Les Gris - TI4

by Heckrotte, Fran

  "Is that the only time you've seen this cloud?"

  Nybbas hesitated before answering. Fidgeting, he wasn't sure how much more to reveal.

  "No... ! Me see one time before. In vision."

  "In a vision? What vision?"

  Again, Nybbas hesitated. Looking frantically around, he shifted uncomfortably.

  "Nybbas!"

  "Me have vision of you leaving Netherworld. You appear, cloud appear and then gone. Me no think important. Think crazy dream is all."

  The information was all she needed to convince her that Nybbas' vision was real. As hard as it was to believe, something had managed to separate her from her Shadow before it had re-attached. If she didn't recover it soon, she could eventually lose her mind or at best be considerably weakened. Her plans of a coup over Dis would ultimately fail unless she was at optimum strength and energy.

  "I must find out more about this cloud. Paymon, return to the Underworld and see if any of your contacts know anything about this."

  "Yes, mistress."

  "And, Paymon..."

  "Yes, mistress?"

  "Be discreet. No one must know about this."

  Nodding, Paymon walked into the darkness and disappeared.

  "Nybbas, come with me. I need to talk with Mother."

  Nybbas bowed slightly and followed the demoness. He had heard of Lilith but had never met her. As Dis' ex-wife and the Twin's creation, she was legendary in the Underworld. Some believed her to be even more powerful than the Underlord, if she had been ambitious. Fortunately for him, she wasn't.

  CHAPTER 9

  Lilith

  LILITH WAS JUST putting away her books when she felt the air vibrating around her. Knowing few dared to enter her office without announcing themselves, she was curious about who was that brazen. She didn't have long to wait.

  "Good evening, Mother."

  "Caelene. What brings you here?"

  Lilith hadn't seen her daughter for awhile. The Child had refused her invitations to spend time in the mortal world under the guise of wanting to renew her life in the Underworld. Lilith knew there was more to it than that but decided not to press the issue. She was long past exerting her maternal rights over her rebellious daughter.

  "I seek your wisdom. Forgive me if I am intruding at an inopportune time."

  "I will always make time for you. It must be extremely important to bring you away from your home."

  Caelene gave a faint nod.

  Looking past her daughter's waist, Lilith nodded at the small minion trying to hide behind the Child. His expression was a mixture of sheer terror and awe.

  "You're keeping strange company these days, or do you feel the need for a bodyguard now? I must warn you, I don't like uninvited guests here, excluding you, of course."

  Turning to look at the cowering servant, Caelene flipped her hand in a dismissive manner.

  "He's harmless and I'd like him to stay – with your permission, of course."

  Fearful that he had angered Lilith, Nybbas was about to vanish when Caelene stopped him.

  "You stay." Turning back to her mother, she explained. "His presence is needed."

  Lilith's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Nybbas was a minion who, because of his unique ability for having visions, had been raised to the status of minor demon. For Caelene to admit to needing him was both surprising and intriguing. Deciding not to comment, she motioned for her two guests to sit.

  "So what can I do for you?"

  "I... I have a problem."

  The hesitation and admission surprised Lilith. Standing, she walked around her desk and leaned her hips against it. Looking down into her daughter's fiery, reddish-brown eyes, she searched for something that would explain Caelene's discomfort but found nothing. The Child would say what was bothering her at her own pace. For several minutes, there was only silence. Finally, Caelene spoke.

  "Something is wrong with me."

  "Wrong?"

  "Yes. I knew it upon my return. Something didn't feel right, but I couldn't figure it out... until recently."

  "What is it?" Lilith asked, her forehead furrowed as she concentrated on her daughter's expressionless face.

  Will you ever lose that control? she thought. She already knew the answer but refused to give up hoping. Caelene was the product of Dis' and her mismanagement and misunderstandings. They had only themselves to blame for their daughter's stoicism and distant nature.

  Caelene had resented Lilith's failure as a mother, not understanding the reason behind it. Dis' brother, the Twin, had created Lilith to be Adam's wife. When Lilith rebelled against Adam's attempts to make her submissive, Dis came to her rescue. Although his motives were selfish, he enjoyed her company and obvious intelligence. Eventually, Lilith became pregnant, much to the chagrin of she and the Underlord. Unfamiliar with the process or concept, Lilith failed miserably at bonding with her unborn child and then caring for her afterward. Angry at being shuffled aside, Caelene believed that had Lilith stayed with Adam, her own life would have been better. Illogical as it seemed, she set her sights on him and his new wife, Eve. When she destroyed their innocence, both Lilith and Dis banished their child to the Netherworld. It was only recently that she was released to return to the home.

  * * *

  Turning to Nybbas, Caelene nodded.

  "She miss Shadow essence, Mistress Lilith," the minion yelled excitedly and then slapped his hand over his mouth. Always nervous, sitting with the Underworld's most legendary demoness was almost unbearable. "Sorry," he whispered and gulped.

  "Don't be afraid, Nybbas. Explain what you mean, please," Lilith ordered softly.

  "Invisible cloud. It steal Shadow. I see in dream."

  "I still don't understand. What invisible cloud? What dream?"

  Nybbas sighed. Talking wasn't his strong point and this was more difficult than normal.

  "Child no have Shadow essence. Cloud steal it when she enter Underworld. She no complete now. No whole. Unbalance."

  Looking from him to her daughter, Lilith wasn't sure what to say. The whole story sounded bizarre but Nybbas' visions and interpretations were rarely wrong, and Caelene wouldn't have brought him with her if she didn't believe it.

  "This doesn't make sense. What is a Shadow essence and how can anything steal it? Even if it did, I don't see how you would be affected by that."

  "Trust me, mother. I've seen the effects this has had on humans when I was in the Netherworld. They go insane. It's slowly happening to me. I can feel the madness crawling around in my mind."

  Lilith caught her breath. Such an admission from Caelene emphasized the seriousness of the situation. She would never allow another to know of her weaknesses.

  "Could it be just the result of your time spent in the Netherworld? No one has ever returned from there, so you may just be feeling a residual effect."

  Caelene shook her head. She had considered the possibility but knew better.

  "I believe Nybbas, mother. I was hoping you had heard of this before and could help."

  "I've never heard of such a thing. Nybbas, is there anything else you can tell me about this cloud? You said it was invisible. How could you see it?"

  "In dream. I see all in dream. Even that I can't see, I see. I see cloud steal Kobal essence."

  "Kobal's?"

  Lilith was stunned. She had known this particular demon well. Where once he was one of the high demons, entertaining the soldiers of Dis' Legions, now he was a babbling idiot, dancing through the Underworld like a marionette. Whatever had happened to him had been instantaneous and unexplainable. Some demons were insane or had limited mental capabilities, but it was rare for a sane one to develop such an extreme mental disorder. If something could steal a high demon's Shadow and drive him to madness, every demon could be in danger. The question was, what sort of danger? More importantly, what could anyone or anything do with them? Caelene was too powerful a demoness to let this happen to.

  "This is extremely troubling. If what you say
is true, the ramifications would be catastrophic. Does Dis know about your visions, Nybbas?"

  Nybbas shook his head. The Underlord had little interest in the minion's visions or dreams.

  "Master busy. No time lowly like me."

  "Naturally. He's too busy entertaining himself with his guests. It's probably best he doesn't know right now. No use getting him excited. We know how he tends to overreact sometimes."

  Nybbas nodded in agreement. Besides, it never boded well for the lower castes to draw too much attention to themselves, and Dis didn't look kindly on having his orgies disturbed.

  Caelene also agreed. As long as it didn't affect him, her father wouldn't bother himself with his daughter's dilemma. She had always been on her own as far as he was concerned.

  "I'm not sure what I can do to help you but I'll ask around. Maybe one of the other demons has heard about this cloud or missing Shadows."

  "I was hoping for more."

  "More?"

  "Yes, I know you have a connection with the spirits. I was hoping you..."

  The Child hesitated. She hated asking her mother for a favor, considering their past. After all, had Lilith and Dis not condemned her to eternity in the Netherworld, this would never have happened. Granted, her mother was instrumental in releasing her from her prison of nothingness, but it didn't make up for the thousands of years she had spent trapped and alone.

  Lilith sensed her daughter's reluctance and straightened up to walk back around her desk. Sitting down, she clasped her hands in front of her and rested them on her ledgers. Leaning slightly forward, she locked gazes with Caelene.

  "What were you hoping?" she demanded, dreading the answer she already suspected.

  "I believe Intunecat might know something about this. Perhaps he is even involved in it."

  "And what makes you think that?"

  "He rules the darkness. He is the darkness. At the very least he may have knowledge of this cloud."

  As much as she hated to admit it, Caelene was right. Intunecat was the Dark One, master spirit of the dark realm. He knew more about the things that lived in darkness than anyone else.

  "I'll ask him," she conceded. "He helped you once already. I'm not so sure he'll appreciate a second opportunity."

  "I want to go with you."

  "That's not possible. He doesn't like uninvited guests."

  "That has never stopped you before. I see no reason for it to stop me. He won't do anything if I'm with you."

  Lilith knew her daughter was right but was reluctant to intrude on Intunecat's privacy. He protected his seclusion like a mother her child. Few dared enter the dark realm uninvited. Then again, few even knew it existed.

  "I won't impose on his hospitality in such a manner. You will wait here," Lilith ordered. Before the Child could answer, her mother vanished. Caelene grimaced and turned to Nybbas.

  "Get Paymon and see if there is anyone else that might know of this cloud or be suffering from its effects."

  "Yes, mistress."

  Nybbas disappeared. Moments later the Child was also gone.

  CHAPTER 10

  Intunecat, The Dark One

  HE WAS INTUNECAT, the Dark One, Ruler of Darkness, First Born of all of the First Born. His world was void of light, making it impossible for anything to exist for any great length of time, or so he believed. Only he could hear the music of the darkness or see the beauty concealed by the blackness, and only he understood true loneliness, a loneliness so powerful he had tried to overcome it by finding a cure. Instead he had created light, and within that light, other life forms sprang forth. They were the First Born, each guardians of their own realm, and from them sprang life. At least that was what most of the Spirits thought. He, however, couldn't be sure since in the beginning he could only see shadows moving about. It had taken eons before he was able to enter the world of light. Because he was of the dark, he found the bright new realm uncomfortable. Intunecat would never be able to exist in it as he had hoped, but he accepted his fate stoically. It was enough that he could venture into it periodically, and from there into the newer worlds springing forth from the light.

  One in particular fascinated him. It was a world that shared both the darkness and the light, one that he could journey into at will for there was never a minute where at least half of it was not consumed in blackness. There, he could move about freely. He also found creatures and things he could control and manipulate to do his bidding, especially humans.

  Humans were terrified of the darkness, making it easy for him to manipulate. Toying with them provided both entertainment and an excuse to interact with the other First Born for they also had an interest in this particular world.

  * * *

  Mari was the oldest First Born in the realm of light. She was the mother of Gaia and creator of the land and seas, making it possible for life to exist and grow. From her essence sprang the beginnings of much of the life that now existed. She nourished and guarded each organism until it was capable of surviving on its own. Then she allowed life to evolve on its own, although she continued to monitor the progress. One species in particular caught her interest and in time earned her love. Mari spent millenniums nurturing them. When they eventually gave up their dependence on the sea and moved inland, she felt betrayed and withdrew into her own world, leaving the world of mortals to the other First Born, who had also taken an interest in the young life forms that were evolving.

  Sarpe, second oldest to Mari, became guardian to the reptiles and snakes and in doing so created them in her image. Ursa cared for the bears and molded them to resemble her. Vyushir was fascinated with the wolves, foxes, coyotes and all that resembled them. She was particularly fond of the wolves, for they showed an intelligence and wisdom far superior to other species, and then there was Arbora: Arbora, the light-hearted, the colorful, the caring. She accepted the guardianship of all that remained after the others had chosen those they wanted. Both plants and animals fell under her protection and guidance, although she rarely directly interfered with their growth or lack of. The world of mortals and all that sprang from its core lived and died as evolution dictated. At least that was what the spirits believed. They understood survival of the fittest. Occasionally, though, someone or something unique would rise above the ordinary creatures and the spirits would take a special interest in them. Such was the case with Yemaya, descendent of Mari, and Dakota, descendent of Moapa, who was once human but was now a spirit.

  * * *

  Since the beginning of time, Intunecat believed he was the only resident in the Realm of Darkness and that it was impossible for others to enter it without his knowledge or permission. To his dismay, he found he was wrong. First Lilith, the demoness, entered his world, and then a time traveler named Saira arrived. Although uninvited, they weren't entirely unwelcome. He lived a lonely existence, although his world was beautiful in its darkness. A strange mysterious music wafted through the eternal night. The source was unknown. In the beginning, Intunecat had tried to locate the origins of the sound but had failed. Eventually, he gave up and simply accepted it for what it was. There were too many other mysteries to be solved.

  * * *

  The black balls had been a part of his world for hundreds of thousands of years. In the beginning, there was only a handful. Now they numbered in the millions and still he had no clue as to what they were. All he knew was that they drifted in the darkness like bubbles in the wind, only there was no wind. Occasionally, they clumped together for short periods and then dispersed as if something had sent them scattering. As the odd behavior became more prevalent, his curiosity grew.

  Reaching for one of the balls, he balanced it on his palm and turned it in all directions, examining it closely. Perfectly smooth, it glistened and yet remained impenetrably black. Tapping on it with a forefinger, he listened for any sound and found none. In fact, his finger seemed to pass through the object without disturbing its surface.

  Flattening his hand even more, he pursed his lips and b
lew on the ball. It floated gently away and then stopped, hovering in one spot.

  "I will discover your secret," Intunecat threatened softly. As if mocking him, the ball drifted closer, halting only inches from his face. Eyes narrowing ominously, he was about to blow on it again when he sensed another presence.

  "A new toy?" a sultry voice asked from behind him. Smiling broadly, the dark spirit turned to welcome the intruder.

  "Lilith! How good to see you, my dear."

  "Thank you, Intunecat. It's been too long."

  "Time has no meaning for me but, yes, I miss our chats. What brings you here?"