For the first time in so long, my mind was clear. The sorrow, guilt, the haunting anguish had at last fled. Thus it was with a smile on my lips and fire in my veins that I strode through the gate of fog. The Old One had been reborn again, or rather had never been slain in this realm. Soon enough, we would remedy that.

From the heavens it descended, garbed in vines of mucus and a corona of shadow. The Old One crashed to the earth before us, its serpentine body twitching with a thousand thousand limbs discordant and swaying like fronds of grass in the gentle winds. Shrill and keening, the monster wailed, its man sized torso rising from the morass, hands raised with fingers crooked like talons, head tilted back, madness clear in its radiant eyes. It reared back upon its limbs, the braided cords of a thousand jutting, clawing hands writhing as if in eternal pain.

"Show me the blighted depths of Darkness." Or'do strode forward, snapping his claws out with a soft, thrilling shing!

"And grant me the heights of blessed Flame." I felt as much as saw the vines of light curl along my body as cords of darkness swept over his. Again a grin crossed my lips, and with heart light as flame, I surged in at his side. Spears of shadow burst from his spread fingers, crunching through its chest of knotted limbs, staggering the beast as only his immense might can. Upon its sea of limbs, the true torso looked out upon us, fear as much as anger in its eyes as I charged beneath, an upraised hand glowing with furious light as it cleaved the monster's knotted underbelly.

It heaved and gasped, straining to escape me, yet it was bound to the earth by a large, toeless footlike protrusion that rested heavily upon the stones. I slashed again and again, yet no longer, never again in fury. Or'do came surging in at my side, a fist hammering its gust, crunching deep into its body, unleashing a tidal wave of black flame that slithered from its wound like tears of pitch. I spun on my planted right foot, pivoting to gain momentum, then smashing my flame blessed fist into the wound Or'do had created.

Flame and shadow, Light and Dark burst from its entire body, reaching heavenward in tendrils of silken shadow and writhing fire. The torso amid so many limbs, upon a massive heap that twitched and writhed, turned our way, its eyes radiant with that gleam of terror I had so many times known. It crumpled, and standing over its motionless husk, Or'do and I shared a roar of triumph, thrusting our fists heavenward.

I had broken the spell of melancholy, and would never again be its captive.