James Ward - Pools of Darkness

Just after midday, the path opened into a small clearing just large enough for a single cottage. Ren and Evaine both found themselves wishing the others had caught up to them.

"I don't believe what I'm seeing." Ren pulled his horse to a halt and drew his sword.

"Neither do I, but I sense no illusions at work here," Evaine said, trying hard to detect any magics.

Ren was truly agitated by what he saw. "Look at this. A cozy cottage with white smoke coming from the chimney. A babbling brook of clear spring water is flowing along the back. In another second, a little old lady with a bent back will open the door and sweep out the dust from her floor. Then she'll invite us in for cake and milk."

"Will a tall woman of fifty winters serve instead?" a voice asked behind them.

Whirling, the trio saw a lovely, aged woman. She wore a flowing, white woolen gown whose color matched her short, curly hair. She held a large basket filled with mushrooms, which Evaine noticed were of both the edible and deadly varieties.

"I've been picking mushrooms. Please, rest your horses near the spring and come inside. I so seldom have visitors."

Gamaliel hissed, his golden eyes blazing. He stayed close to Evaine, waiting for her next move.

The sorceress cast a spell of detection magic as unobtrusively as she could. Faint, emerald energy flowed from her hands, encircling the woman and the cottage in their magical glow.

The woman's pleasant demeanor vanished. "Is that any way to treat your hostess? Your puny magics won't work here, girl. This is my glade, and my essence fills this forest. Now, we can have a nice little chat, or you can all be destroyed. Why are you here?"

"We have more than just magic working for us," Ren said, dismounting. Unlike Gamaliel and Evaine, Ren was attracted to this woman and trusted her immediately. She was truly lovely and seemed perfectly harmless. Ren felt that her eyes looked into his heart and touched his soul. He knew that beauty could hide all sorts of evil, but still, she was fascinating.

Evaine spoke to the cat, watching Ren carefully. "Come on, Tooth. We should be polite and accept this lady's hospitality."

The white-haired woman's mood softened and she eyed Ren closely. "I am called Lanula. What are your names?"

"The ranger is called Blade, I am Coran, and this is my pet, Tooth." Evaine lied.

Ren stood by, looking slightly puzzled. He couldn't understand why Evaine had given this charming woman false names, but he let her speak. He knew magic was involved somehow, and he firmly believed in leaving such matters to the wizards.

Lanula bent down to scratch Gamaliel's ears before he had a chance to back away. "Such a pretty cat you are, Tooth. Why don't you use your pendant and talk with us?"

The feline found himself instantly changing to a barbarian.

"That's better. You are so much more handsome this way." The woman's voice dripped honey.

Gam, why did you do that? Evaine mentally asked her surprised companion.

The cat's voice in her mind sounded slightly panicked. I don't know! She asked me to change, and it seemed like the natural thing to do. She acts like a nice creature, but she has a strange type of control. I still can't smell anything. Are you sure she's evil?

Evaine didn't like this. Drawing on some old defensive spells her mentor had taught her, she quickly summoned a pale green aura around herself and her two male companions.

Lanula stood in her doorway, amused. "You are a whelp of Sebastian's, aren't you?"

Evaine was irritated by the woman's attitude, but she forced herself to remain composed. This was either the creature she sought-her mentor's rival-or a dangerous trick.

Looking the men squarely in the face, Lanula posed seductively and summoned them. "Come, Tooth. Come, Blade. Enter my cottage and let me warm your tired bodies by the fire."

Ren smiled and walked right up to the woman.

Gamaliel shook his head, hesitating before moving toward the door. Evaine sensed him struggling to maintain control.

The sorceress refused to budge. She folded her arms across her chest. "This will stop right now. I know you for what you are," Evaine said in the most forceful voice she could muster. Sebastian, you old dog! You kept company with a creature like this? the sorceress thought to herself.

Evaine stood alone. She might have to fight for the lives of her two friends, for if they entered this creature's home, they might never come out again. "You're a succubus. Now I remember one of the last things Sebastian told me before he died. Lunlaa!" Evaine shouted, drawing her magical staff in front of her. "Lunlaa, show yourself for what you really are!"

"Aaaagh," the woman snarled. Her hair grew long and turned raven black as her features and muscles bulged. "It seems-owwwww," she cried as huge bat wings burst from her back. "It seems you have found me out, ahhh!" With a final groan of both pleasure and pain, her eyes glowed with red energy and her delicate human hands and feet turned to equally delicate talons and claws. The abominable creature flapped and hopped around Evaine, but the sorceress would not be intimidated.

Through the use of her name, the beautiful woman who had stood before them had been forced to transform into the lush, seductive creature that held men spellbound-a succubus.

The creature laughed a grating, hissing laugh. "You may have forced me to transform, but you can't send me back. Only Sebastian possessed that power, and he chose never to use it." Lunlaa now circled the men, pinching Ren's arm and squealing in delight.

Evaine refused to back down. "I know what you gave Sebastian and what you took from him. I could destroy you here and now!" The sorceress began gathering the energies that would explode a fireball around the creature.

"Harm me and your friends will fight you!" the creature cackled.

Evaine could see that Ren and Gamaliel were completely spellbound by what they still saw as a delicate human female. They were bewitched and couldn't see her horrible natural form. They stood like statues, mouths agape. Evaine knew Gamaliel was incapable of attacking her, but Ren was another matter.

Gamaliel still struggled for control. Mistress… can't kill her… get help… her help…

"You didn't come here to fight me," Lunlaa purred all too sweetly. Now she smiled at Ren and patted Gamaliel's shoulder. "We have a common enemy dwelling in the red tower. I will tell you how to kill him if we can be friends. I can help you in this quest in more ways than you expected. There is much you don't know about the darkness that surrounds that tower." The succubus was clearly enjoying her game.

"Why should you help us? How do I know we can trust you?"

"The pit fiend that made the tower is a fiend of unusual power, and he grows stronger all the time. The pit fiend would kill a poor succubus like me. And his influence will soon encroach upon my territory. What's a poor succubus to do but enlist the help of gentle adventurers like yourselves? Let us call a truce of sorts. I will tell you and your friends what you need to know, and you will leave me alone. Do we have a bargain?"

Evaine gritted her teeth. "I accept. But only because I intend to destroy the pool of darkness, no matter what it takes. I will be back to deal with you. I have friends who aren't so easily charmed by your powers."

The succubus cackled again. "You are wise and mature beyond your years. A lesser mind would have tried to destroy me here and now. And would have died trying.

"As for your friends. One of them has succumbed to my powers already. The other, a fine specimen, I will allow to pass, even though I'd like him for my personal collection. The third means nothing to me. I will release these two men to you." Ren and Gamaliel were oblivious to the meaning of the creature's words.