The Shadow Within (closed)

[Erlind]

Kingdoms fell at his touch. Pillars of virtue would crumble at his feet. He reveled in the corruption and degradation of generations. Heroes would stand against his might and sometimes even cast him down, but the shadow of mankind never truly disappeared.

The corrosive shadow. The corrupt duke. Vasconan, Lord of the Depraved Hall in the depths of Hell. He had been known by many names, but after those foolish priests trapped him in their temple man began to forget his names. He’d driven every last one of them mad of course. He’d watched brother take the life of brother and that had been the least of the depravities he’d encouraged, but eventually there was no one left. The occasional idle treasure seeker would pass through, but even when they did not flee they provided little entertainment. So few out in the world had the power to break the hold his place had on him anymore. The old ways were dying. Even if someone did the demon had been dormant so long he wasn’t sure he could take physical form on his own. Still, time taught patience and his evil was ageless.

* * *

Sun streamed in through what was left of the roof. Only the stone arches that had formed it structure remained now, the wood rotted away into nothing ages ago. The stone floor once so smooth was now jagged and uneven as tree roots pushed the stones up. While the plants had taken hold sending ivy up the walls, no birds sang here and not even the rats dared to enter this place. Animals were smarter than men in many ways. Still, the hall remained hallow and would hold an evil to it until the bindings were broken.

Vasconan stirred as he felt people approach his prison once again. Today was different though. The rest were boring mundane worthless people, but one of them bore the mark of real power, an old magic that pulsed within and called to him. The demon reached out and could feel her. It was a woman that had somehow managed to learn the old ways of magic. There was only one reason she would come to this place. Perhaps they thought they could destroy him or perhaps they did not even understand what he was, but whatever the reason that meant to loose his bonds and cast him out of this place.

Suddenly the very foundations of the temple shook and dust flew off from the stones above. The structure stayed sound, but it was clear there was something here. Vasconan had decided if he went quietly the woman casting him out might suspect something. Those gathered would see a spectacle and be satisfied. His best work was done on the ignorant.

 

[Emstar202]

Jenevieve entered the derelict temple cautiously, yet with an air of confidence. She'd expelled many demons in her young life, and this one should be no different. Jenevieve was a highly talented sorceress. She'd trained all her life as part of the Mystic Order, and had excelled greatly. As much as she'd like to claim it was from hard work and effort, much of Jenevieve's talents came from within. The gift for the ancient magics was in her blood.

The temple was ancient and empty, save for the monstrous demon within and the fallen warriors who'd ventured within in search of treasure, only to be slashed down by the mighty Vasconan. He was immensely powerful, but priests had managed to trap him here centuries ago. If he'd been able to be trapped, then he was capable of being expelled. The corpses of the fallen priests and foolish adventurers were littered throughout the narrow passageways in various states of decay. Her temporary companion, Rufus, a dwarf of a man, trailed behind the others, quickly yet thoroughly digging through the corpses' pockets and purses in search of petty treasure.

"Rufus!" Jenevieve called, not bothering to turn around. The twitchy fellow leaped up from his current morsel as if slapped. "Hurry along," she continued in a commanding tone, "We have more important matters to deal with than scavenging from the dead. Leave them in peace."

"It's not like they've got a use for their possessions any longer, mistress," Rufus reasoned in his raspy voice.

Jenevieve heard but did not respond. Rufus was not her responsibility, that fell on Josef's shoulders. The man in question turned and grasped his companion by the collar, forcing him on. "Rufus, let's go! You can pillage their pockets after she's dealt with the demon." In contrast to Rufus, Josef was a tall, lanky fellow with a missing front tooth and straw colored hair. Rufus grumbled under his breath, but kept up with Jenevieve and the others for now.

The two rogues were not Jenevieve's ideal companions, but they had been adamant about accompanying her and the other mages from the Mystic Order into the ruin. The pair had insisted they knew the ruin best, seeing as they lived near by, but it was becoming clear as the group progressed that they knew just about as much of this ancient temple as any local tavern maid. Jenevieve should have known better than to take the slippery rogues. Josef wasn't so bad, but Rufus was becoming a problem. She was expecting him to pilfer some unholy artifact and bring the demon's wrath down upon them.

There were five of them in all, the two rouges, Jenevieve, and two of the best mages from the Order. Jenevieve had excelled in her teaching and had left years ago, but she often performed favors for the group, such as the dispelling of demons. Vasconan was idle in his temple, but it was better to be rid of him now than risk having him around, murdering any adventurers who crossed into his temple.

The rooms began to get colder the further they traversed into the temple, so Jenevieve let loose her long, ebony hair and tugged her forest green robes tighter around her. The group reached a circular door embedded with old, elven ruins from the ancient days. Upon pushing it open, a gust of air hit them forcefully, sending Rufus flying off his feet. The temple shook violently, as if in the midst of a great earthquake. Dust and stones fell from the high, arched ceiling, and the group had to cover their heads and faces quickly in order to remain unscathed.

“Have you done it? Is he gone?” Asked Josef in a hushed, hopefully tone.

“No,” Jenevieve answered firmly. “I can still feel his presence.”

The entered the large, dome- like room. There were more dull ruins carved into the floor. It appeared to be the room where they'd trapped Vasconan long ago. "We'll set up the ritual here," Jenevieve announced. "Mara, Raithe, you've practiced this many times. Set up the ritual as I prepare the recitation." Jenevieve strode away from the group then, feeling a heavy ache upon her forehead. She could feel the demon's presence very strongly now. She needed some time to prepare herself mentally, but by the time her students finished, she'd be ready.

 

[Erlind]

Vasconan would have smiled if he had a mouth. The one that sought to banish him was so young and sure of herself. She would be a perfect means of returning to the world. She wouldn’t be easily fooled though and so the demon began his work. He much preferred the manipulation of minds, whispering darkness until baser instincts overcame and provided what he wanted, but this required he not show off his finesse just yet. Two things began happening. The first was obvious and demanded attention and the second hopefully the young woman standing in his prison wouldn’t realize was happening.

The air began to crackle as those gathered scurried about preparing a ritual to rid this place of him. Candles were lit and symbols were drawn by the frantic people overseen by the sorceress. Suddenly the static that had been building in the air erupted into arcs of deep violet electricity. They had completed the important parts of their work, whether they realized it or not the rest was unnecessary. Ceremony was added to the spell over the centuries.

Vasconan made a show of chasing the acolytes away from their duties. The unnatural lightning ripped across the leg of one of the lesser casters as she fled towards the safety of her mistress. Her leg was burned rather badly, but she would survive. Casaulties were an important part of the illusion of a hard won battle. As the demon occupied the foolish mortals with very mortal concerns he pursued other work. He began lightly probing the mind of the one ready to free him.

Jenevieve. A name for what would ultimately prove his liberator. She had a bloodline saturated in the magic of old. That was something to investigate later perhaps. There was always a reason for such things. A life of training and order had let her tap the power within thus far. Interesting. Such lives rarely offered much time for personal pleasures to those that lived them. Useful. As the demon gently, subtly probed her mind the conditions in the room intensified. A great wind filled the room as unnatural as the lightning and the walls began again to shake. Through all the chaos though the components of the ritual remained untouched and those gathered around his Jenevieve were treated the same.

 

[Emstar202]

"Stay calm! You're reacting just the way he wants you to! He's trying to scare you! Continue preparing the ritual!" Jenevieve commanded in a sharp, aggressive tone. For a young woman of 22, she possessed maturity beyond her years. While many of her fellow apprentices had played with their magic and new found power, Jenevieve had learned early on in life she had to be disciplined to master her spells, thus she had come out of the Order a highly powerful sorceress, one of the best, according to popular belief.

Vasconan created chaos around them, crackling the air with electricity, sending lightning strikes after her younger companions, distracting them from their duties. At the same time, the dull headache affecting Jenevieve grew stronger, and she instinctively clutched her forehead, as if holding off the pain. Raithe rushed towards her, shouting through her hazy mind that they'd completed the ritual.

Perhaps Jenevieve had underestimated this demon's power. She did not know why he wasn't causing more destrution to the enviornment or her companions, and instead chose to focus most of his power on causing her immense growing pain, but she was sure he had a sinister reason behind it. She would have to grit her teeth against the pain and banish him as swiftly as possible.

The young but mighty sorceress approached the center of the symbols her acolytes had created. She took a deep, unsteady breath and summoned her inner power. The supernatural wind picked up around her, shoving her companions roughly into walls, but leaving Jenevieve untouched. Her hair and robes to whipped around her person violently, but she was not thrown off her feet. It was almost as if she weren't affected. This was strange and worrisome. Why was the demon not trying to prevent the one person trying to banish him and instead focusing on her lesser companions? Perhaps he believed her mortal, tender feelings would distract her from the spell. He should have known better than to believe that. Jenevieve ignored all the physical aspects, and concentrated all her mental power on the spell. Her lips formed silent words as she recited the complicated incantation in her mind. She was a practiced sorceress, and did not need to speak in order for her spells to work. In fact, she found they were more powerful when she focused all her mind's energy on creating them internally, rather than declaring her intent with words.

Minutes passed. Jenevieve stayed utterly still, and the wind went wild. A faint light began to grow from her chest, growing brighter and brighter as the spell gained strength. Soon, she would have this dastardly demon banished from this realm.

 

[Erlind]

She was bright. He could tell she questioned the show he was presenting her with. Lightning arced past Jenevive’s face, a near miss. He needed a death, but one she wouldn’t be upset about later. Vasconan searched her feelings. A thief, a necessary evil she had brought as a guide. Perfect.

Lightning lashed out and found the chest of a short stout man that had strayed from the group. Even in the midst of all the chaos the man named Rufus had been slipping stolen treasures into his own pack. The thief fell to the ground with a large charred spot on his chest to mark the strike. Then, slowly he drew his last breath. The death of a pathetic man was always satisfying.

Vasconan turned his attention on Jenevieve. The shapely young sorceress radiated with power. The spell was almost complete. The dark electricity gathered in the center of the room no longer content to dissipate after a strike instead it swirled and twisted until it formed a face. The wind was deafening and as the spell reached its crescendo the face formed by dark energy roared in frustration before suddenly breaking apart. The wind died and light returned to the temple. The inhabitants would surely feel the difference. The only thing amiss at all, if anyone even noticed, was Jenevieve’s shadow was darker than it should have been. A silent sign of the trial’s effect on her.

The demon would remain with her for weeks before making his first move. He would not probe her mind or cause her any ill. Vasconan would wait for patience was paramount in the art of corruption. It could not be forced.

 

[Emstar202]

Jenevieve collapsed onto the cold, cracked floor of the temple the instant she felt the demon's power falter and cease to be within the temple walls. At the same time, the chaos Vasconan had conjured in the room, the lightning and the wind, ceased to be and sunlight flooded the temple once more. Jenevieve breathed deeply upon the crumbling stones, body shaking and sweating profusely. Her companions from the Order rushed to her side. Mara raised a container of water to her lips and the older mage drunk from it gratefully, sputtering slightly.

"Thank you," she said. "You both did a fine job." She praised them, clamoring to her feet with their aid. Many mages were perceived to be tiny and delicate, but Jenevieve was tall, shapely, and graceful.

A harsh wail suddenly pierced the still air and the three mages turned to see Josef hunched over Rufus' corpse. This was the first Jenevieve had seen of his death, as she'd been so intent on the spell the world had ceased to exist around her. On shaky legs, she approached the rogue, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry about your friend, Josef. But now the temple is free of Vasconan's evil presence. Surely you can find some solace in that."

The rogue looked up at her through blurry eyes. "Easy for you to say. Your friends didn't die!"

Yet even with the sadness that resonated in his tone, Josef still found the strength to gather all the loot Rufus had left behind before the group turned to leave the temple, yet left his friend's tiny body there to rot.

***

The nearby towns rejoiced at Vasconan's banishment. Though demons were never truly defeated, his banishment would leave the towns at peace from him for at least a century before he found the means to return.

Jenevieve rested up for several weeks in the town, relying on the citizens' hospitality. The moment she felt up for it though, she vacated their presence and escorted her apprentices back to the Order to give Belethor her full report. Jenevieve did not feel the presence of the demon in all her weeks of travel, and to her, all seemed well. His presence was so muted, and his corruption so slow, that she would not notice the dark, foreboding being within her before it was too late.

 

[Erlind]

Weeks after the events at the temple in the depths of night Jenevieve had a dream and the demon watched. She was a statuesque figure moving amongst the peasants she had saved at the temple. The town had the quality you would expect of a dream. A haze of not quite real that Vasconan was all too familair with. It was a benign kind of dream, the kind you forgot when you woke, because there was no reason to remember it. The demon decided to change that.

Suddenly a man pushed his way past a group of gossiping young women to confront the sorceress. It was Josef, his brother had been the one to die at the temple. His teeth were clenched and his eyes alight with rage.

“Why?!”

The single word echoed out against the dream and Vasconan could feel it had nearly woken his subject up. He toned down his efforts and Josef’s lowered in a dark and menacing way.

“You’re so powerful. You could have saved him. Why wouldn’t you? Did Rufus really deserve to die? Why?”

The villagers had all stopped and were now watching the pair. At the back of the audience a finely dressed young man with wild black hair watched with a slight grin. The man was out of place in the crowd and his eyes were red. They didn’t glow or anything so obvious, but they were still red. The demon watched.

 

[Emstar202]

Jenevieve walked through the crowd of peasants. Her environment was hazy, and the beings she passed by all seemed blurry and unnatural in appearance. The youthful mage did not realize this of course, for in dreams all seems normal. She was simply meandering through the crowds, with no particular direction in mind. She was dressed in her usual green robes with the amber sash, and her long ebony hair hung heavy on her back. She was just passing a group of gossiping women when Josef burst through the crowd, immediately hurling accusations.

Jenevieve felt pity for him, and her calm demeanor faltered slightly. "I could not save him. It would have interrupted the ritual, however, I am awfully sorry for your loss," she explained, voice calm and full of reason as usual. She was a logical woman, and did not waste time trying to comfort people with well rehearsed words, but instead spoke with good sense and honesty. The crowd around them fell silent and still, all intently watching their exchange. Josef himself did not seem pleased with her response, but Jenevieve knew there was nothing she could say to console him.

 

[Erlind]

The demon felt oddly proud. He’d chosen a quarry that wasn’t easily rattled. She could have so easily been like a child waving a weapon it didn’t understand, but she wasn’t. The sorcerous wouldn’t be scared of a simple boogie man. He couldn’t wait to dig into her and find out where crawled inside the decadent little morsel.

Jenevieve’s calm cool responses only seemed to enrage Josef, “You let him die on purpose. I saw the way you looked at us. We’re forced to take a lower road to make our living and it disgusted you. You weren’t even trying to protect us, any of us.”

Suddenly another voice joined in from the back of the crowd, “Protect us? She was here for whatever selfish reason mages have. A dozen could have died. You can see she doesn’t care.” Slowly more voices joined in refusing a moment for Jenevieve to defend herself. It was becoming a growing din of accusations anger and fear all centered on the sorcerous that had banished the demon for their town. The crowd was holding her accountable for every dark mystery that haunted their small corner of the world and every scary tale woven by the fire on a dark night.

“I didn’t ask her to come here.” The crowd moved closer.

“Emotionless bitch should have died instead of him.” They pushed in around her.

“Who knows what she’s done to get that kind of power. I wonder if she’s even really human.”

Then as Jenevieve looked the other way a boy of about ten or eleven picked a knuckle sized rock off the ground and hurled it at her hitting her in the face. It didn’t draw blood, but did leave a large red scrape across her cheek. The boy laughed in glee.

“Witch!”

Back against the baker’s shop the man with dull red stood. His eyebrows were irritated slants and clenched teeth hid behind lips closed tight. She hadn’t shown guilt at the thief’s accusations. Now confronted with something she couldn’t ignore how would she react? The demon watched, utterly amused.

 

[Emstar202]

What Josef was saying was ignorant and idiotic. Her job was to protect people, not bring death upon them. Rufus had been a mistake, a single death as sacrifice for a greater good. Could Josef not understand that? His words both stung and offended her. Yes, she did not respect him or his late brother, but that did not mean she hadn’t tried to protect them. Jenevieve was greatly offended by him. She tried to jostle by him, but a crowd was closing in, hurling insults.

How had this happened? Moments ago she’d been their savior, and now she was a common witch to be burned at the stake? “You know that isn’t true. I live to protect this world. I—“ But her words could not be heard over the din, and the more the people buzzed, the more she weakened. The steady expression she’d kept began to falter and turned into a look of distress. Usually, subjects were grateful for her help. True, there was always those few who presumed she was evil because she possessed magical ability, but having the whole town against her? It was rare.

Jenevieve flinched as a rock hit her cheek, thrown by a young boy. Her hand raised to her cheek and she grimaced. “Sacrifices have to be made for the greater good!” She explained, as the towns folk closed in even closer. She could barely move without colliding with one of them. The dreamscape had the faces looking fuzzy and similar, just blank canvases.

“Who knows what she’s done to get that kind of power. I wonder if she’s even really human.”

In her dream as well as in her bed at the Mythic Order’s castle tower, Jenevieve began to sweat at this. Yes, she was born with innate natural power, but she’d had to do something to enhance it… to achieve the height of her power...All mages had to; if they wanted to reach their full potential.

Blood of a Virgin
Tooth from a Demon
Bone from a fair-weather friend

Heart of a lover
Spittle of a slave
Hair of a noble

And a piece of your very soul
All this ye must do
Then the Almighty Power be thee own


The Mythic chant ran through her mind. Only the best mages were told the Order’s deepest secrets of how to attain great power. They’d convinced her to follow through with a ritual in order for her power to reach it’s full potential; said it’d be for the greater good. Sacrifices must be made….

The voices swirled around her, growing louder and louder. “Stop it!” Jenevieve howled, hands covering her ears.

 

[Erlind]

The demon was filled with glee as he watched Jenevieve breaking down under the pressure from around her and from something else. Some stray comment had struck a chord and begun tearing her down from the outside as well. Delightful. Vasconan decided he would have to investigate the cause when he felt more secure in his position with her. Instead the time for the moment that would truly put his foot in the door of her mind.

The red eyed man couldn’t stand it anymore. The villagers needed to be put in their place. Strong arms pushed people aside and made a path to the center of the crowd. He put himself between the young sorceress in green and the bulk of the crowd and with fists shaking in rage began to rebuke them.

“STOP!” The villagers fell silent and looked at each other nervously unsure of what to do.

“This woman saved you. She is better than any of you, but rather than scorn you she used her power to protect everyone she could. None of you deserved her act of kindness. Now look at you. Just STOP!”

This time the final word from the young man’s mouth echoed and the whole world seemed to shake and ripple. Dust kicked up into the air and he stood close to Genevieve with his back to her ready to defend the woman if need be. When everything settled though and the view was clear, everyone had gone. The village lay empty and quiet except the odd pair standing together at its center.

 

[Emstar202]

Jenevieve was livid with anger and guilt. Magical energy crackled in her finger tips. The townsfolk were getting restless and violent; she feared she would have to use force to stop them from physically injuring her. She didn't bother with reasoned words any longer; she knew her protests would not be heard above the din. She began to create a force field around herself, and was about to send off a magical pulse to push the villagers back so she could get through the mob when one deafening voice rang out above all the others.

A strong young man with blood red eyes and dark, ebony hair had shoved the villagers aside so he too stood in the center of the mob beside Jenevieve. There was great authority in his voice, and a tone that left all too afraid to rebuke him. His words surprised Jenevieve. In this nightmare, everyone had been against her. Later, upon looking back on the dream, she would ponder if this man was her subconscious assuring her she was a good person, despite her occasional doubt.

When the last word was spoken, it resonated throughout the small square and past the corners of her dream into the recesses of her mind. The townsfolk faded away as dust kicked up around them. The whole world seemed to rumble and the very fabric of the dream and her mind seemed to tear. Jenevieve knew this man possessed great power as well. "Thank you. I appreciate your support, though I could have dealt with them myself," she told her would be savior.

 

[Erlind]

She was already willing to defend herself. Use such power against those that feared what they could never understand. There had been a thousand ways out for one with such power, but she had chosen force. Vasconan couldn’t have been happier.

A shimmering force field now stood between them. She hadn’t needed him after all. The young man with wild dark hair smiled and chuckled.

“I knew you could, but I didn’t know if you would or not. Sometimes those from the order can’t seem to do what they must.” He shook his head with a soft smile when he spoke of the order as if talking about a child that knew no better than to touch a hot stove. Then his word became quiet and almost inaudible.

“Don’t worry about any thanks. You did the same for me after all.”

The mysterious man touched the barrier and then turned away. Slowly everything faded as morning began to wake the woman whose dream it was. They would see each other again soon.