Jeff Inlo - Nightmare's Shad

Ryson could not answer. He was beyond shock. He had lost this friend only a short time ago, less than a full cycle of the seasons. The loss left him less than whole, slightly hollow. He looked to the sorceress as if to demand confirmation of what could not be true.

"Is this possible?"

Heteera simply nodded in assent.

He then looked to his wife.

"Do you see him?"

"Yes," Linda replied with wide-eyed wonder, unable to say anything more.

"Is it such a surprise to you, Ryson Acumen?" the specter called out. "On SanctumMountain you spoke with the spirit of Shayed and you fought the ghost of Ingar on the same ground."

"But the sphere brought them back, and the sphere is gone."

"The magic brought them back," Lief corrected him. "And the magic remains."

"That's not what I mean," Ryson replied, trying desperately to take hold of his emotions.

"Are you not happy to see me?"

"Of course I am, but…"

"But? You have reservations about seeing an old friend? Consider what we have been through together. I would have expected a happier greeting."

And Ryson did want to be happy. He wanted to rush to the side of his lost friend, take his hand if he could grasp the palm of a spirit. He wanted to believe Lief Woodson had returned, but even with all the joy that would generate, there remained caution… concern.

"I am happy to see you, but I didn't expect this."

"The sorceress didn't tell you?"

"She didn't think I would believe her. She was probably right." Ryson admitted.

"Is that why you are so hesitant to greet me?"

"I guess… I don't know. I just can't believe it's you. I didn't think I would see you again. You were…"

"Killed.By a lightning bolt from another sorceress. I could not dodge something so large. Apparently, I lack a delver's skill in that regard."

The description of Lief's death was accurate, and only a select few were there to see it. Still, Ryson's thoughts swam with confusion. He expected danger. He expected a threat. Not this.

"What are you doing here? Is it supposed to be this way? I mean this isn't a land of the dead."

"That is true, but what we are does not die when the body ceases to be. The spirit lives on."

"But everyone moves on, they don't stay here."

"And as I said before, others have returned. You saw them yourself. I remember when you first spoke with the spirit of Shayed. At first, you couldn't believe she had returned, but after all you have been through, I am surprised you remain doubtful."

At that, Ryson recalled his first meeting with Shayed. Yes, he had previously spoken to a spirit, but even Shayed had explained it was a rare occurrence.

"Shayed came back because of the sphere, as did Ingar," Ryson recalled. "It was a special circumstance, she admitted as much. The sphere summoned Ingar back from the dead, and Shayed returned for the higher purpose of saving the land."

"And you think it's not possible that I have returned for a higher purpose?"

"Is that why you're back?"

At that moment, the spirit form of Lief Woodson gazed back into the center of the dimensional breach. His eyes narrowed on something within the tunnel and then he turned quickly to those still living nearby.

"We can talk further of this later. We must move quickly away." He pointed up an incline that led to a bluff that overlooked the portal opening. "There! Make your way to that cliff. Quickly now!"

Ryson heard the threat of danger in the elf spirit's voice and he grabbed the reins of Linda's horse without hesitation. He then called to Heteera.

"Follow me!"

The delver raced up the slope, leading Linda's horse to a full gallop. The sorceress struggled to keep up, holding on to the reins of her horse as if her life depended on it.

Ryson pulled Linda's horse around as he guided them to the edge of the bluff that overlooked the dimensional doorway. He watched in awe as the specter of Lief Woodson simply floated through the air to the elevated position.

"What's going on?" Ryson asked.

"Something is coming out."

Ryson wanted to ask what it might be, but he did not have the time.

The first creature was another swallit, smaller than the one Ryson had previously encountered. It looked about in confusion, then looked back into the opening, back to the twisted land that spawned it. It clearly did not like what it saw. It dropped down to all fours and began to dash. Unfortunately, it never reached its full running speed.

A second figure sprang out from the dark break in reality, a large and hairy beast. Ryson recognized it immediately as a shag. Not the largest he had ever seen, but a big one nonetheless. It was already in full pursuit of the swallit and it leapt through the air in a desperate attempt to reach the creature before it could escape.

The swallit screeched as the shag's now protracted claws ripped through the vine-like mass of its pelt and into its skin. The beast hit the ground and it rolled over, trying to dislodge the larger predator.

The shag held tight and in the tangled fray, its jaws clamped down on the rear leg of the swallit. Fangs tore through muscle and tendon, rendering the leg useless.

The swallit shrieked once more, but this time it brought its front legs together. At its hooves, a crackling deep orange energy formed an uneven square. The beast coughed out strange words and flung the energy toward the head of the shag.

The energy instantly turned to bright orange flame that streaked down upon the shag in long tendrils. The shag ducked its head, but the fire erupted around its shoulder and down its back. The matted hair twisted and shrank back in massive black streaks. The shag released its grip as it tried to beat off the flames with its own thick paws.

Up above on the higher banks of the bluff, Ryson immediately smelled the burning fur. The scent was strong and sickening, like maggot infested wood burning over a fire fueled by decaying corpses.

The swallit tried to bolt once more, but as it placed weight on its wounded leg, it collapsed. Knowing it could not escape, it turned about and prepared to cast another spell. Orange energy again appeared at its hooves, but this time the energy grew to a massive ball of fire. The swallit held to the flame as long as it could and then hurled it at its target.

The ball of fire wavered in the air, flew in an unsteady manner. The flames struck the shag, but only in a glancing fashion. Hair upon the monsters hip was singed, but no further damage had been done.

The shag backed slightly away, clearly measuring the distance between it and its prey. The threat of fire would keep it at bay, but only for the moment. The shag would not relent. With the swallit badly wounded, time was now in its favor.

Ryson found the scene more than unsettling.

"We have to stop this," he stated aloud.

It was Lief who replied first.

"You would interfere?"

And then Linda chimed in.

"You can't go down there. Either one of them could kill you."

"So we just let the shag kill the swallit?"

Lief almost laughed.

"The swallit would kill you given half a chance."

Ryson didn't believe that was the case. Swallits were dark creatures, that he could not deny, but he had spoken with a swallit, faced one in Dark Spruce, and while the beast at one time did attempt an assault, it showed respect for the delver as well.

"I don't think so," Ryson refuted. "They can cast magic. They have intelligence, they deserve respect as much as you or I. I have to do something."

"Yes, you have to let things sort them out for themselves," Lief responded in an admonishing tone. "This is between a swallit and a shag. It will be decided between the two of them."

"No, it won't. The swallit's hurt. I can send the shag back where it belongs."