to recover," Sedris replied, hefting Zia onto his shoulder.

"Come speak to me when she has recovered, then," Rhea said, and Sedris nodded gratefully before carrying Zia to a nearby tent.

As the siblings left, Rhea took a deep breath and began to survey the aftermath of the carnage that was left during her possession by the Night Terror. Her heart sank as she took in the full scope of the destruction she had wrought. Though the princess did not have control over her body for most of the battle, she was still able to see what had happened. Everywhere she looked, there were bodies of those who had charged in to face her, both dead and unconscious. The ground was littered with broken weapons, tattered clothing, and blood.

As Rhea walked through the scene of devastation, she couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease. It wasn't just the sight of the broken bodies and shattered weapons that disturbed her, but the lack of emotion she felt in response. She should have been horrified by the destruction she had wrought, but instead, she felt a strange sense of detachment. A part of her, a dark and insidious part of her, almost felt pleased by the evidence of bloodshed.

The princess felt a sense of unease wash over her. She felt that some part of her was being slowly eroded by the darkness that came with the Night Terror's power. A part of her knew that she should never have given in to the temptation of such power.

Yet, Rhea still tried to push away the nagging doubts and rationalizations. She began to convince herself that she could harness the Night Terror's power without succumbing to its malevolent influence. However, in the back of her mind, a twisted laugh seemed to echo, a minute cacophony which would only grow louder over time.