Jeff Inlo - Nightmare's Shad

A colossal sense of loss flooded her being. The sudden grief crippled her thinking as if a massive void opened at her core and then filled with unimaginable sorrow. She did not wish to jump to such a devastating assumption, but with each passing moment, she was more certain that Enin's consciousness had moved completely out of existence. She did not need someone to knock upon her door to deliver the news. The magic itself was the messenger making the declaration clear.

The world around her turned gray, losing not only joy, but purpose as well. She swam in uncertainty as the bond she had grown accustomed to had simply vanished.

The grief went beyond losing their intricate magical connection. Enin had allowed Holli to touch the core of his spirit, and once she had, she no longer held any doubts as to the benevolence of his intentions. She could not imagine a better soul to carry the great power that was within him.

She had become a part of that benevolence, sharing in the desire to be worthy of such a gift, such a blessing. Losing that was like having the light of hope extinguished by a demon's laugh. Shock and agony mixed together in a swirling current of emotional upheaval.

Along with a great sorrow came great apprehension. With her understanding of Enin's power, she previously believed him near invulnerable to any attack. Yes, she was his guard-as well as his apprentice-but she long since accepted there was very little she could do to protect him that he couldn't do himself. She could not imagine the kind of power required to end the wizard's life.

While she could never dismiss the loss, she remained an elf guard. Fighting through her incredible grief, the elf grasped hold of her own inner strength. The loss to her was immeasurable, but the immediate dangers grew exponentially. Enin entrusted her with a mission of vital importance before leaving to face Baannat, and even as she believed the wizard had somehow fallen in his battle with the slink ghoul, her task remained.

With all of the crushing emotions encumbering the elf, Holli did not yet suffer from a sense of failure, but that might come as well. It was now her duty to complete the plans of her mentor. If she failed at Pinesway, then she certainly would have failed Enin, and that was something she would not accept.

Unfortunately, while she could maintain the inner resolve to contain her grief, there were others around her that might not share her tenacity. She would need them and she could ill afford any rebellion at such calamitous news.

All of the spell casters preparing to defend Pinesway were human. All other elf sorcerers remained in Dark Spruce prepared to protect the forest. Although elves were more adept at utilizing the magic as a race than humans, human individuals were the most prone for reaching the ultimate heights of ability. The magic casters gathered at Pinesway were some of the most powerful in the land, and the need for the sum of their talents was at hand.

These humans deferred to Holli's authority because she represented Enin and he was superior to them all. While they might profess some deep obligation to redeem themselves as magic casters for the sins of a generation from another era, they were held together by Enin's edict. If they believed he was dead, some-or perhaps most-would simply abandon the town.

She would not reveal the news to them, but such an announcement might not even be necessary. They were all attuned to the magic. They might notice the abrupt absence of Enin's power without any declaration on her part.

How long could she maintain her authority?

It was not a question she could answer on her own. Instead, she called upon Heteera immediately.

The young sorceress entered the abandoned home that Holli used as a command post and she was already distressed.

With one look, the elf was certain Heteera had sensed the same calamity.

"What do you believe has happened?" Holli commanded with an even but authoritative tone.

"He is gone." Heteera whispered. "Enin… the magic is still there, but he is not."

This did not surprise the elf. Of course the magic would still exist. Magical energy did not die with its host. It returned to the land in some form, ready to be used by another. Heteera, with her vast reservoir of magic and her ability to absorb energy across the land, would be the most sensitive to Enin's loss. It was her control over magic that was lacking, not her connection.

"Do you believe any of the others have sensed it?" Holli asked, hoping to determine the extent of the revelation.

"Some probably do, but… I'm not sure."

In a heroic effort to ignore her own inner pain, Holli brushed back the sorrow and focused on Enin's wishes. She needed to maintain control of the spell casters in order to defend Pinesway, and all of Uton. There was only one way to do that.

"I need to tap into your energy. You have to open yourself to me."

Heteera immediately stepped back and away from the elf and showed no sign of apology. The thought of turning her power over to the elf both angered and frightened her. She could not argue with Enin, for he could force her obedience. The elf guard, however, had no such power over her.

In Heteera's eyes the battle was now lost. Enin was her one true hope. At the beginning-when she decided to seek out Ryson Acumen-she believed only the wizard had the power to reverse her mistake, a mistake that seemed to expand with each passing day.

It seemed everything since then had spiraled out of control. Yes, she had convinced the delver and his wife to assist her, but where did it lead? She discovered that it was Baannat that she had recalled to the land, not Lief Woodson. As for the delver, he had unwittingly aided the slink ghoul when he destroyed the vessel created to capture dark magic.

Still, she always believed Enin had the power to rectify each misstep, each mistake, but that was no longer the case. She revealed as much in her answer of defiance.

"The wizard is gone!" she repeated. "It's over."

The issue of Enin's fate stung Holli, created even more anguish, but she buried the pain. The elf guard revealed no animosity toward the sorceress, no hostility. She would not take out her grief on Heteera, but she would not accept her assertion of futility.

"No! It is not over. Enin commanded us to do battle in this town, and that's exactly what we are going to do. All of us. If you think that Enin's fate somehow releases you from your obligations, I suggest you think again. I will fight on and my loss is the greatest. Nothing is over. We didn't simply come together in this abandoned town because a wizard ordered us to. We did so because it was necessary. It is still necessary."

Heteera, filled with remorse, sensed a hidden meaning.

"Why? Because this is all my fault? Is that what you're saying?"

"Forget fault… and blame. Your very honor is at stake here, not for what you've done, but for what you will do. No one has said your help is no longer required. You were not bound here simply because Enin demanded it of you. You agreed to assist, if not by word then by action. You are released from nothing."

Holli stepped forward to remove the distance Heteera had put between them. She made no threats, she only spelled out a simple truth.

"Forget what you have done or what you've failed to do. Those moments are gone. It is this moment that matters-this decision, this action. I could care less what regrets you have. It does not change what we face. I only care about how you will hold to the commitment you have made here. Will you keep it or not?"

Heteera looked to the ground with uncertainty. She did not answer.

Holli stepped even closer. "I do not wish to argue. I need an answer, and I need it now."

Heteera did not wish to debate, either, but all seemed so futile. Her mistakes only served to compound previous actions. She did not wish to make another error in judgment, and so, she searched for something, a ray of hope that deep down she did not believe existed.