The discussion at site of Gods' War.

The following is a dream sequence for Nancy Hades as she sheds the last link to her Mark of Acheron.

~Nancy rode through the Lachesian Planes. Eager to finally be free of her curse. The old seer Sharak had instructed her on the ritual to clense her flesh and remove the taint.
She touched the sacred symbols and performed the ritual with utmost care. Every movement carefully coreographed. Every inflection of her voice perfectly uttered in accordance with the old seer's direction.
At first the demonologist felt nothing. No ebbing of the mark, no calming of her spirit. She cursed Sharak's name and furrowed her brow in anger.

Then she nearly doubled over in pain, a searing buring pain on her breast where the mark tainted her flesh.
The symbol there was alight with the glow of a hundred candles and it seemed to burn her skin like the sting of a horde of scoprions.
Nancy screamed in pain. Every legs felt as as if they were made of jelly and refused to support her weight. She crashed to the ground . Tears burned down her cheeks and she opened her mouth to scream but no words would issue forth.
Her vision blurred and her head ached as if she had been clubbed about the skull in combat. Angrily the sorcereress tried to focus her thought and gain some type of control over the situation.
Then she heard laughter ring out through the darkness. A low, mocking laughter as if someone were deeply amused at her plight.

The laughter caused Nancy to focus and slowly she opened her eyes and and tried to determine who it was that was taking joy in her distress. The voice sounded oddly familiar.
The demonologist gasped and hissed with uttered hatered. The voice came from the betrayer! He who had caused such pain and strife within her family stood a few feet before. She tried to blink through her tears to see better for it was impossible. He could not possilby be here. It must be some trick or perhaps she was descending into madness because of the pain.
That old fool Sharak probably forgot to menton a part of the ritual and she is now being slowly consumed by the magic.
"No little buttercup.", the voice sneered. " This is no illussion. I have been waiting a long time for this to happen."

Nancy cried out in pain and anger. Her rage danced up and down her body like electricity. She tried to foucs her thoughts and recall the words of magic so Set would punish this evil, haughty man.
The words came through. Nancy had trained her mind long and hard for this moment. She had seen enough cruelty and suffering to enable her to focus through the horrific pain.
BUt her arms refused to lift. Her fingers seemed to cramp and deform into claws. She could not make her limbs perform the intricate gestures necessary to bring forth the magic. Her fingers would not weave through the air and break into the hidden planes of magic to bring the lightning forth.
"What?", the voice seemed a little bemsued. "After all this time you finally admit defeat after you struggled so much for so long?"
"I ....admit...nothing." Nancy seethed." Come closer so I may give you a kiss. "

"Once, long ago. I would have taken you up on your offer." the man said. " But now things are different. You have hurt me a great deal. Destroyed my army. Slain my apprentice. Delayed and dirupted my plans."
"You deserve the furies for what you have done fiend." Nancy cried out. " Banishment and humiliation into slavery. Destruction of my family. All for some tryst with an underling!"
"Bah. Women", the oathbreaker laughed. " You all view things so simply. " Mittrelle was simply an underling who was obedient. She did as she was told and did not question my plans."
"But you..My flower. You have the stubbornness worhy of a Cimmerian." The speakers voice darkened with anger." You were about to ruin everything. You were going to go to the ring and ruin everything. You needed to be punished. "
"Then why not sacrifice me to Set?", the demonologist whipered." At least you could have sent me to our Father for judgement. " You never loved me. You degraded me and cast me aside into darkness."

Loved you? LOVED YOU?!!" The betrayer seemed to choke down his words. His countenance darkened with anger and he drew a wicked curved blade. " I could not bear to harm you. I never wished your death. You would not listen to reason. You would not keep quiet. "
The unfaithful man moved towards Nancy, his dagger glinting off the light. " I gave you immortality and hid your memory so you would feel no shame or regret. But YOU! You are a spiteful harpy and could not rest forever. I regret al I did for you. I regret showing you mercy or love. Now I regret no more."

And with that the evil man drew his dagger across Nancy's throat. She gurgled in protest and slumped over into darkness