Jeff Inlo - Nightmare's Shad

The elf ghost looked to the sky and reflected not on what he did to help the delver, and in turn to help Linda and Enin, but instead on the message he tried to deliver-the lesson he learned himself.

"Did I get it right?" he asked the skies.

As if in reply, Lief Woodson's soul streaked up to the heavens.

"He's almost here!" Baannat giggled. "Isn't that wonderful? He's coming to save you, woman. Does that make you happy? Should I be scared? Maybe I should strike out at you while I still have the chance."

Baannat slashed at Linda's consciousness over and over again. He danced with glee with each slice.

The pain flashed in Linda's being as if the ghoul's claws were actually shredding her skin. There was, however, no flesh to injure, but her spirit erupted with similar agony. She wanted to scream, might have even begged for mercy, but she couldn't. There was no outlet for her, no release for the torment.

Confusion also began to overwhelm her. She wanted the pain to stop, but there was little else for her to seize. She had no other physical sensation. Her mind swelled with memories, emotions, and fears, but they lacked any tangible impression. The pain served as her connection to existence, even as it served to remind her that she had been swallowed by a state of nonexistence.

The uncertainty did not end there. She wanted to see Ryson, but then again, she didn't. Her emotions centered on the delver, that was a simple fact she could not deny, but they served as both hope and dismay. Being with him again would bring comfort to her soul, but watching him suffer at the hands of the ghoul would tear at her far worse than the ghoul's claws.

As if Baannat could sense her torment, he continued his assault by adding to her emotional chaos.

"You want him here, but you don't want him here? Is that what you're thinking? My, you are a mess. Well, let me tell you, it won't get any better for you when he does get here. He'll be as helpless as you are. And he'll feel the same pain. How much will it hurt him to see you suffer? How much will it hurt you to see him suffer? You will find out soon, very soon indeed."

"And if he does come, what then?" Enin shouted, hoping to intervene and distract the slink ghoul.

"Whatever do you mean?" Baannat asked almost innocently, but his words could not hide the snickers under his breath.

"I mean, where does it all lead? You take us prisoner, but then what?"

"I amuse myself."

"By torturing the three of us?"

"Yes!"

"That's it? You truly are just a shell of what you used to be-an empty shell at that. You must have lost a great deal of yourself if that's all that's needed to keep your mind occupied. Your power once exceeded my own. You used magic in ways others can't even imagine. You manipulated life to avoid death. And now you're just going to spend all of eternity torturing three helpless victims?"

"I certainly don't want to spend eternity listening to your pathetic attempts of diversion," the ghoul replied.

"I admit it! I'm trying to distract you, but there's truth to my point and you know it. Let's say that Ryson joins us. Now you have three of us. You've accomplished your goal. You torture us, but so what? You can't kill us."

"I don't want to kill you. I want you here with me."

"And that will be enough to keep you from drifting off into nothingness yourself? This is no trick of mine, ghoul. If you have any true recollection of what it's like to wield the magical power you once held, then you must realize I speak the truth. Your mind will go numb. It may take eons, but that's what we all face. It might come to pass that the three of us will accept the pain and torment you cause as a part of our existence. It will no longer be painful. It's you who will face oblivion first, for you will have nothing else to occupy your mind. No purpose."

"Your logic is faulty. I have other distractions to keep me occupied."

"Such as?"

"Why should I tell you, brother?"

"To prove me wrong," Enin challenged. "Don't you think Linda has already heard what I've said. I've given her hope. Dash it, if you can."

"Such an empty ploy, but I will humor you just to show you there is no hope. The very space we occupy defies both life and death. You know that now. It's too late for you to do anything about it, but you can't dispute it. It exists solely for my benefit and I will expand this new realm of mine."

"To what end? There's only the three of us? Do we need more room?"

"It's not about space. It's about control. Speaking of which, I will also conquer your precious land of Uton."

"And how do you hope to accomplish that? Your reach from this place is limited. Your power is nothing compared to what it used to be. You absorbed a great deal of magic, but you lack the depth of power and control you once had. Even I can see that. You spoke of Jure before, how he surprised you in defeating your thrastil and your dark sorcerer. Don't you think he's prepared to eliminate you if you ever ventured completely out of this new realm?"

"I don't have to leave here. I control the dark creatures. Even this Jure cannot hope to withstand a continuous onslaught."

"Continuous? How long will it truly last?"

"As long as I want."

"That's not possible and you know it. There are so many factors you're ignoring it's almost funny."

Baannat's tone changed with his demeanor. His laughs faded as he sneered toward the light that was the wizard's consciousness.

"Enlighten me."

"You admitted yourself the dark creatures are not completely under your control. They only do your bidding because you promise them something you can't possibly deliver. They wish to escape the dark realm and flee into your world. But why? They are looking for a reprieve from pain and suffering, but wish to avoid judgment. They want sanctuary without sacrifice. Do you think they can find that here?"

"What do I care what they find?"

"You should care. Once they realize your offer is an empty promise, you will lose your control over them. Your power outside of this place will diminish even further. Aside from that, there are other forces beyond us that will find this place, and you, and view both as an abomination. Do you think that you can avoid the consequences of life and death forever?"

"I already have!"

"I don't believe that. You're nothing more than a gnat right now, an insignificant bug buzzing around powers that neither you nor I can possibly comprehend. Eventually, the gnat gets noticed and when it does, it does not end well for the insect."

#

Reaching the first portal was the easy part, but Ryson did not know what to expect when he entered the dark realm. Before he stepped through the now gigantic gateway, he peered into the rift. The portal allowed a wide perspective of the hostile world, but beyond broken rocks, smoldering pits of fire, and dying trees, there was little else to see. Not even one monster guarded the other side. As Lief warned, the path was clear. It was an open invitation to the delver, and Ryson knew it.

Leaping into the portal, Ryson landed on the hard and unforgiving ground of the dark realm ready for anything. Despite the lack of guards, he remained cautious as the unkind world sparked every defensive instinct within him. He scanned the horizon, but still found no threats. He raised an ear to the oppressive hot winds. Unlike his first trip, a chilling silence greeted him from every direction. He could hear no screams in the distance, no moans of agony or vicious growls of fury. He sniffed the heavy air, but even the gut-wrenching stench of the place seemed diminished.

Ryson ignored the quiet as well as the underlying meaning of the clear path before him. If Baannat didn't want him there, the ghoul would have sent a swarm of caelifera at him. The way was open because that's exactly what Baannat wanted.