Easily Locking.

It was Reika.  She sat in the corner of the chamber, her beauty as radiant as ever.  She wore a flowing white dress that laid in crumples around her, a simple garment that still managed to make her look regal. 

I slid to a halt.  The air had been knocked from my lungs, and I dropped my sword at my feet.  I had no time to stop and consider how she had survived the Bloodletter’s kiss, or why she was here now.  All I knew was that a chasm within me seemed suddenly filled, and that I needed to take her in my arms. 

I ran to her, and knelt down before her.  She reached out and took my hand.  My consciousness had been screaming that something was wrong, but it had been drowned out by the cacophony of emotion I was feeling.  As soon as our skin touched, reality finally rammed through the portcullis in my mind.

Her skin was inhumanly warm.  I flinched at her touch, and as I looked into her eyes I saw them change briefly from the misty blue I had come to know to inky blackness and back again.  Whatever this was, it was not Reika.  I withdrew, and the creature looked confused.  As I stood up and retrieved my sword, it began to howl and scream.

It stood up, and blood began to stain the belly of the dress as the wound caused by the Bloodletter opened up again.  It clawed at the soaked cloth until the wound was revealed, but this time it was ringed with teeth as a snakelike tongue lashed out from it.

The thing’s eyes began to glow like stars, and its teeth grew and sharpened as it assumed its true form.  Its elongated fingers ended in claws the size of spearheads, and its screech grew to a painful level.

Jofridus’ revenge had backfired.  This profane abuse of Reika’s remains had given me a strength I had never known.  For better or for worse, I was not the Raben he had last seen. 

I swore an oath as I charged the thing, and it parried my blow with a sword of its own – the Bloodletter.  The last time I met this cursed bit of metal in battle, I had to change my tactics in order to avoid its eternal wound.  This time, I had no such misgivings.  There is nothing quite as powerful as having nothing to lose.

My attack was a thunderstorm of swinging blades as I took all the anger over Reika’s murder, as well as Jofridus’ betrayal, and focused every ounce of it on my silver sword.  The thing fought like a snake, darting and weaving, but no amount of agility would keep me from my purpose.  The sound of my heartbeat was throbbing in my ears as I let out a battle cry and pounced on the vile creature, driving my blade through its chest and into the stone underneath it.

It let out a shrill cry, and began to twitch and writhe as it slowly turned back into Reika’s body.  Its head jerked up and locked eyes with me, and the glimmer of recognition flashed in their blue depths.  As her last breath escaped her lungs, I heard her say it. 

“Thank you.”

I stood up, near-exhausted.  My heartbeat was louder than ever, and I realized it was due to the cuts I had received from the cursed blade.  I looked down and saw each one pulse with every beat of my heart, pumping forth blood.  I began to feel dizzy, but then I remembered why I was there: Jofridus.