by Jeff Inlo
"Not destroy it. Open it up for me. And you sent him to me. How ironic is that? You all did exactly what I wanted you to do. It's like I wrote the script and you all willingly played your parts. This is not the first time I've accomplished that, so don't be so surprised."
Enin shook his head.
"So you say, and that might explain much, but you know I can't trust you."
Baannat's smile twisted into a hateful sneer and he willingly revealed the full measure of his desires.
"No you can't, but trust no longer matters, brother. We are now at war."
"That war is over. Ryson won."
"Yes, he did," Baannat admitted with another hiss, but with no further humiliation. "You often talked of destiny and how it was the cursed delver's fate to meet me in battle—to defeat me. Well, as you said, he won, but that was him. The war with you, however, goes on."
Enin sighed. He saw Baannat not as an equal, not even as an enemy, but as a shell, and an incomplete one at that.
"And what am I at war with? You're not a spirit, of that I'm now sure. You're not the ghost of Lief Woodson. You're not even the full spirit of Baannat. You are a slink ghoul, only partially whole, alive once more, but not fully. It's almost as if you exist and don't exist, much like Heteera's portal."
"Very much like her portal."
"Which means you lack the power to defeat me in any kind of war. Even with all the magic you usurped from the dark creatures through your vessel, you still cannot match me."
"Not true," the ghoul said with great confidence. "A war is made up of battles. We battled once before, I made a mistake. I tried to fight you on my own, but you brought allies. You wouldn't face me alone."
"That's because it was Ryson that was destined to defeat you."
"And he did defeat me, as I've already acknowledged. That destiny is complete. I no longer have to concern myself with battling a fate already decided. Now we face a new beginning. I now have my own allies, an entire realm of them."
Enin looked about the hills, cliffs and ravines. He could see some of them, but he felt almost all of them—a multitude. They were vicious and cruel creatures and the wizard could sense their willingness to please Baannat. They would follow the wishes and desires of the ghoul. Somehow Baannat had gained control of this realm. It was no trick. The link between them all was as clear to the human wizard as if he could pluck them like guitar strings.
He then saw more, saw what was to come, what was inevitable. The ghoul was going to use these monsters, use them to wreak pain and agony, cause havoc of unimagined proportions. He couldn't allow it and he had the power to stop it, but he had to act at that moment.
There was no time to consider the moral implications, no time to offer Baannat a chance at redemption. Enin believed he could stop untold suffering, but the path was narrow and alternatives nonexistent.
Without hesitation, he threw his hands together and brought forth the vast magical power that was his to command. Two large circles of white fury encircled his wrists. It was his intention to obliterate the ghoul, to snuff Baannat out like a candle and be done with him, to end the suffering before it began.
There was no finesse in his spell, simply power. He cast it at the ghoul in the blink of an eye, without warning, without any way for the monster to defend himself.
A mighty crash exploded on the cliff ledge. A clap of thunder echoed in every direction, yet the ghoul remained.
Enin stood mystified at the results.
"Another miscalculation," the slink ghoul grinned, "but this is one I will not explain. You have time to consider it, for this is but the first battle, and I believe it will end in a draw. Still, we will have to see. You have taken your shot, it's time for me to take mine. I will not attack you directly. As you have so perceptively stated, I lack the power. Instead, let us see what my minions might accomplish."
The gray skies quickly filled with winged creatures of every shape and size, and they began their assault on Enin from every direction.
The wizard quickly cast another spell. From his being exploded an ever expanding and repeating wave of fury, as if a large stone fell upon the water and created many rings of disturbance that swelled outward on the surface. The force of the spell was directed at the skies and drove the flying creatures backward. They could not fight the power, and just as one ring passed, another one threw them back even further. The skies were cleared in mere moments.
"Nicely done," Baannat congratulated. "As I said, I believed it would be a draw, but I needed you to see. That was but a small contingent of the forces I can call from this realm, and I will call them all. Not to attack you here and now, that would be a waste. I have a better use for them. I will send them into your world, and do you know how?"
Enin did not reply. He stared with icy indignation at the ghoul.
Baannat smiled, but continued.
"I have no problems explaining this, for you can't stop it now. I'm going to use the very portal you created. Oh, I know you'll try to close it, but it's too late. You won't be able to. It now serves my purpose, so in effect, maybe I did win this battle."
"You won nothing. Do you think I'm a fool? If you are Baannat, you can open your own portal."
"You would think so, but for some reason I can't. Maybe that explains why your spell didn't affect me. Think about it."
With those words, the slink ghoul faded out of sight. Enin wondered if it was nothing more than a spell of invisibility, but he could not detect the ghoul anywhere nearby.
"Blast."
With nothing else to accomplish, Enin willed himself back through the air and to his portal. He crossed back into his natural plane of existence and then focused on closing the rift.
It was a small task. The gateway was of his creation. All he had to do was reverse the spell, child's play for a spell caster of his power. And yet, resistance occurred. He could touch the magic, but it defied his purpose. The rift would not close.
From across the dimensional gap, he heard a laugh.
Enin ignored the slink ghoul. He focused on the magical vibrations of the portal. It remained as he made it. The spell had not been tainted, at least he sensed no stain of evil. And yet, it now defied him.
Uncertain of what to do but unwilling to leave the portal open, Enin focused on a new spell. While he could not close the gate, he could at least seal it. He focused his energy to create a powerful shield that covered the small portal.
Baannat's voice called out from the other side.
"Well done. I didn't expect that, but it doesn't alter my plans. While I can't create my own portal, I can still alter yours. I fully intended on making yours much larger anyway. I want to be able to send creatures of all sizes into your world. Now, I will simply have to make it larger. I will expand the edges beyond your shield. You won't be able to block it forever. I do give you credit, because you bought yourself some additional time. The question is, what will you do with that time?"
There was a momentary pause, as if Baannat was waiting for an answer, but Enin said nothing.
"Then again," Baannat finally continued, "maybe you don't have as much time as you think. I will come for those who defeated me. My creatures will come for all of you. From the deserts to the plains, I will attack. And don't forget, some of my minions are already over on your side."
At the center of the blocked portal, Enin believed he could see Baannat once more. Still, the slink ghoul remained beyond his touch. Another attack would be as pointless as the first. Enin simply could not make direct contact with his foe. It seemed as if Baannat was simply projecting himself at the human wizard, taunting him while remaining out of Enin's reach.
Though Enin could not attack the ghoul, he realized he could probe the essence of Baannat's energies. He seized upon them and he believed he understood his enemy's intentions. Three were in grave danger—himself included—but Baannat also had a hunger for both the east and the west. Many would attack, as war was exactly what Baannat craved.
Chapter 13
It was Enin's intention to return to Connel immediately. He perceived the aim of the slink ghoul, knew the mayhem that was to come. He would not allow Baannat to move unopposed. Much needed to be done in preparation, but as he took to the skies, he soon understood Baannat's warning. It seemed he had much less time than he anticipated before the first strike was made.
Over the top of Dark Spruce, he saw the fires begin. He slowed his journey through dimensional space to view the coming catastrophe. The goblins in the forest were once again acting as one, moving in unison across the vast wooded lands. It seemed as if the slink ghoul could guide creatures that had already passed into Uton, and the goblins had a leader for their horde once more.
Acting with total disregard to their own safety, the goblins throughout the forest moved with a vicious intent to destroy the lands that offered them refuge. They hated the trees, even as the forest hid their movements and provided more food than they could ever imagine. It no longer mattered. Life on Uton—all life—was the enemy. The forest would burn, and that was their new desire.
The slink ghoul had placed the craving in their tiny minds. By offering them a place in his new world—a world without the pain of the dark realm and without the judgment of a land of light—Baannat convinced them all they had nothing to lose and so very much to gain.
Without hesitation, the cruel creatures put torches to dry kindling and fed the growing flames with anything that would ignite. They laughed and danced with glee as the fires spread. From north to south, these creatures of hate spanned out, members of one camp quickly reaching those of another. They did not squabble about territory or fight over food and treasure. Instead, they agreed to destroy it all.
Before Enin's eyes, a long line of fire took shape across the western edge of the Dark Spruce, and the wizard could not dismiss the wind. It would press it eastward and the entire forest would burn. Despite the wizard's spell to seal the rift, the war had begun.
"Holli," Enin whispered to the wind, "I have need of you. Prepare yourself."
In Connel, the elf felt the call, and without a word to those around her, quickly moved outside to an open space with a clear path to the skies.
"I am ready," she replied in a whisper of her own over the magical link between them.
Enin cast a spell to recall her to his side. White energy jolted across the heavens and surrounded Holli. It lifted her up just as it curved and twisted the space between them. The magic pulled her across a compressed tunnel and then held her aloft in front of the wizard.
The elf guard immediately gauged her surroundings. She felt no fear in being held so high above the ground. She had complete trust in her mentor, and she knew he would not let her fall. A she gazed across the forest, she could not miss the growing fires below, but as she scanned the breadth of destruction, she realized an unmistakable truth. These were not flames born of natural causes, not a simple wild fire from a lightning strike that would burn out the dead wood and allow the forest to reclaim unproductive land with new growth. No, these fires had been started deliberately with one objective.
Her own magical connection to nature was exceedingly strong and she could sense the true intention. The fire was born of hate, a hate she could almost taste. The forest represented life and that was the true target of the assault, and the flames were being fed by evil.
It was not fear that shook her. It was loss. Dark Spruce was her home. She might have been banished from her camp, exiled from the forest, but she had never relinquished her heritage. The trees were as much a part of her as any other elf that called Dark Spruce home, and to see it under attack brought her great pain.
She had not yet spoken to Enin, had not learned of his encounter with the spirit that claimed to be Lief Woodson, but she didn't need to. She drew a conclusion based on what she knew and based on the horror she witnessed below. She did not have all the pieces yet, but she knew enough to understand that great evil was in play.
"Baannat?" she asked of her mentor.
"Yes, it was him that assumed Lief's appearance. Ryson was correct. The slink ghoul intends to do much harm. As of this moment, he is controlling goblins in Dark Spruce."
Holli pressed the anger and the sense of loss back into the recesses of her soul. If Baannat was behind this aggression on her beloved forest, then she needed to focus on the implications of every action.
"They are setting fire to their own camps," Holli noted. "That is normally a desperate ploy, and used only when they need to flee. They are not considering their own safety or their immediate needs. His control over them must be strong."
"He controls much more in the darker realm," Enin advised.
He controls more? the elf thought.
Considering the amount of damage that was already being incurred, that did not bode well. Holli openly wondered as to the true magnitude of the threat.
"Will they come across?"
"They can't at the moment, but eventually they will. I will explain in time. For the moment, any additional threats are restricted to the other dimension."
"Then our focus should fall upon the fire. If it is left to burn, it will destroy the entire forest."
"That's why I brought you here," Enin admitted. "The intention goes far beyond the forest. Baannat seeks to destroy everything and so we must work quickly. I am going to place you upon the forest floor. Send messages to all the elves of Dark Spruce. Baannat is at war with us all. He controls the dark creatures and will send them against us in waves. Everyone is in danger and we must prepare to defend ourselves."
"What about the fire?"
"I will take care of that. Place the elves on alert. That is your first objective. When you are finished, call to me and I will summon you back to Connel."
"Very well," Holli stated. She would not doubt Enin's instructions and the wizard lowered her into the forest away from any hazards. After quickly surveying the forest floor, the elf guard took off to begin her mission.
Enin remained in the air and focused on the fires below. He knew Holli's concerns were justified. It went beyond saving her forest. Dark Spruce could not be allowed to be decimated by fire. It served many purposes and many creatures. To let it be destroyed so early in the war would be devastating.
He contemplated summoning rainstorms, but the fires were already burning hot. Rain would slow the spread, but would not consume the flames. He considered a flash flood. There were plenty of streams and creeks throughout the forest and major rivers to the north and east. He could expand the waters, redirect them with a focused spell, but would that serve his purpose? How much damage would the flood cause in the affected areas? It would save the majority of the forest, but he could not accept destroying such a large part in order to save the whole.
He turned his mind from water to air. That was his answer. If he could not douse the fires effectively and efficiently, he could starve them out. It would take more of his power, but the price was not so steep in comparison to that which would be gained.
He flew higher into the sky and stopped only when he could distinguish all of the fire as a single line through the forest. He cast his magically enhanced gaze along that line and burned the edges of each flame into his consciousness. He folded his hands in front of him as if in prayer and whispered words that would focus his energy over the element of air. White magic dropped from him like a long net and expanded as it fell down upon the burning forest.
As the magical energy struck flame, it enlarged into sheets. The flames hissed and fluttered, seeming to struggle against the powerful spell. It was, however, a battle that fire could not win. The air rushed from the flames and soon every fire was extinguished.
The forest was safe, but only for the moment. The goblins could simply start another blaze and threaten the trees once more. Enin needed to dissuade them from such an idea.
He grinned as an idea grew from his imagination. He felt it fitting.
With a spell in mind, he did not have to expend much of his own ma
gical power. Instead, he allowed the energy to come from the forest itself. He made it a point not to modify the concepts of nature. It was not his place to change the aspects of life. He did not, however, find it beyond the scope of ethical integrity to offset Baannat's aggression against the forest with a suitable response. He did not truly alter the trees, did not give them consciousness. He simply utilized his mastery of the energy to allow the trees to defend themselves.
He cast his spell over much of the forest. It was more of animation than illusion, but the spell called on both properties. The result appeared subtle from above, as if nothing below had been changed at all.
The goblins down in the forest, however, met the effects with disbelief at first and then panic when they attempted to reset their fires.
Just as trees would grow toward the sun, search for open space, and send roots for deep water, they now moved branch and bough with great speed against goblin fire. Thick lush leaves batted out torches, and thick limbs swatted away goblins. It was as if powerful winds gave both intent and direction to low lying branches as the trees themselves fought back against every assault.
The goblins retreated in superstitious terror, wondering if the land was rising up to smite them. They scattered from their camps, trying to find refuge, but in the depths of Dark Spruce there was no sanctuary. They half expected the trees to dislodge themselves from the ground and chase them to their death, but not one uprooted itself.
Gaining only minimal courage, the goblins struck back with fiery crossbow bolts. If they could not light fires with torches, then they would rain flame down upon the forest with a volley of crossbow fire.
Once more Enin's spell allowed the trees to fight back. Swaying back and forth, heavy pine branches swallowed each bolt before it could embed itself in dead, dry wood or in the piles of dried and discarded needles. Flames were extinguished once more and the vast movement of the trees seemed to create an infinite sigh of exuberance.
Again, the goblins raced away, ran with disregard to any higher order. They headed westward to the far borders of Dark Spruce, toward the badlands where Enin's portal remained and away from the trees.