shaft of pure loathing Joslyn snuffed it out completely, leaving nothing but ashes. A look of bewilderment came to Tagramon's face, and Joslyn laughed. The Dream Master turned at the sound and squinted into the grayness, but Joslyn had already retreated into the mist. He looked back at the defiant little spark before him. "You are mine," he said, "This dream is mine."
"You are mine," she answered in her tiny voice, "and the dream be damned."
The Dream Master cursed and his robe blazed anew. Spires of light surrounded his face like a halo around the sun. The candle - girl laughed at him. "Where there are gods there must be devils..."
She began to grow. And change. And change. She was a goddess. She was a beast. She was Gahon the Destroyer incarnate, a red horned thing with teeth and talons flashing white. She was his very own Death, personal and immediate.
Tagramon screamed and the flame went out for good. The play changed. There is a nether - world spoken of by the Priests of Malitus, a place of eternal torment for those who do not work hard enough to end the world. Tagramon stood in the lowest pit of Damnation. The demon flicked out a scaly paw and batted the Dream Master face down on the cracked, stinking earth.
The One Nearest Somna was a pathetic sight. His body was covered with charred scraps of cloth, his hair and beard with steaks of dirt and filth. He covered his face. "Mercy, Great One!"
The demon grinned, its teeth now row on row of rusty iron spikes. "As much as you've shown, most certainly. The Dreamer does love balance."
Tagramon suddenly looked up and Joslyn, startled, took one step backward. The demon mirrored her movement.
"If Somna loves balance the Spawn of Gahon do not," he said. His voice was like cracking ice. In another moment he was on his feet. He looked the demon - image up and down with a critical eye. "You fooled me for a while — I give you that. Who are you?"
Joslyn didn't waste time trying to regain control; it was lost. The demon sprang on the Dream Master who staggered back despite himself. He waved his hands frantically and the image disappeared, but in that instant Joslyn withdrew still farther. Tagramon looked about, furious. "It's Joslyn, isn't it?" he asked, "I don't know how you managed, but it has to be you. No one else could have penetrated my dream."
She couldn't resist. You flatter me .
Tagramon smiled, and kept scanning the mist with quick bright eyes. "Not at all. Alyssa, young Ter, even Pari... they're babes next to you. They can't affect a dream, did you know that? They can barely observe one that isn't their own."
Joslyn was surprised, and wondered if he was lying. It seemed such a natural thing to do - -
The fireballs appeared out of nothing, blossoming at the edge of the dream and fanning outward. The mist retreated from them.
Careless ...
Joslyn smothered the curses; there was no time. She crouched low, selected a fireball on the far side of the circle, and snuffed it out with a blast of pure, desperate will. Tagramon expanded his dream to cover that area, bring it to light. Joslyn wasn't there. Joslyn put out another fireball, and again the Dream Master pulled the area into his dream. Nothing.
"You little bitch!"
Joslyn took a deep breath and the fireball approaching her went out. Tagramon hesitated and then Joslyn was away, into a place once lit but now discarded by the Dream Master. One by one she snuffed the other lights.
Tagramon stood alone. He nodded, slowly. "Well played, but pointless. Why attack me?"
You're having me killed. It seemed the thing to do .
"But I take no pleasure in your death; don't you see that? And now you go and ruin an old man's harmless fantasy. You're a cruel child, Joslyn."
Joslyn felt a little numb. Did he actually believe what he was saying? If yes then he was insane, and she had all the proof she needed. If not — she looked around slowly, careful not to lose sight of her opponent. She saw nothing. What was he up
"You are mine," she answered in her tiny voice, "and the dream be damned."
The Dream Master cursed and his robe blazed anew. Spires of light surrounded his face like a halo around the sun. The candle - girl laughed at him. "Where there are gods there must be devils..."
She began to grow. And change. And change. She was a goddess. She was a beast. She was Gahon the Destroyer incarnate, a red horned thing with teeth and talons flashing white. She was his very own Death, personal and immediate.
Tagramon screamed and the flame went out for good. The play changed. There is a nether - world spoken of by the Priests of Malitus, a place of eternal torment for those who do not work hard enough to end the world. Tagramon stood in the lowest pit of Damnation. The demon flicked out a scaly paw and batted the Dream Master face down on the cracked, stinking earth.
The One Nearest Somna was a pathetic sight. His body was covered with charred scraps of cloth, his hair and beard with steaks of dirt and filth. He covered his face. "Mercy, Great One!"
The demon grinned, its teeth now row on row of rusty iron spikes. "As much as you've shown, most certainly. The Dreamer does love balance."
Tagramon suddenly looked up and Joslyn, startled, took one step backward. The demon mirrored her movement.
"If Somna loves balance the Spawn of Gahon do not," he said. His voice was like cracking ice. In another moment he was on his feet. He looked the demon - image up and down with a critical eye. "You fooled me for a while — I give you that. Who are you?"
Joslyn didn't waste time trying to regain control; it was lost. The demon sprang on the Dream Master who staggered back despite himself. He waved his hands frantically and the image disappeared, but in that instant Joslyn withdrew still farther. Tagramon looked about, furious. "It's Joslyn, isn't it?" he asked, "I don't know how you managed, but it has to be you. No one else could have penetrated my dream."
She couldn't resist. You flatter me .
Tagramon smiled, and kept scanning the mist with quick bright eyes. "Not at all. Alyssa, young Ter, even Pari... they're babes next to you. They can't affect a dream, did you know that? They can barely observe one that isn't their own."
Joslyn was surprised, and wondered if he was lying. It seemed such a natural thing to do - -
The fireballs appeared out of nothing, blossoming at the edge of the dream and fanning outward. The mist retreated from them.
Careless ...
Joslyn smothered the curses; there was no time. She crouched low, selected a fireball on the far side of the circle, and snuffed it out with a blast of pure, desperate will. Tagramon expanded his dream to cover that area, bring it to light. Joslyn wasn't there. Joslyn put out another fireball, and again the Dream Master pulled the area into his dream. Nothing.
"You little bitch!"
Joslyn took a deep breath and the fireball approaching her went out. Tagramon hesitated and then Joslyn was away, into a place once lit but now discarded by the Dream Master. One by one she snuffed the other lights.
Tagramon stood alone. He nodded, slowly. "Well played, but pointless. Why attack me?"
You're having me killed. It seemed the thing to do .
"But I take no pleasure in your death; don't you see that? And now you go and ruin an old man's harmless fantasy. You're a cruel child, Joslyn."
Joslyn felt a little numb. Did he actually believe what he was saying? If yes then he was insane, and she had all the proof she needed. If not — she looked around slowly, careful not to lose sight of her opponent. She saw nothing. What was he up
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