The madman turned, flecks of perspiration flying from his face and hair, to the direction of te voice that had called his name. Set against the oppressive background, wavering in the midst of the intense heat, stood a figure clothed all in black, from whose barely visible face shone two piercing blue sparkles. Here at last was the creature that the Mad Dog had waited all these long impatient months to confront, and in the most dynamic way imaginable. And standing before the Dark One, surrounded by all this damning light, he couldn't help but smile.
"It has been ages since one such as you blessed the presence of one such as myself," His Royal Darkness spoke wistfully, who now stepped closer to the Strangla. "Strong. Determined. Righteous. And all too mortal. You are a pinnacle of human achievement. Moments such as these make my long eternity bearable. And worthwhile."
The smooth reverie was interrupted by a sudden swing of the darkling's arm, a sharp slap stinging the side of the Strangla's face. His head turned to the side, the smile gone. The Dark One's face remained as ever: expressionless.
