Style Quest: Am I possessed?

“Ever since Requinest, I’ve had nightmares and heard the whispers, but I just thought they were my guilt acting up,” Varick explained as he sat in the comfortable wooden chair. Sat opposite him was the lioness Archdruid of the Harvest Circle, Violet Drackonas. She had invited the Clydesdale to the glade when she heard he thought he was possessed. “But yesterday, I saw a full-body hallucination in my mirror of The Necromancer. He spoke to me.”

 

“It’s unlikely that you are possessed, but you did go through a traumatic event that has left its scars both physically and mentally,” Violet assured the blonde Clydesdale in a calm, soothing voice. “We are going to run a few tests, and then you and I will talk about whatever amount of the events of Requinest, both past and recent, that you feel comfortable discussing. I trust you aren’t afraid of needles?” 

 

The lioness produces a needle and vials from one of her belt pouches and draws a few samples of blood from Varick. After pumping the mahogany horse full of water, the Archdruid had him pee in a cup. Next came the balance, eyesight, and stress tests. As Varick lay in the grass exhausted, Violet ran a hand glowing with purple energy over him. Once the magical scan finished, the lioness helped the younger Clydesdale into a chair. 

 

“How much of the events do you want to know about,” Varick asked before sipping magically enhanced water. The liquid somehow tasted like autumn. “Everything was in the reports.”

 

“Sometimes, during a traumatic we forget things,” Violet posits as she sits in her chair. The middle-aged lioness’s purple eyes had a soft glow as he talked. “I’m not asking you to relive the events fully, but is there the possibility that something didn’t quite make the report.” Varick looked deep into Violet’s eyes as warmth and comfort overtook him. He swam in purple pools that were those eyes for what seemed like an eternity when a specific memory returned to him.

 

“Julia said that I would be the vessel of his power, and it would fight me for control,” Varick gasped as he broke the hypnotic hold of the Archdruid. There was nothing about the lynx Valkyrie in official reports because the Clydesdale somehow repressed all memories of her until then. “Also, I need to tell William that the Stormchild still loves and misses the Wintersong.”

 

“Wait, Julia? Grey lynx with green eyes,” Violet inquires suddenly on her feet, urging Varick to his. 

 

“Yes, that was the Valkyrie that came to collect my soul, but she told me how to use the necromantic battery to save myself,” the blonde Clydesdale answered as he rose. 

 

“That was William’s first wife. The fact that she came for you and told you how to escape your fate is interesting, but from what I’ve heard, she was never one to play by the rules,” the lioness explained as she started rummaging for something in the bag strapped across her chair. “Shirt off if you would please. I need to check your back.” Varick did as he was asked and stripped off his vest and shirt. Violet shined a light through a crystal rod that she found in her bag as the Archdruid examined the horse’s back.

 

“What are you looking for,” Varick asked as he tried to turn to look, but a stern hand held him still. 

 

“Right there, the Valkyrie marked you,” Violet exclaimed as the lioness poked the gold diamond pattern on the mahogany Clydesdale’s back. “She probably did it to siphon off the necrotic power a bit over time. Stay here while I check to see if your other results are back. 

 

Varick was left a bit confused as he stood there shirtless, watching the Archdruid rush out. What did it even mean to be marked by a Valkyrie, and why hadn’t he remembered her before now? He hoped there was an easy fix that’d make the voices go away as he sat back down. Minutes crept slowly as the horse awaited the lioness’s return to the glade. As Varick started to doze off a bit, she finally returned.

 

“I don’t often like to admit this, but we don’t fully know what’s going on with you,” Violet sighed, brandishing a yellow vial with a needle poking out the bottom. “Most of your test results came back normal, and when I did a magic scan, the only thing I found was a small pool of necromantic energy entangled with your latent powers. We will monitor the situation as it progresses, but this should help with some symptoms.” There was no warning before the Archdruid plunged the needle into Varick’s leg. 

 

“Does that mean I’m incurable,” the horse winced as a burning sensation briefly filled his leg.

 

“No, it just means you and I are going to be doing monthly tests, and I want you back here anytime you hear or see him again,” the purple-eyed lioness smiled. “You can put your shirt back on and tell your friend to watch it with the claws or at least help you disinfect their marks.”

 

“Ye- yes, ma’am,” Varick blushed, embarrassed as he redressed before being shown out. She hadn’t explained what the Valkyrie mark had meant, but maybe Archdruid Violet needed more time to look into that. The Clydesdale hoped that the monthly treatments would fix his problem. Even if there wasn’t a proper cure, just having a treatment was enough for now.