by Jeff Inlo
"I never have. It has actually served me. It serves me even now. You have opened a portal and allowed me entrance into this physical realm. I must say, though I have grown very accustomed to my new home, I very much enjoy these excursions, and this spire seems to offer the only bridge which allows me access into this dimension."
"I'm glad I could be of service."
Baannat hissed with anger as he rushed back towards Neltus face. The ghoul glared at the human, appeared ready to strike with absolute malice. He almost tore at Neltus' rather large belly, split it open like an overripe melon, but the creature held his wrath if only to reveal what he saw as an undeniable fact.
"You are not here to serve me! You are here to serve yourself. You are one of the more selfish varieties of your pathetic species. The importance you attach to your own desires pours off of you as obviously as your profuse sweat. You would never have dared face me if you didn't want something for yourself."
Neltus didn't even attempt to lie.
"That's very true. I don't even want to be here now, but I don't have a choice."
Baannat tilted his head slightly as he considered the admission. He looked deeply into the very essence of the human before him, and once more, he started to laugh uncontrollably. He even turned away as he giggled and cackled like some small child in the midst of a fit of laughter.
Neltus wondered if the maniacal glee was a sign of good fortune or a precursor to some diabolical torture that the ghoul might find even more amusing. Rather than question the monster, he remained quiet as he waited uncomfortably for Baannat to supply the answer.
"You've lost your core," the ghoul finally stated as he turned back towards Neltus. "You are much like my old adversary, my brother Enin. The last time I spoke with him, he was empty as well."
"We lost our cores in the same battle," Neltus admitted. He was about to explain how he wished to reverse the situation, but the ghoul had questions of his own.
Baannat cared little for explanations of Neltus' troubles. He became much more interested with certain discrepancies of the current situation. The ghoul began to suspect outside influence, and such suspicions led to mistrust and anger.
"Reaching this platform and creating a portal into my realm are no easy tasks. It might have been difficult for you even if you maintained a healthy magical core. It is doubtful you could have made it here on your own. Who sent you... who is really behind this invasion of my realm?"
"There is no one else. I came here through my own incantations."
"You have no core. How were you able to accomplish this? "
Neltus would have rather dealt with his own needs, but he was in no position to force the issue. He decided to oblige the slink ghoul with the truth.
"I used magic stored in enchanted items."
Baannat sneered, wondered if he had wasted his time bantering with the human. The slink ghoul was no novice in the workings of magical energy, and he voiced unrestrained doubt over Neltus' claim.
"Enchanted items? Do you take me for an imbecile? You want me to believe someone imbedded such intricate spells into an inanimate object? Enchanting an item to create a portal is one thing. Using an enchanted item to create an opening into my realm is something else entirely. And what of reaching this plateau? That was no small matter either. Very few spell casters could have achieved such results."
"The items only held magic," Neltus explained quickly. "There was no spell placed within the enchantment. While I can't absorb or store energy, I've found I can shape it under certain conditions. I formed the spell in my head... from my past connection with Ansas and from the ripples of past portals created here. Once I had the spell in my mind, I powered it with magic encased in this book."
Baannat snatched the book from Neltus hands. He appeared to have difficulty retaining it within his grasp, as if the incompleteness of his body limited his ability to maintain hold over solid objects. Still, he managed to juggle the book long enough to analyze it. He threw it back to Neltus before it fell from his claws.
"The book contained magic without a hint of influence," the slink ghoul acknowledged. "How did you obtain such an item?"
"I forced a young boy with crimson power to enchant three such items; a coin, which I used to reach this place, the book, and the ring on my finger. I will use the magic in the ring to return home."
"Hold up your hand with the ring. Let me see it!"
Neltus did as he was told and allowed the slink ghoul to inspect the enchanted item.
"Interesting," Baannat allowed. "You can still cast spells even though you've been completely separated from the magic? You are more skillful than I imagined."
"I was once able to cast pure crimson magic in a full circle."
The claim sounded more like a boast, and Baannat responded with abject dismissal over Neltus' declaration.
"And I once cast pure white magic in two perfect circles."
Neltus didn't want to sound as if he was challenging the monster, but he saw an opening to reach his own intended goal.
"I know. Do you miss shaping the energy in such a way?"
Baannat found the question insulting.
"Do you think I'm powerless as I stand before you?" the ghoul hissed.
"Not at all, but it's my understanding that you're much different than you once were."
"I am. And to a degree, you're right. The magic contained within physical existence no longer bends to my will as it once did."
Baannat grew quiet. The ghoul turned from Neltus and floated over to the tower ledge. He peered down upon the dark lands, considered the vast number of vicious creatures he once commanded. For a moment, he considered diving toward the gray valley, immersing himself in the angry tides of a cruel existence. He stepped to the very edge of the precipice, but he knew he would go no further. For him, the call of nonexistence had become far stronger than the shriek of brutality.
With another hiss of disgust, the ghoul returned to face the human who appeared to test his tolerance.
"You obviously went through a great deal of trouble to get here. You did not come here simply to stir old memories within me. You have neither the courage nor the audacity for such an endeavor. I can see your fears as plainly as I see your hefty body. I also see the selfishness within you, but your particular desires are lost in the emptiness of your core. That is all I can see, so I cannot determine what you want. Tell me now, and without delay, why have you come to me?"
Finally, Neltus was able to make his desires known.
"Everything you see is what brought me back here. I admit it. My emptiness is the only reason I would risk coming to see you. I want my core back."
Baannat scowled with displeasure.
"I have nothing to do with your missing core."
"I know."
"Then why would you come to me?"
"Because you once lost your magic... but you got it back. I've heard the stories. You fought Enin and Ryson Acumen. During your battle, Enin opened a portal and allowed dark creatures to attack you. They took the magic from you, but you created a new core."
"I didn't simply create a new core. I retrieved what was stolen from me."
The news did not sit well with Neltus, and despite his fear of the slink ghoul, he actually contradicted Baannat's explanation.
"But... after you were defeated by Enin, you created a powerful creature to retrieve what you lost. You combined the skins of other dark beasts into an entity powered by magic. It hunted down dark creatures and pulled their magical essence from them. You mimicked Ingar's Sphere and collected magical energy. You ultimately absorbed that energy... restored what you had lost."
"I created a vessel to hold magic, yes, but that vessel was created by killing many of the creatures that originally stole my own core. I didn't simply capture magic. I could have done that by tapping into any source. I needed to regain a substantial portion of my own magical identity. Collecting magic is one thing, storing it within one's self requires a core which m
atches your essence."
Neltus' desperation turned to despair as he considered the implications behind Baannat's revelation.
"There's no way to create a new core?"
"With no matching foundation to the spell caster? No. You can add to a core, enhance it, but you can not simply cast out one completely and exchange it for another. Is that what you thought you could do?"
"Yes, but..."
Before Neltus could explain further, Baannat broke into yet another fit of cackling laughter. Neltus tried to ignore the beast but each disgusting snort and twisted giggle tore at his innards and amplified his frustrations.
"Stop laughing at me!"
Surprisingly, Baannat did just that, but he placed a razor sharp claw under Neltus' chin.
"Never attempt to command me again," the ghoul hissed.
Neltus' despair extended beyond his fear. A quick slicing of his throat appeared far better than the future he saw for himself.
"Go ahead, kill me! Do it!"
Baannat almost did just that, but he resisted the urge if only for a moment. He realized Neltus had reached a state of complete surrender. Only the loss of all hope would allow the cowardly human to embrace death. The slink ghoul, however, began to consider the situation in its entirety. A new question formed in Baannat's conniving mind.
"Why did you come here?"
"I told you! I want my core back!"
"No! That is not what I asked. Why would you think I would help you? Even if I could have created a new core, why would I do such a thing? You know of me. I would not simply help you out of some wish to be benevolent. You came here to get something from me. What is it you would have offered in return?"
"Another soul to torment," Neltus revealed without embarrassment. He saw nothing lost in revealing the truth. "You once held Ansas captive, but he escaped you."
"He did not escape," the ghoul hissed. "I released him to fight Reiculf."
"And that's where he is now, cut off from you. Are you saying you don't want him back?"
"You could deliver Ansas?" Baannat questioned harshly. "You? You would enter Reiculf's domain, enter Demonspawn?"
Neltus never intended to retrieve Ansas for the slink ghoul, but he believed he could entrap others who might satisfy the monster's desire to inflict misery.
"No, but there are others I could have delivered to you. The boy, Dimi—the one who enchanted the items that brought me here, the one who's core I tried to take—he would be easy to overcome... once my core was returned."
"So you thought you could throw me scraps? What would I want with a boy?"
Neltus saw no reason to argue.
"What does it matter? You said you can't help me."
"I said I could not create a new core for you. I did not say I couldn't help you."
It sounded as if the slink ghoul was actually offering new hope, and Neltus leapt for it like a kitten jumping for a feather on a string.
"There's another way?"
"I return to my own question, why would I want to offer you any assistance at all? As I said before, I have no need for scraps."
"I'm sure we could work something out. There must be some way I could help you in return."
"That is too vague a bargain for me. What you consider help may mean nothing to me."
"Well, what is it you want?"
Baannat scowled, but he could not dismiss the opportunity before him. The human had managed to reach the top of the precipice and open a portal into the shadowed realm of nonexistence. Such complicated spells cast without a magical core revealed a skill which might prove useful. While the ghoul did not wish to openly admit his desires, he was not above taking advantage of sheer foolishness.
"Before we discuss that, let us determine if it is actually possible to regain what you have lost. If I'm to get what I desire, I will need you to be more than you are in your current state. Your skill with magic may be helpful, but you will need to do more than utilize enchanted items."
The hope of regaining his core seemed to grow brighter, and Neltus was more than willing to bargain with the ghoul.
"What do you need from me?"
Baannat knew much of Neltus' history, had witnessed portions of certain battles. He had seen the wizard's involvement in many important events since the return of magic to Uton, but the ghoul needed details regarding the removal of Neltus' magical essence.
"Place your mind in the past. Think of the moment you lost your core. Consider every detail. Leave nothing out. I will know this story completely."
Neltus did as he was told. He recalled every aspect of the battle which led to the removal of his core.
Baannat used his own twisted magic, energy that fluctuated in and out of existence, to peer into the memories of the human. He spoke in a low growl as he witnessed the events which led to Neltus' loss.
"The demon lord, Reiculf, took control of both your body and your mind. Through you, he brought his great powers into Uton. He planned to take control of the wizard Enin in order to spread his malevolence throughout all of existence. The ghost captain, the protector of Burbon, arrived to save the land, but at a great cost to you. He removed your core and broke the link between you and the demon master."
"Yes," Neltus confirmed.
"You ran off. Without magic, you were nothing. You learned that Enin also lost his core, removed by the same warrior spirit. You began to realize if Enin lost his magic, then there was little hope of you regaining yours. Still, you tried in vain to regain your core, but everything failed. When your last efforts proved fruitless, your desperation led you here."
Baannat grew quiet as he considered all that he had seen in Neltus' past. He saw weaknesses he could exploit. Neltus could become a very useful pawn... if utilized properly.
"The ghost captain is the key to your wishes," Baannat finally offered with a snarl. "He is the one who took your core. He is the one who must retrieve it and return it to your essence."
The proclamation did little to enhance Neltus' optimism. He had hoped Baannat would be able to rebuild his core, not offer useless advice.
"He won't do that! All he cares about is that stupid town of his."
"You will have to convince him otherwise."
"But I can't fight a warrior spirit! I wouldn't be able to defeat him even if I still had my core."
"I might be able to help you in that regard," Baannat replied.
"You can defeat a ghost?"
"What am I? I am both more and less than a physical presence. How does that differ from a ghost? I know more about this spirit than you can imagine. He cannot be defeated as would some spell caster or human warrior, but he has his weaknesses. It is a matter of exploiting those weaknesses."
"What weaknesses? What do we have to do?"
"First, we have to come to an agreement. If I am to assist you, you know I will want something in return."
Neltus would have given almost anything to regain his magic, but he was not so foolish to give an open-ended promise. He needed to understand the full cost before he agreed to any bargain with the slink ghoul.
"What do you want?" Neltus asked, his unease apparent.
"You were right in your previous assumptions. I want souls to torture, souls brought into my domain, but I will not waste my time with some insignificant boy or any other pathetic individual you might find so easy to defeat."
Neltus considered what soul would fulfill the ghoul's desires. The obvious choice was one that he believed remained beyond his reach. Handing over someone else's soul was not beneath him, but he also had to face certain realities.
"Even with my magic, I don't think I could get Ansas. I could try, but I don't think I could make that promise."
"The promise would be an empty one. I doubt you would be able to reach Demonspawn, let alone survive any encounter with Reiculf and seize Ansas. No, it's not Ansas I'm looking for."
"Who then?"
Baannat paused as his own devious plan began to take shape in his mind. T
here were things he wanted, things he would not profess to the foolish human. In order to fulfill those desires, he would need bargaining chips.
In one quick response, he revealed the names of three individuals Neltus would have to trap.
"Enin and Ryson Acumen... and the delver's wife as well. Yes, Enin, Ryson and Linda Acumen."
The names surprised Neltus. If Enin had retained his magic, the powerful wizard would have been beyond Neltus' reach, but Enin had also lost his core. He was as vulnerable as the boy Dimi, perhaps even more so. Enin was actually the easiest of the intended targets, and Neltus professed why.
"If my core was returned, I could probably get Enin. I might even be able to trap the delver. He takes risks when he explores the land, but Linda Acumen... she lives in Burbon. She's protected by the spirit warrior, the ghost of Sy Fenden, and he's the one who took my core."
"We will have to deal with the ghost captain one way or the other. He is the key to regaining your core. Just as I had to hunt down the creatures who stole my magic, you will have to confront the entity who stole yours."
"But it sounds like you're creating a problem without a solution. I need to get Linda Acumen in order to obtain your help in dealing with Sy Fenden, but Sy Fenden is protecting the delver's wife."
"I don't need one done before the other. Your promise is enough. Swear that you will help me in trapping the three I have named and I will work with you in regaining your core."
Neltus needed to confirm the specifics of the bargain.
"That's all you want from me? My help in trapping the delver, his wife, and Enin? Nothing else?"
"That will suffice," Baannat replied.
"And just how are we going to deal with the ghost captain?"
"We will attack those he cares about. The warrior spirit will also enter into a bargain if the terms are presented properly. Ryson Acumen, Holli Brances, and Enin himself mean a great deal to Sy Fenden. We will place them in danger and then use their lives to bargain with the captain."
"How do we do that?"
"That will be my responsibility."
"And what do I have to do?"
"Bring them to the Lacobian Desert."