by Jeff Inlo
Chapter 12
“The place we are going to does in fact exist, but it isn’t truly in this land, not truly part of what we might consider our normal every day existence.” Enin wanted to make sure Holli knew what to expect when they reached their next destination and thus he continued with his description. “It is a defined space with absolute borders, but it’s almost as if there’s nothing there. If it made sense to say it was like walking through a fog you couldn’t see, I would say that, but of course that makes no sense at all. Still, that’s the sensation you will encounter. As much as you try to perceive anything truly physical, your senses will be blocked. You will see the figure of Baannat, but he chooses to cloak himself in the same type of fog. When you look at him, you will see something of a shadow, but it will remain out of focus. This is really going to sound ridiculous, but again, I have no other way to describe it. The area has no true light and has no true dark. You have to remember that there is no sun or stars or bright moon or even a torch for that matter. Therefore, there is no natural light. Still, there is magic and so there is no darkness, either.”
“So I will be able to see, unlike being in a darkened cave, but there will be nothing to see other than the shadowed figure of Baannat?” Holli asked.
“You put it better than I do. It is not an entirely new dimension. It is more of a pocket of space. Baannat carved out this pocket for himself so he could exist between our physical land of Uton and the place where the dark creatures come from. Thus, I am nearly certain he has some kind of connection to the dark creatures. The area seems to be affected by most the physical rules of nature that my egghead scientist friend likes to talk about, but then again, it is not truly a place of physical existence. You will feel as if you are walking on the ground, but you are really standing and walking on magic. The space is something like a magical duplication of an empty room right here, but it is not of the same makeup. That’s the best way I can describe it.”
“This might be difficult for me,” Holli admitted. “While I am trained to adjust to new surroundings, adapting to such an environment will cause me some instinctive problems.”
“Such as?”
“I am trained to search for dangers and threats, places of safety and paths of retreat. I will not be able to find any of these in what you describe.”
“That is true.”
“That is what I will find difficult,” Holli admitted. “I appreciate you being honest with me and preparing me for this before we faced it.”
“I like to help where I can.”
“Thank you. As long as you are willing to be helpful and prepare me for this endeavor, I have a question which I would like to ask.”
“Fire away,” Enin said.
“How did you find this Baannat, and if he created this space, why does he let you enter?”
“That’s two questions, but I’ll be happy to answer them both,” Enin replied almost too lightheartedly for Holli’s liking for a question she felt was extremely significant. “When I began to understand balance, I actually went looking for him. I figured something like him probably existed, and if so, it would be a good idea to find him. Searching for such an entity was actually somewhat easy because of the vast magical energy he possesses. Similar to the ability to see people’s fate, I also have a deep connection to magic. The pocket of space he created was fairly easy to find when I put my mind to looking for it. As to why he lets me come in, I’m really not sure if he could stop me. He never put up a barrier or anything. I just showed up one day and we started talking.”
“So you don’t really know why he lets you in.”
“No, I guess I don’t.”
“Well, then that’s not really an answer, is it.”
Enin furrowed his brow. “Hmmmmm, I guess it isn’t.”
“Then you really only answered one question after all.”
Enin laughed.
“Yes, you’re right again, but enough of that for now.” Enin said, as he turned slightly more serious. “Let’s discuss your spell casting. I want you to actually cast the spell that will bring you to Baannat’s realm. I will go first and you will follow, but you won’t use the wake of my energy to move you this time. Instead, you will focus on my energy to guide you, but you will have to cast the spell to actually take you from this place to Baannat’s. You will be able to use me as a target once I am there. Focus on me and cast a spell that will bring you to my side. The important thing to remember is that this time you’re not really moving through physical space as you know it. Baannat is not living in an area that truly exists in this land. He is somewhat between physical space. You really don’t even have to concentrate on movement through space at all. What you need to do is cast a spell that will transport your presence from here to a spot next to mine.”
Holli stood still and quiet as she tried to get a handle on the aspects of the spell Enin described. After a few moments, she voiced her concerns. “I think I understand what you said, but I’m not sure how I can cast a spell to accomplish the task. In the other transport spell you taught me, the one where I can move myself and others across the land in a very short time, I learned to focus on channeling the magic to a specific area. From there, I would form a straight line in my mind between the two points of where I currently stood and where I wanted to go. When I had the line in my mind, I simply shortened it as much as I could. Basically, in my mind I compacted the space between the two points while still maintaining a concept of travel from one place to another. It worked for me, though it wore me out, took most of my energy.”
“That won’t happen with this spell, at least it shouldn’t take much of your energy at all,” Enin interrupted. “As I said, you’re not going to require the energy to move you across time and space. This is not a spell that will move you as we understand movement. This should be a spell that simply transports you from one spot to another. You are here and then you are there. No movement in between.”
“That’s the problem,” Holli stated firmly. “With this spell you want me to cast, I can see you as the target but I don’t know how to draw the line between where I am and where you will be. I won’t have a true reference point in my mind.”
Enin shook his head and attempted to be clearer in what the elf had to do. “That’s because you’re still trying to force this into a time and space move as opposed to a sheer transportation spell. You do not create a line because there will be no line. You simply go from one point to another disregarding the space between.”
“But if there are two points, then there should be space between them,” Holli argued, holding to her own concepts.
“Not when one point is not in the same frame of existence as the other. Think of it this way, pretend you can only draw your line with ink on a piece of paper. That works fine when you want to travel from one spot on the paper to another. You can draw the line with ease. In this case, however, one point is on one piece of paper, but the other point is on an entirely different piece of paper. You can’t draw your line under these circumstances, but the two points still exist. You just have to transport yourself from one piece of paper to the other. Does that help?”
“Slightly,” Holli allowed, but continued to voice her difficulties with the spell. “My problem is that if I don’t draw the line in my head, I honestly don’t know how I get from one point to the other. That’s my sticking point.”
“I see,” Enin allowed as he rubbed his chin. “Well, the truth is this is a difficult spell for you to cast. It is a combination of different magical aspects, and they have little to do with your primary powers. Shadow is prevalent in the spell because you are in essence transporting yourself to a place that is a whisper reflection of this land. Light is involved slightly as an offset to its natural opposite shadow but more importantly in how the yellow aspect is included in the orange aura of energy and movement. The orange power of energy will guide and bring you to me while the gray essence of shadow will let you pass into this other plane of existence. I know that doesn�
�t sound very clear but that is the essence of the spell. Because you cast with a green aura, it is difficult for you to see the underlying aspects of the gray and orange energy types that are involved in the basics of the spell. Let me see if I can help you with that.”
Enin took a candle off the desk in front of him and lit it. He held up the flame for Holli to see. “We know the flame exists because we can see it and feel the heat from it. Still, I can pass my finger through it as if it were not there. If I take another candle and hold the wick to this one, another flame is born. If I then hold the two candles apart, there are two separate flames. When I bring the candles back together and hold the wicks next to each other, the flames merge into one again.”
Enin walked around the desk toward Holli. “Now, look at your shadow on the ground. It has no substance, no depth whatsoever, but you can see it is there. When I stand here, my shadow is separate from yours. If I walk toward you, my shadow combines with yours and neither of our shadows is the same as it was. When I step away, our shadows return to the outline of our individual shapes.”
Enin stepped back and let Holli examine the change in their shadows on the floor. He then pointed to her shadow. “The source of light that creates your shadow is in front of you, so where is the shadow?”
“Behind me,” Holli answered.
“That is correct, and if I circle you with a candle, the shadow rotates around you. It moves on the floor. Now let us change the conditions of the light. If a candle that was in front of you is immediately extinguished and another light is instantly lit behind you, where would the shadow be?”
“In front of me.”
“Think very clearly on that,” Enin pressed. “The shadow was in front of you and then behind you. It did not move in a path around you to get from one place to the other. Your shadow shifted from one place to another without actually moving through space. Though it did not actually follow a path, or a line, it did change positions. It was here, and then it was there. Do you understand?”
Holli nodded and her expression appeared as if a cloud was slowly lifting from her mind.
Enin continued. “The concepts I tell you should let your mind gain a spark of understanding of energy and shadow. They are certainly complex topics when it comes to magic. What should help you in casting this spell is understanding that just because something has no substance doesn’t mean it can’t exist. Also, the lack of substance allows for shifting motion that is not bound by the same restrictions that objects of solid material face in this existence. So, when I ask you to consider the spell of transporting to my side, you have to think in terms beyond the movement spell you have already learned. You must focus on allowing the magic to do what it is capable of doing and that’s bringing you to me without actually traveling through space and time. Just like a shadow can jump from place to place, you can jump. In this case, the magic will be like the light source. Let the magic worry about the details of how it happens.”
“Are you saying to simply focus on the desired results and not the method?” Holli asked with a new glint in her eyes.
Enin’s eyebrows shot up. “Yes, that’s an excellent way to put it, as long as you understand that you have to shape the magic in your mind to do what you want. You can’t simply say ‘Take me to Enin’ and poof you will be by my side. Anyone can do that. The question is can you grasp the concepts of energy and shadow magic in such a way that you can cast a spell that will bring you to me, wherever I am?”
“Yes, I believe I can. As long as I don’t worry about the mechanics of how it’s being done, I believe I can call on the magic to bring me to your side. All I have to do is focus on your magical essence, as long as you keep it open to me.”
“I will indeed,” Enin allowed. “Are you ready to give this a try?”
“Yes.”
“Excellent. I will transport myself to Baannat. Once I am gone, you can cast your spell and you should immediately appear in Baannat’s realm. If for some reason you fail, do not worry. I will give you a few moments and if you don’t appear, I will summon you to my side. I don’t think that will be necessary because looking at you now, I believe you know what you have to do.”
“I believe so as well,” Holli stated confidently.
“Before we go, let me warn you not to speak to Baannat. Listen to everything he says, but say nothing. Ok?”
“Will I be able to speak to you if necessary?”
“Absolutely. If you have something you need, or a question, don’t hesitate to ask. I just would prefer if you didn’t speak to Baannat.”
“Very well.”
“Then let us get this over with.”
Enin raised his hands above his head and two circles of white quickly encased his entire body and he disappeared.
Holli immediately focused on Enin’s magical essence. She could feel his power but could not place it in any particular location. It was almost as if he was in the air over her very head. She ceased trying to put a known location on Enin’s presence and simply focused on appearing at his side, as if she wanted to send her own shadow next to his with a bright flash of magic. She mouthed a few whispers and she disappeared in a mist of green.
Holli appeared in a space of bland white with no other color. She could see, but other than herself, Enin and a shadowy figure off in the distance in front of them, there was nothing else to focus on. It felt as if her feet stood on solid ground, but she could perceive no floor. There appeared to be walls, but she could not gauge how far the walls were from her current position. She considered pulling an arrow from her quiver and firing it off into any direction simply to see where it might stop, or if it stopped at all before it flew out of her range of vision. She decided quickly against the action, for she could not be certain of how the magic of this space would affect the path of her arrow. She wondered if it might end up coming right back at her.
Holli’s contemplations over this strange place were brought to an end by the first words she heard from Baannat. These words did more than echo through this magical space, they vibrated, and she could feel them to her very bones.
“Hello, Brother. I didn’t expect you to visit again so soon. And how are you this day?”
Enin wanted to ignore Baannat as he concentrated on what he could sense around Baannat. He filled his being with the magic that made up the place. He felt for any whispers of deeds that might link Baannat to Tabris. Still, he responded, for he knew Baannat would only continue to harass him.
“I’m fine, Baannat.”
“You bring a new visitor with you. An elf, how wonderful. And you are teaching her. Splendid. Of course you know that doing so will only make you weaker by your own theory. If balance must exist and you strengthen this elf, then you would have to become weaker, or there would be no balance. Or perhaps instead of you getting weaker, I would get stronger. That is what you believe and that is a pleasing thought, is it not?”
Enin answered with near disregard, as if he was talking to nothing more than empty space. “She has always had the power to cast spells and she has always been on the side of virtue in the balance of things. Yes, she will grow in power but not so much to make a true difference in the scales.”
“Has he spoken to you yet of balance, my dear?” Baannat’s words were clearly directed at Holli now, and they were both hot with desire and cold with hate at the moment he spoke them. “He loves to speak of balance. One might say it even consumes him.”
“She is not here for your amusement,” Enin intervened.
“Then why is she here?!” This time Baannat’s words carried nothing but anger.
“Because I want her to see this place, to know it.”
“And why is that?!”
“Does it really matter?” Enin asked.
There was complete silence for just a moment that was quickly shattered by Baannat’s nearly uncontrollable laughter. The bubbling howls of mirth rumbled through the air like rolling thunder from incessant lightning strikes.
&nb
sp; “No, it doesn’t matter at all,” Baannat finally said through his slowly dying giggles. “And why are you here again so soon?”
“Events continue to occur that make me suspect you are up to something, Baannat.”
“Checking up on me again, making sure I’m being good. Isn’t that wonderful? Or perhaps maybe you’re trying to provoke me into interfering in your activities so you can do some interfering of your own? What are the events you speak of this time?”
“If you are involved, you would already know. If you are not involved, then it is none of your concern.”
“You think you can keep secrets from me?!” Baannat shouted.
“I simply have no desire to tell you anything.”
“But you tell me everything by just being here.”
Enin brushed aside the comment with his own understanding of reality. “You can see into the land as easily as I can come here. If it is truly important for you to know, look into it yourself. I won’t bother to stop you.”
“Perhaps I don’t need to look, perhaps I already know,” Baannat offered deviously. “And now that you are here, do you sense anything that gives me away?”
“No, I do not,” Enin admitted.
Baannat waited. “It seems you are done with your task, which means it is time for you to leave, and yet you make no attempt to exit. Normally, you are quick to try and go before I make my request for our game. Not this time, eh?”
“If you wish to play, I’m ready. I always humor you.”
“Humor me?” Baannat growled. “It is not humor that makes you stay this time. No, you are worried because you think that by teaching this pathetic elf you have given away too much of your power. You want to play this time to see if you can still win, but now you worry you can’t. You think you have changed the balance.”
“The balance has most definitely changed, but not in the way you think,” Enin stated confidently.
“Has it?” Baannat suddenly giggled. “Then let’s truly test this. You will cast black magic, the aspect of death. And I will cast white magic, the constant of all magic combined. I admit I am giving myself an advantage. I will cast what is my natural gift, and you will cast that which you oppose the most.”
“I do not oppose the black aspect of magic,” Enin countered. “It is not just death. Death is only a part of it. It is change.”
“And I am well aware that you dislike change,” Baannat shot back. “Change upsets you. Change brings turmoil and takes away that which you like most, consistency.”
“Not all change is bad. Learning is change. Teaching is causing change. Helping is creating change. I’ve never opposed these things.”
“Then let us put this to the test,” Baannat demanded.
Baannat brought his hands together to two tight fists in front of his chest. Two rings of white hot power encircled his shadowed figure. They revolved about him in opposite directions until they met at his fists. When they did, they formed a glowing white axe, massive in size. The blade shone sickly pale as if covered in angels’ blood. It began to swing back and forth, then up and down. With each pass, it left a trail of white energy that gleamed brighter then the rest of the pale space.
Enin nodded and quickly cast his own spell. The wizard’s own circles of white energy quickly turned black and melded together to form a large block. The rectangular shape swam out into the empty paleness of space that surrounded them and headed for the axe.
The axe head swung through the black shape, cleaving it in half. The two now separate shapes quickly ballooned in size, each now matching the width and height of the original block. Both blocks again moved through space following the white hatchet. When the blade swung again it sliced through two blocks instead of just one, and thus, there were now four black pieces. Again, all four grew back to the size of the original block. The process went on for long moments and countless swings of the blade. The number of blocks grew exponentially and began to erase the bright whiteness left behind by each swing of Baannat’s magical weapon. Before the cleaver completed its final swing it was clear that Enin’s dark blocks overpowered the white remnants of Baannat’s blade swings by an obvious margin.
“This can’t be!” Baannat wailed. “You should be weaker, not stronger!”
Enin shrugged. “It is rather appropriate you asked me to cast the magic of change, for that is what has truly happened. The balance between you and me has been altered to offset the new evil that now resides in Uton. It is nothing less than I expected.”
“But what of your elf witch beside you?” Baannat protested. “She should have swayed the balance to me!”
“As I said before, she was always on the side of righteousness. Her increased strength did little to alter the scales.”
Enin turned to Holli. “I have learned what I wish to know here. I will take us back.”
The wizard placed an arm around Holli’s shoulder and with a simple step of will he guided her back to their home in Burbon. He looked her in the face as he tested her awareness.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Holli answered.
“Very good. I am happy to see you were able to cast the spell. Your power is growing.”
Holli ignored the compliment and instead focused on the wizard’s expression as she asked a question of her own.
“Why did you bring me to see Baannat?”
“Because I believe it was important for you to see him for yourself, to know that there is evil out there. You can never be blind to that fact. Awareness of it will allow you to defend yourself against it.”
Enin said nothing further.
Holli realized it would be futile to press him for greater details. Instead, she asked a new set of questions
“Why does he call you brother?”
“Because he knows it irritates me. I am not his brother. I am not related to him in any way. He just likes to point out that we have similar powers.”
“Do you think he’s involved in Tabris joining Sazaar?”
“No, I do not think so. I scanned the magical energy that was in the room when we entered. I could find no echo, no whisper of a link between Tabris and Baannat. I also sensed nothing when we visited the sorceress. If he had intervened in some way, I believe I would have sensed something, a trail of his magic. I did not and so it appears as if she made the decision on her own. It is also as I suspected in that Tabris’ decision has altered the balance of things here in our existence. Her previous neutrality had no effect on the struggles between right and wrong, mercy and torture, forgiveness and vengeance—basically good and evil. That is now changed and as a counterbalance to that change, Baannat has weakened.”
“Or perhaps you have gained strength,” Holli offered.
“Maybe. Either way, I now hold the advantage over him.”
The two said little more about the encounter, but back in the Baannat’s pale realm, in the fading residue of black and white magic, Baannat snickered.