3/7/13 - The Past Always Comes Back to Haunt...

<HUF> Zaida makes her way into the Shadow Enclave - heading toward her destination: the basement. Her feet barely touched the steps as she made her descent. Zaida's mind was going wild - something was driving 

 <HUF> Zaida --her like a woman possessed, calling to her, willing her down into the room where her past lay, gathering dust. She lay a palm on the stone wall - the stone reading her energy signature before --

 <HUF> Zaida --opening back to reveal a museum-like room, where the relics of her past lay dormant, waiting for someone to hold and use them once again. She rushed to the full length mirror that hung on a wall

 <HUF> Zaida --in the back of this chamber. His voice had been haunting her throughout the day, What made you think you could outrun your past? Zaida shook her head, trying to clear away that sound...

 <HUF> Zaida The one it belonged to was dead, slain at her own hand. I said you would never be free... You would never escape us... No! Zaida screamed, Get out of my head!! Leave. Me. ALONE!!!

 <HUF> Zaida let her fist fly - it easily connected with the image reflected back at her, shattering the glass in the mirror. Now instead of one image, several broken ones reflected back at her. We said --

 <HUF> Zaida you would never be free.. Instead of one voice, now several haunted her - jeering her, breaking her down with their words. No, you're dead - you're all dead, Zaida screamed,

 <HUF> Zaida The dead can't speak... it's just a dream... Just a dream, am I? The voice screamed at her, I'll show you just how much of a dream this is, sweetheart. The sound of steel slicing through 

 <HUF> Zaida --the air hit Zaida's ears before she was hit with the sensation of a blade cutting through skin. Her back arched and she screamed in pain. Her mind screamed at her, [YOU'RE BLEEDING!]

 <HUF> Zaida tentatively reached a hand around to touch the wounded area, but saw nothing when she drew her hand back to look. Again, she felt the area - while her skin felt dry, she could not shake the --

 <HUF> Zaida *feeling that blood was pouring down her back. She grew weak and fell, face down onto the stone floor in the basement. She looked at her reflection from the bottom of the mirror - she had shifted 

 <HUF> Zaida --to her natural form. Blue skin, white hair, gold eyes. Her eyes opened wide with terror and her mouth opened in a silent scream as the skin of her upper left thigh began to burn. It HURT!

 <HUF> Zaida It BURNED! Zaida screwed her eyes shut from the pain, and was on the edge of fainting when it began to recede - the sound and smell of sizzling, searing flesh still assaulting her senses.

 <HUF> Zaida It's just a little something to remember me by, honey... don't think this is over - not by a long shot. You --will NEVER-- be free... The voice whispered harshly into her ear, as if the one it 

 <HUF> Zaida --belonged to had stood next to her ear to say it. She dared not move for hours after - but feared that the longer she lay there, she more danger she would be in. Her arms shook heavily as she --

 <HUF> Zaida --tried to brace herself, willing her self to stand on her own two feet. She first checked her back for any sign of damage, an angry red welt remained - but all else was just a dream...

 <HUF> Zaida braced herself, taking shallow breaths, and turned slowly to look at her thigh... The flesh was still raised, angry and red hot on her blue skin - branded... she was branded. The symbol was all too

 <HUF> Zaida familiar... it was the sign of her guild, the one her adoptive father had designed. One that struck fear into the hearts of kings of old... one that now instilled fear in her...

 <HUF> Zaida stumbled up the stairs of the basement, heading toward the room where her emergency surgery would be - hoping she'd remembered to stock up on burn salves, and being rewarded with the topical that -

 <HUF> Zaida --would quickly ease and numb the pain, and heal the skin. The stuff smelled worse than a sewer drain, but the relief was immediate - so she had learned to overlook the smell... It quickly flaked-

 <HUF> Zaida --off, revealing healed bright pink skin (even after she shifted into her normal glamour). She applied another coating and bandaged it with still shaking hands. I don't need to stay here right no

 <HUF> Zaida *now. She got up and dressed in a flowing gown with an open back, shifting into her natural form and took to the skies... not wanting to land anytime soon.