Disclaimer: A/N: for those who forgot, I don't own Lord of the Rings, anything from Robert Asprin's Myth Series, ect. I do own my worlds and characters so please, ask my permission if you want to use them, because most likely I will say yes.
Key:
/../ indicated telepathy
Grey clouds covered the evening sky and a cold wind was blowing through the trees, the threat of rain was heavy in the air. The branches of the trees were swaying noisily in the wind, sending leaves flying around in large clouds. The sounds of hoofbeats could barely be heard above the noise as the thunder began. A single rider rode down the narrow path of the woods, trying to outrun the storm. Brynn had been called to the cabin for some reason, though Imena had refused to say what that reason was in her letter. The woman desperately hoped the elf hand't found a new demon for a pet. The last one (only in personality) had been bad enough, and as far as Brynn knew, Imena still had him.
Sure enough, as soon as she got near the stone building Brynn heard the tell-tale barks of Sparks, Imena's demon dog. The pet was a cross between a Great Dane, Irish Wolf hound and wolf, and was huge and seemed to have a distinct hatred for Brynn. Thankfully, as Brynn soon noticed, the creature was chained up. Without a word Brynn placed her horse in the stable and went inside the house, as Imena was never one for small talk. She prefered for her friends, what few she had, to just come right in.
Brynn found Imena standing next to one of her stone worktables, the one that was closest to the stove in the center of the room. The room was warm despite the fact that the fire was nearly out, Imena rarely ever made fires, as her and that element didn't get along very well, as the sorch marks on the wall well proved. Brynn added another log to the stove, then turned to find out what her friend had said was so urgent. Much to her disappointment, it was indeed another creature. A strange one, the strangest she had seen so far among those Imena had studied. It was in a glass jar, and looked like it was made of oil, but it clearly had two eyes the color of hot coals.
"Imena, why is it you always get demons as pets?"
"My pets aren't demons," Imena replied, offended.
"Then what, pray tell, is Sparks?"
"Um...overly hyper? Besides, this thing isn't a pet. I have no intention of keeping it."
"Oh? Then what is it?"
"This, my friend, is the one thing in all the worlds and universes that could kill an elf by making them sick."
"Sick? Elves don't get sick! Everyone knows that."
"Technically that is true. But this, my friend, is beyond anything I have ever seen. I found in on one of my little trips. This thing wiped out an entire village of elves when I found it. It seems to find a way inside them, then kills them from the inside out. It tried to attack me, but I caught it in this jar. Seems it can't move through glass."
"So why did you want me?"
"You know fire and I don't agree with each other, and I want to see if fire will get rid of it."
"So you want me to act as an exterminator."
"Hey, it could be worse."
"Don't remind me."
Brynn took the jar from Imena and carefully placed it inside the stove. The jar was strong enough that is wouldn't melt or break, but the creature inside was not so lucky. It seemed to know its fate, for it bagan to move around in the jar, looking for a way out. Through the flames the two women could see it writhe in pain before turning to ash. Imena carefully lifted it out of the fire with some tongs and put it on the work bench. She could feel that the creature was dead, even before the horrible stench filled the air. She quickly tossed the jar outside into the rain. The cold rain caused the jar to crack slightly, allowing some of the ash to fall into the dirt, but Imena wasn't concerned. It couldn't return from the dead.
Just then the beating of large wings could be heard above the wind, and a large dragon landed near where the jar now lay. The dragon, easily the length of the stable and just as tall, looked down at the object, wrinkling his nose at the smell. His normally soot colored hide became a bit paler with his disgust, and his emerald eyes became narrow slits.
"Please tell me Imena wasn't trying to cook dinner again," The dragon pleaded.
Brynn laughed as Imena glared at Trahern. As bad as the elf was with fire she was worse when it came to cooking.
"Nah, just some thing we fried. Apparently from what Imena says, it can kill elves."
"OH! The Bisenja," Trahern said as the understanding hit him. Imena looked shocked.
"These...things have a name?" She demanded.
"Well, yes. I saw them in the Bazar at Deva. Some Deevil was selling them. Not many were keen to buy it, so it seemed. But interestingly enough, some guy, I couldn't see him as he was covered in cloth, bought quite a few. It worried me, so I followed him. I saw him talking to some other creatures, nasty looking things from what I could see, though I couldn't get to close. He gave them each some of the Bisenja and then sent them to different worlds as far as I can tell, because they all vanished through portals. He himself muttered under his breath before leaving the same way."
"And what did he say?" Brynn and Imena asked.
"Well, he said 'Beware Middle-Earth. My conquest starts with you.'"
Key:
/../ indicated telepathy
Grey clouds covered the evening sky and a cold wind was blowing through the trees, the threat of rain was heavy in the air. The branches of the trees were swaying noisily in the wind, sending leaves flying around in large clouds. The sounds of hoofbeats could barely be heard above the noise as the thunder began. A single rider rode down the narrow path of the woods, trying to outrun the storm. Brynn had been called to the cabin for some reason, though Imena had refused to say what that reason was in her letter. The woman desperately hoped the elf hand't found a new demon for a pet. The last one (only in personality) had been bad enough, and as far as Brynn knew, Imena still had him.
Sure enough, as soon as she got near the stone building Brynn heard the tell-tale barks of Sparks, Imena's demon dog. The pet was a cross between a Great Dane, Irish Wolf hound and wolf, and was huge and seemed to have a distinct hatred for Brynn. Thankfully, as Brynn soon noticed, the creature was chained up. Without a word Brynn placed her horse in the stable and went inside the house, as Imena was never one for small talk. She prefered for her friends, what few she had, to just come right in.
Brynn found Imena standing next to one of her stone worktables, the one that was closest to the stove in the center of the room. The room was warm despite the fact that the fire was nearly out, Imena rarely ever made fires, as her and that element didn't get along very well, as the sorch marks on the wall well proved. Brynn added another log to the stove, then turned to find out what her friend had said was so urgent. Much to her disappointment, it was indeed another creature. A strange one, the strangest she had seen so far among those Imena had studied. It was in a glass jar, and looked like it was made of oil, but it clearly had two eyes the color of hot coals.
"Imena, why is it you always get demons as pets?"
"My pets aren't demons," Imena replied, offended.
"Then what, pray tell, is Sparks?"
"Um...overly hyper? Besides, this thing isn't a pet. I have no intention of keeping it."
"Oh? Then what is it?"
"This, my friend, is the one thing in all the worlds and universes that could kill an elf by making them sick."
"Sick? Elves don't get sick! Everyone knows that."
"Technically that is true. But this, my friend, is beyond anything I have ever seen. I found in on one of my little trips. This thing wiped out an entire village of elves when I found it. It seems to find a way inside them, then kills them from the inside out. It tried to attack me, but I caught it in this jar. Seems it can't move through glass."
"So why did you want me?"
"You know fire and I don't agree with each other, and I want to see if fire will get rid of it."
"So you want me to act as an exterminator."
"Hey, it could be worse."
"Don't remind me."
Brynn took the jar from Imena and carefully placed it inside the stove. The jar was strong enough that is wouldn't melt or break, but the creature inside was not so lucky. It seemed to know its fate, for it bagan to move around in the jar, looking for a way out. Through the flames the two women could see it writhe in pain before turning to ash. Imena carefully lifted it out of the fire with some tongs and put it on the work bench. She could feel that the creature was dead, even before the horrible stench filled the air. She quickly tossed the jar outside into the rain. The cold rain caused the jar to crack slightly, allowing some of the ash to fall into the dirt, but Imena wasn't concerned. It couldn't return from the dead.
Just then the beating of large wings could be heard above the wind, and a large dragon landed near where the jar now lay. The dragon, easily the length of the stable and just as tall, looked down at the object, wrinkling his nose at the smell. His normally soot colored hide became a bit paler with his disgust, and his emerald eyes became narrow slits.
"Please tell me Imena wasn't trying to cook dinner again," The dragon pleaded.
Brynn laughed as Imena glared at Trahern. As bad as the elf was with fire she was worse when it came to cooking.
"Nah, just some thing we fried. Apparently from what Imena says, it can kill elves."
"OH! The Bisenja," Trahern said as the understanding hit him. Imena looked shocked.
"These...things have a name?" She demanded.
"Well, yes. I saw them in the Bazar at Deva. Some Deevil was selling them. Not many were keen to buy it, so it seemed. But interestingly enough, some guy, I couldn't see him as he was covered in cloth, bought quite a few. It worried me, so I followed him. I saw him talking to some other creatures, nasty looking things from what I could see, though I couldn't get to close. He gave them each some of the Bisenja and then sent them to different worlds as far as I can tell, because they all vanished through portals. He himself muttered under his breath before leaving the same way."
"And what did he say?" Brynn and Imena asked.
"Well, he said 'Beware Middle-Earth. My conquest starts with you.'"