One Man's Will

Abashi climbed down the steps to his laboratory. He entered · and closed the door. With a word, Abashi locked the door. He · walked up to a stone table. A dark haired woman was tied on the · table. She was unconscious. · Abashi smiled and went to check a crib nearby. The child · within lay sleeping soundly. The Archmage took a deep breath · then went forward to check the pentagram that he had created for · the summoning. · The circle, made from blood, was written on the stone floor. · It was perfect from anyone's eyes, but Abashi. Abashi stood · scrutinizing the pentagram, then finally he was satisfied. He · had checked the pentagram a thousand times in the past week · alone. He would not take any chances with this summoning. He · walked around examined all the items needed to summon a Lord of · Night. · He placed candles at each corner of the five pointed star. · He placed several items within the circle. He moved the crib · near the circle and looked back at the woman. Smiling, he waved · his hand at the table and it shifted. The table floated about an · inch above the ground and moved nearer to the circle. · Abashi began to chant the summoning. Sweat trickled down · his back and face, as he called upon the magic. The smoke from · the candles swirled by itself within the circle. · Abashi looked at the swirl of smoke, then began the second · spell. Upon uttering the second spell, Abashi continued casting · another. Spell upon spell upon spell, Abashi casted myriads of · spells, both from memory and scrolls. Finally, after two hours, · the smoke clears. In the center of the pentagram stood a · towering figure. The woman stirred from her sleep. She looked · up and screamed. Abashi quickly turned around and shouted, · "Sleep," as he threw a fist full of sand into the air above her. · The figure stood fifteen feet tall. It was broad and · muscular. Two arms end in mighty pincers, as another pair of · arms end with taloned hands. The Lord of Night had a dog-like · face with fangs that can tear flesh, like a hot knife through · butter. It took a lot of Abashi's will just to stand there and · not run. · "Why have you summoned me?" bellowed the figure. · "I am Abashi. I have summoned you here for an exchange of · mutual pleasure. Here I have a virgin child," pointed Abashi at · the crib. "And here I have a woman of the same blood. She is to · satisfy your tastes." · The Lord of Night looked upon the child. It seems that the · child has calmed it down. Looking upon the woman, the figure's · eyes glowed a startling purple. "These are the only offerings · you have for your exchange?" · "No. These are but the beginning. At your feet, you will · find several items that might interest you. A ring of · invisibility. A cloak of displacement. A sword of wounding. A · pearl of wisdom, and a helm of teleportation." · The figure looked at each in turn. "And what do you wish in · exchange for these items?" · "I wish for immortality." · Nyke followed Halberd into the entrance. Transversing empty · corridors, Nyke felt as if something was happening in the place. · Something powerful, otherwise it wouldn't have his neck hairs up · like porcupine needles. A scream reverberated into the corridor. · Nyke jumped at the sound. Halberd whispered a word. "No!" · Halberd began to run. Nyke, not knowing what was happening, · followed close behind. Running down a stairway, they both stop · at a door. Halberd tried the knob. "It's locked, can you do · anything to open it?" · Nyke looked at the door and nodded. He knelt down and · peered through the keyhole. He stood transfixed. "Are you sure · you want to open this door?" · Halberd nodded vigorously. · Nyke pulled out two slender wires and began to fiddle with · the lock. In a minute, Nyke heard the click of the lock. He · twisted the knob, and opened the door a little. Halberd opened · the door wide and stepped in. Nyke entered behind him. · The room was filled with several skeletons on the floor. · Halberd looked about and started towards the stairs leading · downwards. Nyke grimaced as he looked at the bones and quickly · scurried after Halberd. · Halberd tore a piece of his clothing and wrapped it around · his mouth. Nyke looked at the walls and felt the smooth surface, · thinking how much an artisan will pay for such stone. The stench · of sulfur assaulted their nostrils. Halberd was prepared, but · Nyke cursed silently at him for not telling him. Halberd grinned · into his mouth covering. · "Where are we going?" · "I'm not really sure. I'm trying to remember where the · laboratory was," whispered Halberd. · "Great, blind man leading blind man," muttered the thief. · "Hush, I hear something," motioned the warrior. · They could hear the movement, but was uncertain as to what · it is. A roar erupted into the silence that caused Nyke to jump. · "What was that?" · "Oh yeah, the guardian," said Halberd matter of factly. · "Guardian? What guardian?" · Halberd motioned for silence. · The roar resounded once more. Nyke hated this situation · more and more. The steps turned smoother and warmer. It took · them a good twenty minutes to reach the end of the stairs. Nyke · was close to soiling his pants. · Halberd looked at Nyke and motioned caution. Nyke drew his · sword. Halberd sneaked near the opening and jumped pass it as · fast as he could. Nyke followed quickly and managed to peek into · the opening. He saw the source of the roar. Nyke saw a dog · chained to the wall. He turned to look at Halberd and found him · chuckling. · "You and your guardian," frowned Nyke in humiliation. · They followed a corridor that Halberd pointed as familiar. · A voice whispered into the corridor, "Why have you come? Do you · not know the danger of this place? Do you not know what would · happen if the master knows I am talking to you again?" · "Who's that?" crouched Nyke, waving his sword threateningly. · "Shh, close your eyes. Whatever you do, do not open them · when she is here." · "What? Are you..." Nyke was saying when he was interrupted · by a slender woman figure cloaked and robed in dark colors. · "Close your eyes now." · Nyke was about to disagree when he saw a tendril of her hair · come out, a snake. Nyke remembered the myth and quickly closed · his eyes. He also placed his back to the wall in the case · something will happen. · "It has been a long time Finalda." · "Yes, very long. I have not had anyone to talk to in all · this time. I had hoped that you would come back. The master · never knew we met or talked." · "That was what I was counting on. Do you know where he is?" · "He is sacrificing a woman and her child. They should be at · the old throne room. The room is big enough for the ceremony." · "The throne room, I should have guessed," nodded Halberd · while his eyes is closed. · Nyke stepped on something small. He reached down and felt a · small elongated stone statuette. He opened his eyes and saw that · he was staring at a stone rat. · "Hey, Halberd. I..." uttered Nyke before he turned to stone. · "What is it Nyke? Nyke?" · "Oh no,"whispered Finalda. · "What happened?" · "Your friend looked at me. He turned to stone." · "No," cracked Halberd's voice. · "Oh, no worry. I'll call Mino and he can turn him back." · "Mino? Who's that?" · "Oh, that's the Maedar I fell in love with," smiled Finalda · at the blind warrior. · "Ok, get him back fast. I would appreciate my friend being · flesh than stone. I hope to meet him sometime." · "I'll tell him where the throne room can be found," smiled · Finalda the medusa. · Halberd nodded and reached out to touch the medusa's · shoulder and cloaked her face. "It's not that I don't like you, · but I like to keep myself soft," giggled Halberd and walked off · towards the throne room. Finalda watched his back for a few · moments while smiling in the shadows of her cloak. The medusa · went off to look for her mate so that he can return Nyke to · himself. · Abashi noticed that the Lord of Night seems to be in · thought. It opened its mouth to answer, then stopped. It sat · down. Abashi noticed that its gaze was behind him. He turned · around. The door was open, and a few feet into the room was · Halberd. · "I have had enough of these interruptions. I had it from · your father, and that's why I killed him," shouted Abashi, as he · pulled a slender wand out of his robe. He pointed the wand at · Halberd and unleashed a bolt of lightning. · Halberd tried to jump out of the way. He was caught by the · blast and was slammed into the wall. · Halberd slowly got up. "Abashi. I will not rest until I · kill you with my bare hands," with that, He limped towards · Abashi. · Abashi looked back at the creature and screamed, "Grant me · my request now!" The Lord of Night seems to be smiling at the · mage. · Abashi angered by the obvious delay, turned around and · released another bolt at Halberd. Halberd managed to move in · time, but caught some of the electricity that passed by. He took · one step, then another. Slowly, he was nearing Abashi. · Nyke followed the directions of Finalda and managed to get · to the wall. Pressing the stone wall, he opened it. He heard · the sizzle of something flying below. He ventured a peek into · the room and saw the creature staring right at him. He ducked · back behind the wall. · Abashi tried to send another bolt, but none was released. · Halberd saw that the wand seems to fail. He jumped at the mage. · Abashi dodged out of the way. The mage grabbed something on · the table and started to intone a spell. · Halberd looked up to see small points of light collide into · his chest. He tumbled over. Darkness seem to creep along the · walls, stealing the light from his eyes. He tried to stand, but · he can't move. It was then that he heard Danea's voice. · "Halberd, help me." · Danea woke up once more. Shaking off the sand that was on · her face, she looked around. She was glad to see that Jaila was · still alive, but she saw Halberd on the floor. She tried to · stand up, but her hands and legs were bound. · Abashi returned back in front of the circle. "I want you to · grant me the request, O Lord of the Night." · The creature tilted its head, "I do not think you are done." · Abashi turned around and saw that Halberd was still · breathing. With anger in his face, He chanted another spell. · Nyke yelled out loud as he jumped down from the vantage · point that he held. He landed into a roll that took him beside · the mage and sliced upwards. · The mage cried out in pain, and in haste he rubbed at the · ring on his finger and disappeared. · Nyke quickly came to a halt. He looked at the spot where · the mage was in confusion. He looked up and saw the creature · pointing behind him. He turned around. Nyke saw the mage · pointing at him. "Die," said the mage. · Abashi returned in front of the circle. "I think I am · finished with the interruptions. Will you grant my request now?" · The creature looked at the mage and said, "I will." · Abashi was about to breath in triumph when he heard the · creature continue. "After, you have delivered the woman and the · child within the circle." · Danea heard this and shouted out, "Halberd, help me." · Abashi chuckled, "I don't think he can help you now." · Abashi pointed at the table where Danea was and slowly · guided it towards the circle. Danea squirmed on the table, but · it was no use. · The table was almost at the circle, when Abashi felt · something touch his shoulder. He was abruptly turned around and · he felt the blow to his jaw. He saw Halberd standing there, with · glaring eyes. · Halberd swung once more. · Abashi tried to dodge, but his opponent was to close. He · saw another blow coming, and managed to dodge it. It was then he · realized that the blow was a feint. Abashi was kicked hard, and · was sent sprawling onto the floor. He tried to stand, but he · felt the kicks into his chest and side. The blows stopped. · Abashi hazarded a glance and saw that Halberd was by the woman. · Halberd was taking off the rope that tied her. · Abashi drew out his dagger. He knew that it was poisoned · for he coated it himself. He walked up as quietly as he could to · Halberd's back. · Danea was relieved to see Halberd. Halberd had managed to · untie her arms and she sat up to help him untie her legs. She · saw the mage coming closer and cried out. · Halberd tried to turn around, but someone else moved much · faster. Nyke tackled the mage to the ground. The mage quickly · stood up and began casting a spell. Nyke took a quick look at · halberd and both lashed out with their legs, kicking the mage · into the circle. · "Nooooo..." screamed Abashi as he looked up into glowing · purple eyes. · Halberd finished untying Danea and hugged her. They both · looked around. Abashi wasn't around, and neither was the · creature. · "Nyke, I saw you die." · "You know, I thought so too. There is just one catch. If · the spell didn't work and you acted the part. Wouldn't you still · be alive then?" winked Nyke. · Halberd turned to Danea and whispered, "Everything's going · to be okay," as he hugged her close. · Nyke took a good look around. While Halberd's back is · turned, Nyke took his sword and tapped the items within the · circle out. With as much quickness as he can muster, he stuffed · the items into his pockets and in his tucked shirt.