They scrambled in front of the door. There was no time for the Company to cast any spells or do more than assess what was approaching them.
Shadow-creatures flowed down the hallway in a loose, twitching mass of wraith-like limbs and smoky bodies — it was difficult to count how many there were, but they numbered well over two dozen. Ten black wolves trotted ahead; they were four feet tall at the shoulder, their red eyes blazing; they announced their presence with unearthly growls.
At the head of this army was the Shade Lord in Merella's body, floating above the ground with a white robe trailing behind her. The ranger's skin was paper-thin, marked with folds and wrinkles and clinging to her thin limbs. Her long, matted hair was almost entirely white.
The Shade Lord spoke: "Did you think that I could not sense the death of my guardian, or that I would simply wait for you?" The voice that came from Merella's body creaked from disuse. "You thought to starve me by closing the portal. But even if the conduit is shut, matter from the Plane of Shadow still abounds here, and while it remains, I am free to rule."
The Shade Lord stretched a knobbed, pale hand towards the vaulted ceiling. Shadow-stuff that had fled the dragon's body was still lingering inside the dome, but a smoky, undulating tendril made its way down to the Shade Lord's fingertip. The wrinkled hand drank in some of the smoky matter, drawing in a long stream from the ceiling.
Azuredge flew through the air, but with a thought and a second wrinkled hand, the Shade Lord stopped the axe in place. He withdrew from the dragon's leftover energy and clenched his fist, giving a grin that resembled a death's-head. "I have other ways to sustain myself as well."
Three shadows floated forward next to him, forming themselves into vaguely humanoid shapes. The shortest of them was stout and only somewhat taller than Mazzy, and it made an unintelligible noise that sounded like a strangled man.
Mazzy lowered her bow. "Patrick? My poor friends, what has he done to you?"
The tallest one reached out an arm, which stretched to an unnatural length as the long hand searched for something to feast upon. This shadow spoke, a deep voice emanating from its depths: "Mazzy…join us…"
The Shade Lord folded two thin arms. "My lady knight, I have little hope that you will consider my offer. This body grows tired, however, and if you join with me, you can do what you wish with your friends' souls. But as for Ridcully, here…"
His bony hand descended upon the tall shadow's head. The shadow squirmed, then lost its form, turning into a mass of shadow stuff with a thin cry. Within moments, the hand drank in the shapeless, smoky matter.
"No!" Mazzy shut her eyes for a moment, then raised her bow again, aiming her arrow for the Shade Lord's head. "I'll never join you, and only death will stop me from avenging the souls you have stolen."
"You are badly outmatched," the Shade Lord said, eyes burning with a renewed inner fire, gesturing to the army standing behind. "If death is what you seek, my servants should prove more than sufficient."
Within a couple of minutes, it was over.
The party had been overwhelmed at once, their minds clouded and spells shattered by the sheer weight of the shadows' touch. Though some of the shadows had been successfully turned and then defeated, the Shade Lord hadn't needed to lift a finger, only moving to sample from the shadow dragon's energy.
But all of the Company still lived, though Anomen, Aerie, Minsc, and Valygar were close to death. The shadow-creatures' chill hands held them down, but restraining them wasn't necessary. They had lost consciousness, and now they laid still, unable to resist the Shade Lord's final strike.
Lidia was instead pinned down by several wolves, their massive jaws digging into her left hand and her leg. The wolves had gone for her left wrist at once, forcing her to drop Azuredge as she summoned it back to her hand and tried to ward the shadows off with its light. The shadow-creatures still hadn't wanted to come anywhere near the axe, regardless.
Her mind was furiously racing, pushing past the fog for anything to buy a little more time. The moment the Shade Lord turned their attention to his captives, he'd kill them, likely starting with the clerics and working his way through the rest.
Luckily, she thought, this particular wight seemed to like the sound of his own voice. "You've bitten off too much this time," she shouted. "We're not going quietly."
The Shade Lord shook his head. "Such great confidence, such boasting, when one of your number is already mine to take."
He floated towards where Yoshimo was lying prone on the floor. He outstretched a knobbed, pale hand and held it there for a few moments.
Like a rag doll, Yoshimo's body flopped about for a few minutes, then rose, suspended in midair.
The Shade Lord's hand seemed to pull on something invisible, then began to shake. The expression on Merella's face changed from triumph to confusion to visible strain.
Finally, he said petulantly, "I have no desire to do battle with his leash-holder. I release you, unfortunate one, for the few moments you have left." He withdrew his hand.
Yoshimo suddenly fell to the ground, shaking and sick. But he was alert and awake, which had seemed impossible only minutes ago. "What is going on?" he said, glancing about in alarm. "I was locked in an endless dream…do I still live?"
"Not for long," the Shade Lord said. He turned to Mazzy, who was held in place by several more of the wolves. "My knight miniature has brought herself and plenty of fresh souls to feed upon."
"I know well what you intend to do to us, monster!" Mazzy said, trying to pull away one of her limbs without success.
The Shade Lord said, "Don't look so harshly upon me. There is no soul so bright that darkness does not reside within it. I strip away pretense, that is all — it is simply the Law of Chaos at work. The more a soul denied their inner darkness in life, the more they exude that same darkness in death. It's a more honest mode of existence, wouldn't you agree?"
Mazzy growled, "I know evil when I see it."
The Shade Lord laughed, a shrill, echoing sound that dug into their ears. "So noble! The gift of your flesh would have been a worthy one. But my shades will make short work of you, and you and this ragtag shall join our army instead of our family."
Meanwhile, Lidia planned her last move. Making a stand now was stupid, insane, dangerous — stupidly and insanely dangerous — and it would likely only end in taking some of the shadows down with them. But if she did nothing, well…they were dead regardless. There was no other way.
And then a thought not her own spoke inside her mind, taking her by surprise: Yes, there is.
In her pocket, the wardstone suddenly grew hot. Her mind's eye filled with the image of a child's small hand gently tugging upon her sleeve.