Nothing has changed since I was last here. Snow, snow, and more snow. And the frozen lake far to the right of us. And not far ahead, a gigantic, magnificent castle made of ice.
`You weren't kidding about the cold...' says Flora suddenly.
`Don't you like it?' I ask, smiling.
`No. Although... I thought it would be worse.'
`Some people find this invigorating. Fucking bullshit if you ask me, but it's still better than hot weather... Well, let's go inside.'
`What is this place?' she asks, as we approach the castle.
`It's the home of an old friend of mine. They simply call her Ice Queen nowadays, but her real name is Kayne'algar. I just call her Kay', it's shorter.'
`Sounds like a draconic name.'
`It is. She was a peaceful dragon who lived in Draconia, once, long ago. Then she became a lesser Elemental Prince, and since then, she lives here.'
`How did such a transformation take place? How is such a thing even possible?'
`Much like the way Councilor Johnny Boy hoped to take the power of Th'Mesh. Except that many Elemental Princes have been known to willingly pass their power on to others. You see, some of them get tired of eternal life, and long for peace in the Afterlife. They can pass their power on to another if they so choose. It can be any creature, even a mortal. That's how Kay' got her powers, too.'
`I have never heard of such a thing.'
`These kind of things are usually kept very secret. Actually, I heard of this from Kay' herself, and only later did I learn that she is not the only Elemental Prince who used to be a mortal.'
`Sounds like you know a lot about these transformations.'
`I know more than most mortals do, I guess. But only those that actually went through such a transformation know all the details. Kay' told me a lot, though. Why?'
`It sounds intriguing.'
`Indeed, it is. You might want to talk to her about it. Ah, here we are.'
I knock on the gate, and a while later it slowly opens up before us. The massive ice doors slide open with relative ease, and we step inside.
The castle is still as surreal as it was the last time I was here. Completely made of ice, with no other color but that of ice everywhere within the walls. One would think such a lack of variety in colors makes for a boring appearance, but quite the contrary. The ice castle has a strange beauty to it.
`Which way?' asks Flora.
`Let's wait for her.'
A while later, a figure appears at the top of the stairs just ahead of us. She has the appearance of a human woman with long, dark brown hair. She wears a light blue gown and a pair of shoes made of ice, as well as several rings and a few other jewels made of ice. She addresses me as she slowly descends the stairs.
`Planewalker! What a surprise!'
Planewalker... Only a few people call me that. I always liked that nickname.
`Great to see you again, Kay'!' I tell her. `It's been a while, hasn't it?'
`Yes, you rarely visit me. Shame on you!'
`Haha! Yeah, I'm a bad man!' I tell her, laughing.
`Yes you are!' she says, smiling. Then she turns to Flora. `And who are you, night elf?'
`I'm Flora.'
`Strange name for a night elf. Sounds more like a wood elf name...'
`It's a wood elf name.' says Flora. Kay looks at her with a thinking expression on her face, then she glances at me. I nod to her.
`I see.' she says eventually. `You are a unique creature then, do you know that?'
`I do. So?' asks Flora with a frown and an edge in her voice.
`I didn't mean to insult you. I don't judge people. I just have a fondness for the unique. Like your friend. He's a one of a kind bastard. There's no-one like him anywhere among the Planes. The most stubborn, hard-headed man I've ever known.'
`Thanks for the compliment, Kay'!' I tell her.
`You will never change, Planewalker, will you?'
`Of course not!'
`Well, what can I do for you?'
`I'd like to set up a trap outside and catch something in it.'
She raises her eyebrows in surprise.
`Here? Nothing lives here but me. What do you want to catch?'
`Just a bounty hunter who has the power to travel the Planes.'
`Ah, I see. Well, go ahead. Just try not to destroy my castle, will you?'
`Don't worry, I'll be careful.'
`You? Careful? What happened to you, are you getting old?'
`Ah, come on Kay', don't be like that!'
`I know you, Planewalker! You and careful are different worlds that can never meet. Ever!'
`Eh, don't worry. I would never risk destroying this beautiful, magnificent castle!'
Flora suddenly interrupts.
`Do you mind if I wait outside? I don't feel too good in here.' she says.
`Sure!' I tell her. `I'll find you. Just whatever you do, do not step on the ice of the lake! Don't even go near it!'
`Alright...' she says, and she turns around and walks out of the castle. As the door closes behind her, I turn back to Kay'.
`Hey, listen... Wanna see something really cool?'
She looks at me suspiciously.
`Like what?'
`Let's go upstairs to your trinket room. I'll show you there.'
*
We walk up the stairs and she leads me into the place I like to refer to as her trinket room. It is a large room with countless pedestals holding various objects carved from ice. It's a large collection of magical items. All of them are her own creations, many of them weapons, most of them heavily enchanted. There is one in particular that I'm interested in. But first, I'll show her what I have.
`Alright, Planewalker! What do you want to show me?'
I reach into a pocket of my coat and pull out the Shadestone.
`This!' I tell her, as I show it to her.
She stares at it for a while, and then she looks up at me.
`Do you know what this is?' she asks, looking grim.
`Yeah! The Shadestone!' I tell her, smiling.
`Do you have any idea how dangerous it is?!'
`Yeah, I've seen it. But I can handle it.'
`Handle it?! Just... just what are you talking about? Do you actually want to use it for something? Do you want to tap its power?'
`Yes.'
`You are insane!' she says, shaking her head. `You are completely, incurably insane!'
`Come on, Kay'! I can do it!'
`Just what do you want to do?'
`I'll use it to enter the Shadowland! I will finally be able to explore it! Finally!'
She looks at me strictly.
`You will not do this here, Planewalker! Do you understand me?' she says.
`Relax!' I tell her, as I sink the stone in my pocket. `I never intended that. I will do it in Arghard. I just wanted to show it to you.'
`You should get rid of it, and keep far away from it. I'm telling you, it is too dangerous!'
`Don't worry about me! I can handle it!'
She sighs.
`I don't suppose I can talk you out of this, can I?'
`No, of course you can't.'
`Fine. Go, get yourself killed then. But don't say I didn't warn you!'
`Haha! I'll remember that!'
`Well, is that all you wanted to show me?'
`Yes, but I would also like to ask for something.'
`Go ahead.' she says with a sigh.
I walk to one of the pedestals littered with seemingly harmless little darts made of ice. Darts which are in fact heavily enchanted.
`Can I take one of these?' I ask her, motioning towards the darts.
`Why do you want that? Will you be fighting some powerful mage?'
`I suppose you could put it that way.' I tell her, nodding.
`I see... Then... take as many as you wish, I can always make more.'
`Thank you.' I tell her, as I pick up an ice dart. `But I just need one.'
`What if you miss?'
<
br /> `I don't miss.'
*
I say goodbye to Kay' and leave the castle to look for Flora. Time to set up that trap!
She's nowhere in sight...
`Where the fuck is she? Fuck... I hope she didn't step on the ice...'
I head towards the lake. As I get close, I finally spot her. She's standing a good twenty feet away from the lake. Good...
`There you are!' I exclaim.
`I don't like this place...' she says.
`Why is that? Don't you like the snow?'
`I wanted to get some fresh air because I thought your friend's castle was somehow suffocating me. But it's just as hard to breathe out here. I don't know why, I've never experienced such a thing before.'
I walk closer to her.
`Do you think it's Kay's doing?'
`I don't know.'
`It's not. Come, let me show you something!'
I lead her closer to the lake. We stop a few feet away.
`Okay, let's stop. Not an inch closer! Now, look to the water! See the glow beneath the ice? Deep in the water?'
`Yes.'
`It's a cage stone. Or cage gem, if you will. Do you know what that is?'
She nods, and slowly asks:
`Who... or what... is in it?'
`Well, I can say that he's been there for roughly a hundred years. Kay's guarding him. All sorts of magical wards are inscribed on the ice, that's why you mustn't step on the ice. It's his presence that makes you feel like shit. There is an aura around him that extends all the way out here, despite the cage gem and the ice. That aura is what makes you feel like it's hard to breathe. As for who he is... It's not wise to speak his name in his presence, but if you wish, I will tell you after we leave this world.'
`On second thought... I'm not sure I want to know.'
`As you wish. Come then, let's set up the trap.'
`Alright...' she says with a sigh, and she follows me as I walk away from the lake.
After a while, she makes me stop.
`Zack... I don't understand. I'm nervous... I've never felt like this before...'
`It is his presence.' I tell her, motioning towards the lake. `If you knew who he was, you'd understand.'
`Are you feeling this, too?'
`Of course, but I'm ignoring it. You should, too.'
`I can't.'
`Do you want us to leave?'
`What about Grenshaur?'
`There are millions... and millions... of worlds out there. We can pick another one to set up a trap for him. If you don't like it here, we can go someplace else. If you're uneasy here... you might not be in top shape when it comes to the fight. So if you're really not feeling well here, we should probably leave.'
`Where?'
`Oh, I have seen hundreds of worlds by now, and I have several ideas of where we could set a trap for that cocksucker... Don't worry! I've got a plan!'
`Kh'Tal?'
`No, not there. He won't come there. He knows that I'd be far too strong for him there. Remember, it's a world of everlasting darkness, my black magic would be overwhelmingly powerful there. Grenshaur knows that. He may send his minions after us, but he won't come himself. No, we must go someplace where he will not feel at a disadvantage. This world is one such place, but I know many others. I think I know just the place...'
`Fine then. Let's go.'
Lizard trap
Somewhere in the Multiverse, present day (2 days and 8 hours before Twilightfall)
`Where are we?' asks Flora as the Portal closes behind us.
`Well, this is a very interesting world. I won't bother trying to pronounce its name though. It doesn't really matter anyway. It's a dead world now. Look around!'
She glances around and observes the view. We are in a barren field, with several dead trees littering the landscape. Above us, the sky is gray and empty. No sun to be seen, yet there is an ambient light present which makes the area as bright as if it was broad daylight with just a few clouds around.
`What happened to this place?' she asks.
`It blew up. Kind of.'
`What?'
`Well, I don't know how far you can see, but this is an island of roughly a mile in diameter. We're in the middle of it. And this is not an island floating on a sea, no. It's an island floating on nothingness.'
`Nothingness?' she asks, shaking her head.
`Yes. It's all that's left of this world. Those that lived here somehow blew it up. Not intentionally, of course. This little island of dead land is all that survived. Around it, there is nothing but the empty void between the Planes. If you were to walk over the edge of the island, you'd fall into the void and die.'
`How can this place even exist?'
`There's something deep in the earth beneath us that keeps it intact. A source of magical power. Without it, this island would have dissolved by now.'
She looks around and observes the landscape again, now in shocked amazement.
`What must it take to cause such destruction...?' she asks, slowly.
`A lot. I have no idea what they did, but I sure am glad I wasn't here when they did it. Well, anyway, let's set up the trap for Grenshaur!'
`Alright...' she says. `What kind of trap will this be?'
`A big one!' I tell her. `First, I will conjure a couple of invisible warding spells on the ground, right here.'
I take a step forward, to show her where, but a moment later I suddenly sense powerful magical energies being released around me, and a group of humanoid figures teleport before us. Lizardmen. Around fifty of them. The one at the front is a familiar figure. Grenshaur.
Damn, the motherfucker sure got here early...
`You again?!' I address him with pretended anger. `Why don't you get off my fucking back?'
`Why don't you hand over the vampire bitch?' he says in reply.
`Why don't you shut up and draw your weapon?!' asks Flora.
For a while we all just stand in silence, fiercely staring at our opponents. Suddenly, Grenshaur draws a wand from his belt and aims it at me.
`Lights out!' he shouts. And...
`What the fuck?!' I exclaim. Everything is covered in darkness. I wave my hands and cast a spell that lets me see in darkness, but...
No effect.
No effect?
No effect!
I can't fucking see!
Fuck!
I reach out my arm and call forth my weapon. The Sword of Fury... The wicked black bladed sword that resides within my very body. The most powerful Riftblade in the Multiverse. I can't see it, but I feel it as it crawls forth from my palm. First it's like a black tentacle, but slowly it takes the shape of a blade, and not much later the rune-inscribed silver hilt takes shape as well. Finally, I hear as the lightning starts to crackle around the blade.
As the sword materializes in my hand, I hear Grenshaur's laughter.
`Hahaha! Come now, Zack! You're beaten. Blind as a bat! What are you going to do with that sword? You can't fight if you can't see!'
Suddenly I hear a voice in my mind.
`Planewalker...'
It is Evelyn. The long dead sorceress whose soul is one with the sword. She sometimes speaks to me in my mind, and rarely, very rarely, she even leaves the blade briefly in the heat of battle to unleash all her fury and anger upon my enemies.
`Evelyn?' I ask in my mind.
`Let me guide your hand...' she says. `Loosen your grip, and let me guide the sword!'
`Alright...' I tell her in my mind. Then I open my lips and shout at Grenshaur. `Bring it on, motherfucker!'
No response. I can almost see the look of shock on his ugly face. As well as the frown.
`Kill him!' he says finally. I hear the war cry of his lizardmen and I hear them approach.
I hear as one of them charges directly towards me. The sword in my hand moves into position on its own, and a moment later I hear a sound like the clashing of weapons, as my sword must have parried the lizardman's blow. A moment later, my sword slowly
pulls itself back, and then thrusts forward. I hear a cry of pain, and the sword twists itself. The painful wail grows louder, and the sword pulls itself back again. Then, I hear a body falling.
`What?!' cries out Grenshaur.
`What's the matter?' I ask with a smile. `Are your lackeys blind, too, or what?'
`Kill him! Kill him!' he screams, and more of his minions attack me. I hear how three of them approach me from different sides. I quickly conjure a magical shield around my body, just to be sure. As they approach, I let Evelyn guide my sword again.
As before, she guides the blade with perfect precision. I hear the clashing of swords, I hear the painful cries of the lizardmen. I also hear as the sword releases magical missiles from itself after each mortal blow, and I hear as these magic projectiles strike into the lizardmen and wound them more.
These magic missiles are a true asset. I was greatly surprised when I first saw them, so long ago. The sword drains the lifeforce from my foes as it strikes them and revitalizes me with it, but if the wound is severe enough to be potentially lethal, it also unleashes five magic missiles that randomly target my foes. A very useful little trick!
As the three lizardmen fall, I also hear how Flora attacks the lizardmen. I hear her kicks and her punches, the way she slashes her claws into the scale covered flesh of the lizardmen. I hear her opponents fall.
The fight goes on and our enemies fall one by one. A pity I cannot see the look on Grenshaur's ugly face. It must be priceless!
`You imbeciles!' he screams. `Kill them! I said, kill them!'
I hear as roughly six or seven of his minions rush towards me at once. Evelyn suddenly speaks to me once more.
`Reach out with the sword, Planewalker.' she says. `I will defeat them myself!'
I know exactly what she intends to do. I do as she says, and I hear it all. I hear as a ghastly smoke starts pouring out of the tip of the blade. I hear as it slowly forms a humanoid figure. The ghostly figure of a human woman, with long dark hair and a beautiful, strongly feminine wizard robe. I hear as she gracefully walks towards the approaching lizardmen and a wind with the strength of a tornado rises around her with every step. I can almost see it as she raises her arms towards them to unleash a tempest of lightning upon them. Indeed, I hear the familiar, crackling sound of lightning. I hear it strike the lizardmen, I hear them scream. I hear as Evelyn approaches them, and I hear their screams intensify as they are caught in the violent storm around her. I hear as the wind picks up their shaking bodies and tosses them about. I can almost see the shocked look upon Grenshaur's ugly face. I guess Flora must also be looking at her in surprise, not knowing who or what she is.
Twilightfall Page 6
