Jeff Inlo - Nightmare's Shad

"Are you sure of this?" Holli asked.

"I'm not sure of much, but I know that it wasn't Lief who was in that cave. I think deep down, you know it, too. Think about what we saw. As angry as Lief had become before… before Tabris ended his life, he wasn't evil. The spirit we faced in the dark realm wanted those monsters to kill us. He wanted us dead, and he was enjoying it."

Holli considered the point, then turned upon Heteera. She stared deeply at the sorceress, opened herself up to the magical energies around them both. She listened deeply to the echoes, heard the words and saw the actions of the past and present. She focused on that sensation that first alerted her to the spell that was used to summon Lief Woodson. The intent was clearly there, but the focus was lacking. She could not deny that the connection to Lief Woodson existed, but only in the desires of the sorceress.

The elf searched beyond the intent and beyond the focus, touched the magical connection that still existed between Heteera and the apparition that had waited in the caves of the dark realm. It was Heteera's spell that summoned the mysterious spirit, but Holli needed to move beyond the obvious, for there was a curtain that separated the intention and the act, an almost unnatural shroud that hung over the summoning. Her perception pierced the cloak, but only for a moment. It was enough.

Instantly, she broke off her examination of Heteera's spell.

"He's right. It's not Lief."

Heteera would simply not accept this condemnation of her spell.

"No, you're both wrong! I summoned an the spirit of an elf, not a dead slink ghoul. I would know the difference!"

"If it was Baannat, don't you think he could fool you?" Ryson asked.

Enin finally spoke, though he remained seemingly distracted as if something in the distance pulled at his attention.

"Something else may be at work here," the wizard stated in almost a mumble. "We must not jump to any conclusions."

Ryson did not want to contradict the wizard in front of everyone else, but he had to make his case.

"Enin, Lief-the real Lief-told me you should know the truth. He said you would understand that no spirit could be recalled to this land."

"Not if it didn't wish to be summoned," Enin admitted, "but if Lief felt the need to remove the dark creatures from this land, he would have viewed Heteera's spell as an opportunity, an open door, and he would have walked through it willingly."

"Would he also be willing to kill Holli, Sy and me? Could a spell or even prolonged exposure to the evils of another dimension have warped his true soul? Could it make a spirit act so out of character?"

"No, it couldn't," Enin acknowledged.

Ryson then pointed to the elf guard.

"Look at Holli, Enin. Even I can see it in her face now. She knows that wasn't Lief."

Enin looked into the depth of his elf guard. He touched the magic and shared her awareness. She had previously given him permission to do so as he saw necessary. She knew he would not abuse the privilege and it would allow her to protect him far more efficiently. He could share her concerns directly, understand her motives without question, and act in a fashion that would allow them to co-exist.

In return, Enin had shared his magical knowledge and his energy with Holli. Beyond simply training her in understanding magic and casting spells, he enabled her to grasp the vast energies he could summon. This magical link permitted Holli to maintain focus on the wizard's safety and well-being across untold distances. It kept them connected and in a sense of harmony.

As the wizard joined with his guard's consciousness, he saw the certainty in her mind. It was not Lief Woodson they left in the dark realm.

"I see," Enin muttered.

There was, however, one gap that could not be explained. While Holli was certain the spirit was not Lief, she was not sure it was Baannat, and that remained a doubt Enin would have to erase for himself.

"If it is Baannat, we need to be absolutely sure, and there's only one way to do that. I will go see him now."

Holli almost objected, but it was Sy who called out.

"Wait a minute! Are you saying you're going into the dark realm?"

"It must be done. We must know for sure."

"Unless I missed something, that's not an alternative. When this whole thing started, when we decided that vessel had to be destroyed, you said you couldn't go into the dark realm. You said it would cause a horde of monsters to flee into this existence. That's not a good thing."

"You did not miss anything," Enin agreed, "but the circumstances have changed."

"Does that mean dark creatures won't come bounding across to our side of the portal?"

"Of that I can't be sure, but it no longer matters."

Sy looked at the wizard with a baffled expression.

"Excuse me for saying so, but I think it matters quite a bit!" Sy finally revealed.

Enin almost laughed. He might have, too, had the concern of Baannat's return not hung so heavily upon him.

"Sy, it is a joy to know you. I know you're worried about your people in Burbon. I'm worried about them, too, as well as the people here in Connel. You must, however, look past your immediate concerns and understand the depth of the circumstances. If Baannat has somehow returned and decided to reign over the dark realm, then my appearance there means nothing. If he wants to send every menacing, dangerous creature into our land, he will do so without hesitation."

"What if it's not Baannat?"

"Whether it's Baannat or not is actually no longer material. Something disguised as Lief Woodson has tricked a powerful sorceress into casting an unwise spell. That spell was then used to collect vast amounts of magic twisted for evil purposes. All of that magic is now at the command of an individual that tried to kill you, Ryson and Holli. This deceitful phantom seems to control an army of monsters. Ryson is now certain that the specter is Baannat. I can determine if that's true. Should we just sit back and wait for a catastrophe, or should I act now?"

"Are there any alternatives?" Sy asked.

"I'd be willing to listen to them, but you must offer them quickly, and remember, caution is a luxury I can no longer afford."

"I don't like any of it, but I guess there's no choice. Hard to believe you once didn't like to act," Sy stated without intent to insult.

Enin took no offense.

"People can change, even for the better," the wizard offered. He then looked upon Heteera. "You will stay with Holli and you will cast no spells until I return. Do you understand?"

"Yes… but it's not Baannat," the sorceress whispered.

"Let's hope you're correct."

Willing himself into the sky, Enin flew to the spot outside of the Lacobian where Holli closed the portal. While in flight, he bent the space around him, utilizing the magic to reach the area almost instantaneously.

After landing, he didn't have to examine the ground for tracks. The echo of magic was strong. Looking beyond his natural sight and focusing on the magical vibrations, his mind's eye could pinpoint the exact location of Heteera's now extinct portal. Holli had indeed closed the rift, but whispers and memories of the spell hung in the magical energy.

Hoping to gain some insight into Heteera's limitations, Enin examined the casting's attributes and envisioned the obvious results. The spell was beyond deficient, it was reckless and disruptive. The portal clearly would have lacked proper substantive connections between dimensions. He noted its imperfections; its inability to remain stable and its fluctuations in and out of existence. He found the spell almost offensive-a dangerous break in reality and a genuine waste of energy.

Before moving on to his ultimate goal, he took one moment to spread the strands of his awareness to the surrounding lands. The emptiness saddened him. It was not just the lack of dark creatures that he noticed. It seemed as if all life had fled. Birds, lizards, rodents, and insects now avoided the area. He wondered if at the next rainfall, even as sparse as it was in these badlands, the raindrops themselves would refuse to reach the ground he stood upon.