Jeff Inlo
Pure Choice
Prologue
It appeared harmless and ordinary, but if seen in direct light without shadow magic hiding its natural appearance, it would have frightened everyone in town, even the most hardened soldier. Unlike a pure shape shifter, the arasap lacked the ability to completely disguise itself, but it could manipulate its figure to match the contour of any number of creatures. Size was normally not an obstacle. The highly pliable property of its supple, liquid-like substance allowed it to expand to the height of an average tree or shrink to the size of an ordinary coin.
While proficient shape shifters could take on almost any identity and mislead the most critical observer, an arasap lacked the definition to mask itself on form modification alone. It could not physically arrange its features to appear as anything more than a transparent outline. To take on the full masquerade, it had to depend on magic.
As it walked through the town of Burbon, the lone arasap shrouded its identity by sculpting itself into a generic human form and then twisting the shadows around it. The creature relied on gloom much the same way the illusionist alters light. Though not a powerful spell caster, it utilized the gray magic to create the illusion it was nothing more than an ordinary merchant. It influenced the shades of light to contrive a face complete with aged lines and sagging skin, and it magically generated the image of thinning hair, as well as a full set of clothes.
The arasap moved through Burbon at dusk without raising the concern of the town guard it evaded at the gate or the citizens it passed on the streets. It moved with quick, deliberate steps, like a weary traveler bent from fatigue and hurrying to find cover before a coming storm. It looked like so many other traveling merchants who entered the town with the intent of making a fast sale and then heading back home.
To say the arasap walked on two legs would be somewhat deceiving. Its grease like substance gave it only the barest margin of solid form. With its profile shaped to include arms and legs, it was able to mimic the movements of a human. That, however, was where its similarity to the people of Burbon ended.
The creature did not have eyes for it did not need to see. Instead, it had thin and flexible hair-like growths that it could extend and contract at will. The tiny follicles covered its gelatinous body and served as sensory receptors. They picked up light, sound, and scent, and they allowed the arasap to gain complete awareness of its surroundings.
It also had no mouth… had no need for one. It communicated with a form of telepathy, and it did not need to eat to gain nourishment. Arasaps obtained nutrition from nonphysical sources and in a manner that defied sanity.
It was not quite the search for food that drove the creature down the streets of Burbon but an understanding that sustenance would be forthcoming if it accomplished its task. It normally would seek out novice spell casters or individuals unaware of their magical talents, but an arrangement of extraordinary circumstances persuaded the monster to seek a most unusual objective.
It would be the first, but it understood that more would come. It would prepare the host for others, make it easier for their arrival. It would have to share, but the harvest would be rich. It would not feed immediately, but it knew that when the process began, it would eat well. All it had to do was ensure it entered the proper host undetected,
It would not ask for directions in fear of revealing its presence, and so it relied upon what information it could pick up from the surrounding humans. A few words from an overheard conversation, a scent drifting from a chimney in the distance, and the recognition of street signs allowed it to hone in on its target.
The fading light assisted the arasap in its mission as it continued to stalk the shadows to avoid detection. Lonely alleys allowed it to reach its ultimate destination unnoticed, but the interior of the Borderline Inn was not quite as dark as the creature hoped. The arasap was forced to use more of the magic at its disposal to strengthen its disguise. Fortunately, it would not take long to complete its objective. It sensed the woman the moment it entered the establishment. It could not have missed her, for the total lack of magic within her was beyond repulsive to a creature that fed off incantation remnants.
It waited off to the side of the main room of the tavern. It appeared to check its pockets, but it was actually monitoring the movements of the woman before selecting a table in an isolated corner. When the timing was perfect, it quickly sat down and signaled to be served.
Linda Acumen walked up to the table. Something about the traveler unsettled her, but she had become accustomed to strange occurrences and odd visitors. Her immunity to magic kept her from touching the energy that others could use in a variety of ways, and she shook off the troubling sensation as she had done numerous times before.
"Room and a meal, just a meal, or something to drink?" she asked
"Just ale," the traveler muttered.
"I'll be right back."
As Linda swung around to return to the bar, the stranger called out.
"There is one more thing," the creature noted as it reached out and tapped Linda on the shoulder.
No one was watching, and even if someone had passed a glance to the lonely corner, another shadow spell concealed the entire table. Not a single patron of the inn noticed the disturbing sight as the arasap's masquerade slipped away and it became a thin strand of jelly that slid across Linda's neck.
Linda tried to face the guest to handle the additional request, but she could only do so as if moving in slow motion. It seemed to take forever to complete the turn, and when she did, the stranger was nowhere to be seen.
Someone or something was reaching into Baannat's realm, stealing his magic. The slink ghoul almost harshly rebuked the attempt, but instead, he decided to allow the theft to continue. After all, there was little else that interested him at the moment. The rather bold incident might lead to an amusing distraction.
Baannat had been cast into a realm of nonexistence. He once held sway over more magical energy than any creature in Uton and even found a way to avoid death, but victory always eluded him. He had been defeated by the wizard, Enin, and by the upstart delver, Ryson Acumen.
As punishment, he was reduced to a form that was neither physical or spiritual. His essence was a mix of the two and as a result he was forced to maintain his existence in an empty void that was beyond life… and death. He was the ruler of a realm of pure nothingness and his only source of entertainment came from peering into worlds beyond his direct control.
There was magic in his realm-not the same kind that flowed through Uton or the dark realm-but a hollow energy that hung in lifeless strands across the shadows of infinity. The slink ghoul had developed a connection to the dead energy and when he felt it begin to trickle out of his realm, it caught his interest.
Baannat watched the flow carefully. When the pull became stronger, his annoyance grew once more. Despite the momentary diversion the pilfering allowed, it angered him that anyone would dare steal what he felt was his and his alone. But again, he held his wrath. Even as his disturbed emotions bubbled with fury, he could not dismiss the fact that the brazen act offered a diversion… and possibly an opportunity.
While he could not open portals to escape his prison of shadow, he had limited access into other existences. He could influence creatures outside of his shadowed realm, reach into the dark lands or even into Uton with subtle manipulations. Yes, the theft of his magic was an affront to his nonexistence, but the slink ghoul was always willing to take advantage of someone else's mistake… and misfortune.