wrath over something with no value?"
"I am in need of an agent; one who will not raise the suspicions of certain individuals. The doppelganger will attach itself to these individuals so that I might make needed adjustments in order to gain my advantage."
"A waste of power. There are other creatures just as suited for such a need."
"Unfortunately, there are not. My plans require a certain level of sophistication. The individuals I intend to engage will include an elf with the ability to sense dark creatures and a wizard highly sensitive to magic. A shape-shifter without the cunning of a doppelganger would be immediately recognized by the elf, and a spell of illusion would be noticed by the wizard. I need a creature capable of masking itself from individuals of high sensitivity. I also need its ability to mask the presence of the dathit. A doppelganger is the only creature I can depend on for such complex designs."
"Then why the dathit? There is nothing sophisticated about such an immense creature. If fully unleashed, it could destroy an entire world."
"I will also be engaged with a spirit entity," Baannat revealed, "and while I have no intention of obliterating any world, the need to neutralize a ghost warrior will require the deployment of substantial power. I must make the threat equal to the task."
"And is this all you require?" Reiculf questioned with a snicker.
"No, as you have also noted, I also desire Ansas to be returned to my... care."
"You ask for a great deal, slink ghoul. To give you dominion over a dathit in itself is no insubstantial feat. And to allow such a creature to move freely between realms is no simple task. A doppelganger... a dathit... the return of Ansas to your domain; what could you possibly offer in return? You rule over nothingness. My hate has substance. What could you give me in terms of equal value?"
"Ryson Acumen and his wife."
Chapter 8
Ryson would have preferred reaching Enin's home on foot. He could have avoided the busier roads and raced through back alleys and side streets. He also didn't appreciate sharing a carriage with Neltus, but he decided he should keep an eye on the hefty wizard until they reached their destination.
When they arrived at Enin's house, they were met at the door by a half dozen dogs thrilled to see the delver. After Ryson greeted each tail-wagging animal, he announced the reason for their visit.
Enin guided his visitors to the study where he could consider Neltus' proposal with fewer distractions. Enin was almost as suspicious of Neltus' motives as Ryson had been, but he had agreed to listen to the ex-wizard's plea. He, above all others, understood the emptiness which plagued a spell caster unable to hold magic. After hearing Neltus' initial theory, Enin dismissed the proposal as empty hope.
"Don't you think I would have considered that?" Enin questioned Neltus.
"You might have," Neltus allowed, "but not in the manner I have. Look at how the algors live. They're out in the desert, they congregate in those sandstone cliffs, they live closer to the land than anyone else. More importantly, even the way they use the magic is different."
"How do you see it as different?"
"What do they do when they want to use magic?"
"They are healers."
"Not when they want to attack. When they want to use magic against someone, they create sand giants. That's why I understand them differently than you. I see how they use the land with their magic."
Enin agreed that each individual used magic differently. Unique skills and practiced techniques allowed for spell casters to utilize different spells in different ways. His own perception gave him insight into magic few had ever possessed. Still, those differences did not offer a solution to the problem of losing a core. No matter how magic was used, it had certain distinct qualities which could not be altered or ignored.
"Their use of the magic is irrelevant to our underlying problem," Enin professed. "You
"I am in need of an agent; one who will not raise the suspicions of certain individuals. The doppelganger will attach itself to these individuals so that I might make needed adjustments in order to gain my advantage."
"A waste of power. There are other creatures just as suited for such a need."
"Unfortunately, there are not. My plans require a certain level of sophistication. The individuals I intend to engage will include an elf with the ability to sense dark creatures and a wizard highly sensitive to magic. A shape-shifter without the cunning of a doppelganger would be immediately recognized by the elf, and a spell of illusion would be noticed by the wizard. I need a creature capable of masking itself from individuals of high sensitivity. I also need its ability to mask the presence of the dathit. A doppelganger is the only creature I can depend on for such complex designs."
"Then why the dathit? There is nothing sophisticated about such an immense creature. If fully unleashed, it could destroy an entire world."
"I will also be engaged with a spirit entity," Baannat revealed, "and while I have no intention of obliterating any world, the need to neutralize a ghost warrior will require the deployment of substantial power. I must make the threat equal to the task."
"And is this all you require?" Reiculf questioned with a snicker.
"No, as you have also noted, I also desire Ansas to be returned to my... care."
"You ask for a great deal, slink ghoul. To give you dominion over a dathit in itself is no insubstantial feat. And to allow such a creature to move freely between realms is no simple task. A doppelganger... a dathit... the return of Ansas to your domain; what could you possibly offer in return? You rule over nothingness. My hate has substance. What could you give me in terms of equal value?"
"Ryson Acumen and his wife."
Chapter 8
Ryson would have preferred reaching Enin's home on foot. He could have avoided the busier roads and raced through back alleys and side streets. He also didn't appreciate sharing a carriage with Neltus, but he decided he should keep an eye on the hefty wizard until they reached their destination.
When they arrived at Enin's house, they were met at the door by a half dozen dogs thrilled to see the delver. After Ryson greeted each tail-wagging animal, he announced the reason for their visit.
Enin guided his visitors to the study where he could consider Neltus' proposal with fewer distractions. Enin was almost as suspicious of Neltus' motives as Ryson had been, but he had agreed to listen to the ex-wizard's plea. He, above all others, understood the emptiness which plagued a spell caster unable to hold magic. After hearing Neltus' initial theory, Enin dismissed the proposal as empty hope.
"Don't you think I would have considered that?" Enin questioned Neltus.
"You might have," Neltus allowed, "but not in the manner I have. Look at how the algors live. They're out in the desert, they congregate in those sandstone cliffs, they live closer to the land than anyone else. More importantly, even the way they use the magic is different."
"How do you see it as different?"
"What do they do when they want to use magic?"
"They are healers."
"Not when they want to attack. When they want to use magic against someone, they create sand giants. That's why I understand them differently than you. I see how they use the land with their magic."
Enin agreed that each individual used magic differently. Unique skills and practiced techniques allowed for spell casters to utilize different spells in different ways. His own perception gave him insight into magic few had ever possessed. Still, those differences did not offer a solution to the problem of losing a core. No matter how magic was used, it had certain distinct qualities which could not be altered or ignored.
"Their use of the magic is irrelevant to our underlying problem," Enin professed. "You
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