Jeff Inlo - Nightmare's Shad

Enin raised an eyebrow as he waited for the ghoul to explain. Unfortunately, Baannat just broke down into uncontrolled laughter. Enin simply shook his head and returned to his dilemma.

He returned to the concept of a shadow. He believed that was the key, but he remained uncertain how to utilize the notion.

"It's a shame, really," Baannat said as his laughter died down to a few snickers. "We were once equal in power, then I surpassed you. You beat me because I was careless. Now, you're more powerful than I am. You could vanquish me with a flick of your wrist, but you can't reach me. Don't you find that amusing?"

"Hysterical."

"Sarcasm doesn't fit you well."

"And you're simply trying to distract me. You're reaching out to your army, preparing to send them through the portal, but it won't…"

Enin stopped in mid-sentence. He knew. He understood what was necessary. He needed another portal, but not a gateway between two dimensions or even between physical and spiritual existence. He needed the shadow of a portal, a rift between life and death. That was the answer.

The spell would be black, gray and yellow, a mix of change, shadow and light. He would focus on the alteration of death and the depthless form of shadow. The light would hold the link to the physical realm, or so he believed. A full portal would connect existences, but the shadow of a rift would serve only to reach the immeasurable space between existences.

He concentrated on the aspects of the spell, considered the subtleties of the combination. With the ability to cast white magic, he had significant and equal power over black, gray and yellow energy. He shaped both in his mind, molded the desire of his intentions into a clear objective. With a total focus on a shadow portal in his mind, he spoke the enchantment of his need. He took hold of the energies emanating from Baannat, that was the target, the exit point for his gateway.

White energy coursed about his body and brightened the dark lands around him. Two perfect circles first formed at his hands. They swirled about his palms in perfect unison until he flung them from his fingers. The two white circles combined to make one large ring. The ring turned yellow, then gray, then black, and finally a strange mix of all three.

A rift formed, but one that Enin had never seen before. It was in every essence the shadow of a portal. It had no true beginning and no true end. It was not a gateway from one realm to another, but an opening into a space of nonexistence.

Certain he could now reach Baannat, Enin stepped through. As he did, his physical body crumpled to the ground in the chasm of the cave. His body continued to function in certain ways-his heart beat, his lungs took air-but the completeness of his essence was no longer contained within. No consciousness, no light of true awareness formed behind the glazed over eyes. There was only the mechanical functions and the instinctive measures that sent impulses throughout his system. His mortal shell was empty.

Enin, however, did not see the fall of his body. It only occurred after his spirit stepped into the shadow of nonexistence. He believed his essence floated in the veil between life and death. He knew he was not dead, and yet, he felt so close to death, certain that the afterlife was but a shadow's width away.

Death, however, was not his goal. He had stepped into the veil so he could confront Baannat directly.

Without a body, his essence was now nothing more than a pool of light. The lack of substance did not deter the wizard. On several previous occasions, he had removed his consciousness from physical existence to explore the infinity of dimensional awareness. Under such conditions, Enin always maintained his force of will. That required no magic or physical existence. Focus and control were the tools of pure conscious thought, and though at times his focus wandered, his control made him a powerful wizard.

Enin placed his attention confidently upon the slink ghoul. Though he had no mouth, he had the will to speak.

"And so I am here… without the suicide."

"Yes, that's true, you are not dead," the ghoul responded, but he did not cower in any way before the more powerful wizard.

Whereas Enin was nothing more than a presence of light without shape, Baannat maintained a semblance of structure and form. The light of his being resembled his previous body, even appeared to have substance in the gray nothingness that surrounded him.

"I will give you one chance," Enin offered. "Remove your control from the creatures outside this place. Leave the dark realm to its own designs and do not interfere in the lives of others."

"If I say yes, would you believe me?"

"It doesn't matter. I've now proved I can reach you. If you go back on your word, I will return to destroy you. I am giving you one chance to avoid destruction."

"And what should I do?" Baannat asked, almost playfully. "Should I just remain in this vacuum of nonexistence for all eternity?"

Enin did not answer, for he had no answer. What could Baannat do? There was no place for the ghoul to go. The wizard even wondered if Baannat could obtain true physical existence once more.

The slink ghoul did not wait for a reply. He simply made it clear he had no intention of renouncing his goals of destruction and revenge.

"Or maybe I should spend my time assisting those less fortunate than I?" the slink ghoul taunted the human wizard. "That would be amusing. Just like you are helping the humans and dwarves learn to live in harmony, I could teach shags not to eat goblins."

At that moment, Enin understood the pure evil at the heart of Baannat. The ghoul could never be trusted. As long as he existed, he would work to bring pain to others. The wizard considered the army of beasts waiting to cross into Uton. Many would die and many more would suffer. Enin would not allow such torment to occur.

Believing his power far superior to Baannat, who was now nothing more than a mere shadow of what he once was, Enin prepared to cast a spell that would stop the war, stop the suffering, and end the existence of the slink ghoul forever. He had no hands to concentrate the magical energy upon, but he remained a force of will. The magic would bend to that force to destroy an enemy to all life.

"I am sorry," the human wizard said with all sincerity. "There is clearly no other way. I will rectify my earlier miscalculations and end your existence as it should have ended."

As Enin focused on a spell to end the threat of the ghoul, the white magic that once filled his body and his essence would not move to his command. Despite his unerring control over the energy, it would not respond to his call. The spell faded in his confused thoughts as his mind searched for an answer.

Baannat smiled.

"What's wrong? Can't think of a spell?" the ghoul asked with a mocking grin.

Enin ignored the questioning ridicule. He concentrated on the core of his essence. The magic within him as well as his vast links to the magic of the land were gone. Normally, his connection to the energy was so vast it was like an ocean falling upon a single grain of sand. At times, it could overwhelm his thoughts and bring him intriguing perception of so many mysteries, and yet, he was now empty.

"I know what you're thinking," Baannat boasted. "You've separated your consciousness from your physical being many times before, and you still held to your magical power. Even when you fought me in my magical sanctuary, you were not truly physically present and yet you cast spells against me of incalculable power. You were able to create a spiritual representation of your body, but you can't even do that here. There is something different. I'll give you a hint. Where is your anchor?"

"Anchors are diverse in nature," Enin argued, still searching for a clear understanding, as well as fighting against the growing panic of the emptiness that replaced his magical reservoir. "The portal I created should provide enough of a link to the physical plane."