Toki's Tale

Toki awoke sharply, in a strange place unfamiliar to her. She wasn't on the deck of the Assassin's ship, nor was she in Imshi's palace. The ground was black and cold, and the sky boiled with hideous black clouds. Thunder and lightning lit up the landscape for miles around, lighting up the massive boulders and mountains that seemed to have grown there.
A sharp crash of thunder made Toki spin around, and she saw a figure sitting on a rock. It was a Gargoyle, but with bright neon blue hair and glowing yellow eyes. He had red stripes all over its arms and legs, and wore a long black, leather coat and black leather trousers.
He smiled, baring sharp fangs, and lashed his long, pointed tail back and forth. He was far larger than Toki, easily twice as big as her.
"Hello there, Toki," he said, and vanished. Toki felt a someone tap her shoulder and she span around quickly. The Gargoyle was there, still smiling.
"Who are you?" Toki demanded. The Gargoyle somersaulted backwards and flipped onto another rock, balancing on one hand.
"You can call me Vee. I'm here to help you," he said, grinning upside-down at Toki. Toki gave him a whithering look and stalked off.
"I don't need help."
"Oh? Then you can tell me where we are, then," called out Vee. Toki stopped and turned around slowly.
"Enlighten me," she said venomously.
"We're inside your mind, of course. Don't you recognise your own thoughts?" Vee chuckled, vanishing and appearing next to Toki.
"This is not my mind."
"Oh, it takes a form you can understand. But it's your thoughts, your dreams, everything," said Vee. He picked up a small rock and threw it to Toki. She caught it without realising and suddenly her vision was filled with images of the monastery. She dropped the rock out of fright and the dark landscape returned, with Vee sat cross-legged on a boulder.
"All this is you, Toki. And right now it's being consumed from within."
"By what?"
"Rage."

Toki and Vee stared at each other for a while, Toki's face a frown and Vee's a cheerful grin. Vee suddenly winked and vanished. Toki snorted and looked around. She went over to a large boulder and placed both hands on it. Suddenly she was somewhere else, and Toki felt as if she was underwater. Her limbs were heavy and she seemed to move as if drawn by strings.
Rel was nearby, riding on a Pitzen, and looked less drunk than when she had last seen him.
"Cold?" he asked.
"No... Not really..." Toki mumbled, her voice speaking on its own. Rel stopped and held up a hand, a cigarette lodged between two fingers. The rest of the riders stopped and looked around. Toki felt her hands pull her Pitzen to a stop and cantered slowly back. "What's wrong?" Toki heard herself ask.
Suddenly a dark shape leapt down from the rocks of the cliff and Toki knew him. It was Tae'Pan, his eyes alight with hatred.

The image died suddenly as Toki's hands were pulled from the rock. Vee was there, his hands gripping her arms, and his face a picture of wrath.
"Never do that again," he said. Behind him Toki could see the storm raging even harder. A bolt of lightning struck a nearby boulder and the searing energy stayed there, slowly forming into a shape.
"No! Too late!" Vee raged, and sank to his knees. The burning blue-white light died away, and there was Tae'Pan, crouched on the rock like an animal. He snarled and ran a dry tongue over his teeth.
"How nice to see you... Toki."

Chapter 9

Chapter 11