Shade sat next to Ohiel, reading the yellowed pages and enjoying the musty smell of ancient pages. The books were written in a strange language, but Shade could understand it. It was the language of the Gods, the words were of power, truth and light. The demons inside of him didn't like the words, but Shade smiled slightly. How long had it been since he had seen this language, read a book written by the Gods? He felt warmth beside him and glanced at Ohiel. It seemed that this man was closer to the spiritual realm than to the world of the physical. Shade wished he was that powerful.

The detailed drawings and words made his heart race as he thought about the journey they would have to take, and where it would take them. Volcanoes, forests, lakes... So many landscapes they would witness. He gritted his teeth thinking about entering the village. It wasn't the one he was banned from, but surely the people there knew of him. He was the monster they were afraid of, the demon that killed any that came near his cave. Would they know who, and what, he was? He was afraid of what might happen if he was around many people, and he could hear the demons laughing and mocking him.

Ohiel scanned the pages carefully, though he knew what they said already. They were all in the dead language of the gods, a language few could even identify, let alone read, write, or speak. Ohiel could do all of that, because he had foregone traditional writing and delved into the gods' writing and speaking. He could write it, speak it, understand it, and read it. As he scanned the pages he had scanned dozens of times before, Ohiel glanced up to Shade and put a hand on his forearm.

"Ignore the demons. Their laughter. Their torments. Their mocking. They have nothing to do with you, Shade, do you hear me? They are simply projecting your inner fears into the world, forcing you to doubt. You focus on what is in front of you, drown out the sound. You, for now, are stronger than they are. Here, they are weakened. Weakened by the cleanse. Push them back, show them who controls them for now." He urged warmth from his own body into Shade's from the contact of his hand, closing his eyes and feeling a breath of air stir and slide through his hair. "You need to know what to expect when we leave come morning." He raised a brow, hoping Shade understood. They would leave tomorrow, so for the night he would have to eat something, and sleep well, without hearing the demons in his head.

Shade nodded, reading the pages until he felt his eyes start to droop. He had often studied until he had collapsed, and it had been a long and tiring day for him. He had no idea what the time was, but he imagined the sky outside of his windows were dark by now. He stayed where he was, however, not wanting Ohiel to think the study was boring him. It was actually really interesting, and gave him some intense feelings of uncertainty. Not many people survived a possession of his magnitude, the books said, and those that did never were the same again. Many lost their minds and parts of their souls...

He snorted slightly, jumping and realising he had fallen asleep. He apologised to the man who sat next to him still and rubbed his eyes.

Ohiel's gaze was steady as they swept each page, taking in everything for the millionth time, it seemed. He did love to read. He spent so much time doing it. Reading, meditating, speaking with the gods and the spirits. And each day his mind opened more and more to the gods' realm. He was welcome to cross over at any time, though he doubted he would want to at any time. Seeing that realm would seal him there forever, in spirit if not body. He would never want to return to the human world.

He looked to Shade and put a hand on his shoulder. "Go sleep." He said simply. "Your energy needs to be topped out tomorrow, and staying up will only serve to drain you. Sleep. I will give you information as it is required. I will remember everything---I've read all of these books many times over. And the less you know about each location, the more unprepared the demons will be." He stood. "I will show you to one of the rooms. You will be watched over as you sleep. Will he not?" He looked up, and in response a breath of air ruffled the fire and Ohiel's hair. He smiled at Shade.

Shade had never felt so close to the Gods. He wondered which one was with them now and if He was mad that Shade had tainted his body with dark powers. He didn't feel worthy to be touched by the strange breeze that swept passed them, surely the breath of a God. He followed Ohiel to a room, glad to have a bed and a plain room to himself. He gratefully disrobed, leaving the robes near the door in case Ohiel needed it back. He crawled into the soft, warm bed and instantly fell asleep.

It was strange not to hear voices hissing at him or have nightmares that shook his very soul and made him awake screaming like a scared child. He didn't dream anything at all, and felt well rested once morning came to wake him up. He waited in his room for Ohiel to come, hoping he had some suitable clothes to wear for the journey.

In the absolute silence, broken only by the crackle of warming fire. Blessed fire. Ohiel made it using cleansing stones. He read by the fire after depositing Shade in his room, making sure he knew every word he read was locked away in his mind, available at a moment's notice. His eyes skimmed the text, fingers flipping ancient pages in twos and threes. He did know it all. He knew all the words, what they meant, and in what order things would have to take.

When he closed the books, Ohiel turned and began roaming the halls, gathering things. He needed to pack two large back bags, one for himself and one for Shade. It would carry necessities that would serve them lastingly throughout the journey. Ropes, knives, flints, canteens for water which were currently full. Clothing both heavy and light, several sets for warm locations and cold locations. He wrapped crystal bottles in cow skin and stowed them away in his own pack. A wrapped bedroll he attached to the tops of each. Dried food he shoved deep down. There was no need for first aids---Ohiel could handle sickness or injury as it came throughout travel.

These he sat beside the doors. He would have to include weapons as they would be in dangerous areas, and both creature and human would be a threat from time to time. He didn't want Shade to be entirely at the mercy of his power, so the use of actual blades or blunt weapons would be necessary. The more he used his power, the stronger the currently settled demons would become. And that was the last thing Ohiel wanted. He paused, tying his hair into a long braid that still nearly swept the ground as he walked. He would have to call Myere from her stable, the sturdy horse would be indispensable as they traveled. But that was for tomorrow. He stepped in front of the gem-encrusted statue once more, kneeling and lowering his head. "Wake me when our time comes." He whispered, and a breath of air answered him softly.

Shade moved from the plain room after awhile of waiting for Ohiel. It seemed the man was still asleep somewhere, or meditating to gather his strength for the long journey ahead. Shade would have liked to meditate as well, but he no longer did so. The demons didn't let him focus at all and he felt dirty trying to contact the spirits and Gods with demons inside of him. Even now as he wondered the pure halls, he made sure not to touch anything in fear of contaminating such a pure place.

The demons had started their whisperings again. It seemed that they had grown stronger as Shade had rested. He didn't feel as though they would take control of him, but they were definitely strong enough to be able to talk directly to him and they did not like the current situation at all. He stumbled upon the holy man, sitting in front of his statue. Was he sleeping? Meditating? In any case, Shade felt it would be rude to interrupt. He sat back and watched, feeling the strange breeze blowing past him again and ruffling Ohiel's long hair.

He dreamed of misty woods and leafless trees. No one was near, not even the gods or their spirits. He was isolated to such an extent that his mountaintop home seemed like a city in comparison. Then the air came, that breath of air so familiar, like a lifelong friend. In fact, it was a friend. A many-lifetimes-long friend. Ohiel breathed in deeply and opened his eyes wide, as if he hadn't just been so deep asleep that even an earthquake wouldn't have awakened him. He stood and stretched his long limbs, and turned to look directly at Shade. "It is time to depart." He said simply. "Have you eaten? I sense you have explored, so surely you have found my supply of food and water?" He stepped forward, his insulated robes billowing around him. They were as white as snow, and would protect him from the harsh weather as they descended.

"Come, Shade. You must eat, and then you must change into warm clothing. I have many blessed robes, they will help you ignore and contain the demons as long as you wear them. I have more clothing packed, and in fact, most of our supplies is already prepared, and I will leave you only for a moment to call my horse from her stable. She will carry most of our things, so our journey will not be so dreadfully tiring." He came to a stop in front of a door and pushed it open. Shelves, tables, and barrels full of dried meats and fruits and vegetables sat around this dimly lit room. "Eat what you can comfortably, and go to the room you slept in. There will be clothing that are suited for cold temperatures waiting for you there. Then meet me in the front hall, and we shall begin our journey. Are you prepared, Shade?" Ohiel paused, turning directly to face Shade and put his hands on the young man's shoulders.