CHAPTER TWENTY

Inception

"Mother? ... Mother? ... Kareena?"

Where were they? They should have been there.

I had already checked the main room, the kitchen, and the back garden. I went next to Kareena's room upstairs. What I found there, or rather, didn't find there unnerved me. Her room was empty. Everything was gone. What had happened?

I heard the front door open and ran down to see.

"Father! Father, where are Mother and Kareena? Kareena's room is empty!"

When he didn't immediately look at me, I knew something was very wrong.

"They are gone," he told me.

I paled at these words, at the way he spoke them. His eyes told me he had known of this, or had expected it. For how long, I could not tell. His voice revealed a sadness. But it was his staunch composure which spoke the worst of it: this was a situation that would stand. They were not coming back.

I could feel my face flushing.

"What do you mean 'they are gone?' Where are they?" I demanded.

"It is for the best."

"Where!"

"I will not speak of this until you have calmed yourself."

"And I will not be calm until I have answers!"

He just stood there, looking at me.

"This is Kareena's punishment for her misbehavior, isn't it? You've sent her away, haven't you? Or Mother's taken her somewhere," I said, trying to reason it.

"Both your mother and Kareena will live elsewhere until your sister can learn discipline and respect. This was not my decision alone. Your mother and I have had our discussions and are resolved."

And so it was. Perhaps it was for the best after all. The new attentions I received from my father in my education for the role I would one day fulfill had driven a wedge between me and my twin. She was excluded from this. My sister felt that she had just as much birthright as I to my destiny, to one day become Dungeon Master.

We shared our mother's womb, but I emerged first. The foreordination was mine alone. Why could she not accept this?

Her jealousy had led her to mischief and misdeeds at my expense. As much as it frustrated me, and our parents, I understood her feelings and tried to be patient. I would make time to spend with her as a brother and as a friend. For that time only, she would seem happy. Afterwards, she would quickly become bitter once more.

Stolen texts, broken items, mad rages — this is what finally earned her, and thus our mother, this seeming exile.

Eventually, my father did tell me where they were. I was allowed to write to my mother. I always sealed my letters with the ring she had given me at birth, the magical Ring of the Mind. To my sister she had given the Ring of the Heart. My ring was my most cherished memento of my mother. I would find myself turning it on my finger those times I would miss her and become possessed by childhood memories.

The letters I would receive from Mother were mostly superficial, but still full of love and longing for old times. Of Kareena she wrote almost nothing. If she had misgivings, she did not express them to me, and I never expected her to. I knew she would not convey anything that would possibly upset or worry me. I tried to glean insights from her words, but she was too careful. Perhaps all was well. She'd written that my father had made the best arrangements for them. They were comfortable and wanted for nothing.

One day, as I walked home after receiving a new letter from her, I had the peculiar feeling that I was being followed. There were people all about, but they all seemed to be tending to their own business and uninterested in me. All the same, I changed direction and followed a different route toward home.

Still I felt the odd presence. Finally, I was compelled to stop and call out.

"Is someone there? Show yourself."

The peculiar feeling grew, became ominous. I looked in all directions, but saw no one.

"Here," said no one.

"Where?"

There was movement on the ground. I turned and looked down to see the shadow of my arms extend as I remained still.

"I am here."

The whole of it reformed as it rose from the ground. The hands grew claws, the legs disappeared, wings took shape, and white eyes brightened and sharpened.

A shadow demon! I had read of these unwholesome Dark spirits.

"I bring foreboding news of your twin sister, Kareena," it said.

"Away from me, demon! I do not take company with the likes of you! I will not hear your lies."

"Do not dismiss me so quickly. Your sister aligns herself with Evil, she works to gain the favor of The Master, of He Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken. She plans to rid the Realm of you and your father, the Dungeon Master. You would be wise to heed me, young one."

"Kareena would never do real harm."

"Would she not? She is changed. She is not the innocent you once knew. She will destroy you! She plots your downfall even as we speak!"

"My mother would never allow this! If such things were true, she would have warned us herself. You do not tempt me, demon. Now be gone!" I walked away, wanting nothing more to do with this fiend.

"You have her warning, Son of Dungeon Master," it called from behind me. "Know that it was the last thing she ever wrote."

The last thing?

I spun to confront the shadow, but it had gone. I quickly opened the letter and noticed immediately my mother's hurried hand.

Indeed, it was a warning. My mother wrote that Kareena would mysteriously go missing for short periods of time. And when she was home, she kept herself locked in her room. She wrote also of perversions about the house and in her garden. Odd smells, sudden cold, the feeling she was being watched or touched. Such a contrast to her past letters, to those written to me before.

I checked again the name on the letter. I saw that it was not addressed to me, but to my father. But I knew my name had been there when it was handed me!

There was fear here in this letter — fear for herself, for me, indeed she feared for the whole Realm! I had to go to her. Perhaps the shadow demon spoke falsely and my mother yet lived.

I determined not to say anything to my father, at least not yet. I would see to this myself. I thought if I could see Kareena, talk with her like we used to, maybe I could determine for myself what she meant by her actions.

And so I went, leaving my father the poor excuse in a note that I felt the need to meditate alone and would be back in a few days.

It was late night when I arrived. I was forced to leave my unicorn well away from the house. No amount of coaxing would make him go any farther, and I understood why. I felt, as he must have, the sinister aura about the place. The bright moonlight and the large trees that had lost their leaves out of season only enhanced this feeling. Gusts of wind, both hot and cold, buffeted my face. To say that this did not bode well was an understatement.

As I placed my foot on the first step leading to the door, I stopped. My heart was suddenly racing. I feared to breathe. Slowly, I turned my head. Far away, a winged figure stood, unmoving, facing me. I knew who this was, and was at once filled with dread. I moved to face this dark figure which I could sense was my twin.

A blast of cold air hit my face, forcing me to blink. When I opened my eyes, Kareena's face, framed in red, was right before mine. I was so startled I fell backwards, but I did not stay down long. Kareena lifted me by my wrist, as easily as a child could lift a doll. A sharp pain shot through my arm and back. I could do nothing to prevent her taking my ring from my finger. She used such forced that I thought she meant to take my finger with it! She then tossed me aside like so much rubbish.

"You've saved me a lot of trouble, Brother. I did not expect it to be this easy. I imagined I'd have to fight my way to you and Father. And where is he? Surely you did not come here all alone," she said in a condescending tone.

"What have you done? Where is Mother!"

"Oh, don't worry. You'll soon be joining that meddlesome woman!"

The wings broadened as she thrust out her hand. Red energies coruscated from her ring. I moved just in time to avoid a scorching ray. Another blast barely missed my face. My cheek burned from its heat. Her ring appeared to be the source of her power, but there was no chance of taking it from her.

"Stop this! This isn't the way! Please, Kareena, let me take you home!" I begged her.

"Yes, I will go home. He thought he was rid of me. I'll show him. I'll show you all! My power is greater! I will rule this Realm!" She laughed — a depraved cackle.

How could this be my sister? She was mad with power. My only hope was in escape, if that were possible. I jumped up and ran, it was the only course I had.

She laughed more at this. "Run, Brother, as fast as you can! It will do you no good! You are nothing compared to me now! Nothing!" she screeched behind me.

But then she appeared at my side, zapping at my feet. She was toying with me! I ran for the trees.

"Quickly! This way!"

I heard his loud whisper, but didn't see him until he moved. It was the shadow demon again.

"The shadows! Hurry!" he called.

I followed him and we vanished. Together we were swallowed by the shadow of a large tree. We watched as Kareena blasted her way through the forest in search of me. She passed by us, and the fires that sprang up in her wake redefined the shadows. We were forced to move as each new fire threatened to reveal us. The shadow demon pulled me out of the forest, using the new shadows as though they were stepping stones, and we made good our escape. I heard Kareena's enraged screams behind us.

My mount had undoubtedly fled, for I saw no sign of it, so I ran until I could run no more. I finally collapsed in a field clutching my burning chest and gasping for air. The shadow demon hovered over me and spoke quickly.

"You have no hope of defeating her. She will kill you as she desires. Your end is near, young one, unless you do as I say!"

"Silence, fiend!"

The glowing eyes narrowed. "This is how you show your gratitude? I saved your life."

"And I must try to save hers. I must go to my father, he will know what to do," I rasped between breaths.

"You are a fool, as is your father! He cannot help her."

"What would you have me do!"

"The only thing left to you — invoke the Master!"

Invoke the Master. . . . Did he actually mean . . . ?

"No! Even if I wished to do such a thing, Kareena's power comes from her ring and she has taken mine!"

"No matter! Your very being will be the vessel of even greater power! You shall be a force unto yourself! Power that cannot be taken away as hers can." Such heated excitement in his voice.

"Why should your master favor me over one who already serves him?" I asked as I forced myself to stand on unsteady legs.

"Kareena already abuses her power. She is obstinate. She displeases the Master."

"You displease me! Leave me!"

He visibly seethed at my command. His tail lashed fiercely about and his eyes narrowed to slanted slits of light.

"As you wish," he said. And he was gone, having evanesced into the night. Had I blinked, I would have missed his departure.

I was alone then, and I didn't like the feeling. I never had. And I had never known loneliness until my dear twin sister was sent away from me. Dwelling on it had a tendency to drain me in the past, but she was not quite so dear to me at the moment. I did not hesitate to send magical summons to magical ear to call my steed and ride fast for home.

As strong as my dislike for loneliness was my dislike for the disquiet that welcomed me upon my return. It was morning in my city, a busy hour, but it was business of another nature that I read in the faces of the scholars and sages hurrying in and out of the Temple of Order.

As I ascended the temple's steps, a young novitiate ran into me. He had been hurriedly paging through the book on top of the stack he carried and not minding his path. I caught the precious tomes before they could fall; I knew a few of these would not have survived a tumble. I gave him a stern look.

Wide-eyed, he quickly came to his senses. Profuse apologies coupled with deep bows nearly caused him to lose his balance again. When I grabbed his arm to steady him, I could swear his heart stopped. I thought he would faint right there before me.

"Steady," I said in my most soothing tone. "You carry quite a burden. You take these to my father?"

"Yes. Yes, I do, My Lord. I do," he stammered.

"I was on my way to him as well. Why not let me help you?" I smiled as pleasantly as I could manage to try to settle him. One so prone to nervousness should never have been given such a task. I wondered at the present state of our libraries.

I took the oldest texts into my care lest they should never arrive intact at my father's chambers. I made quick note of their titles as I gathered them. Judging by these, one might think Eschaton approached!

"Come then, we should not delay," I said. He nodded amply and we entered the temple.

I allowed him to precede me into the adytum. We lay the books on the table closest to where Father was working. My young companion was unsure whether or not he should wait for dismissal, and my father's attention was elsewhere. Seeing this, I tapped the young man's shoulder — he jumped as if I had prodded him with a bolt of lightning — and threw a glance and a nod toward the door. He quickly bowed and left, easing the door shut in front of him as he backed away.

I turned then to address my father, but something caught my eye, causing me to momentarily forget myself. A man in a hooded robe of dark maroon stood perfectly still in a corner of the room. Now, I was beginning to feel as anxious as our nervous novitiate. I was sure this was a monk of the Order of The Chronicle, Keepers of The Never-Ending Scroll and Possessors of The Mind's Eye. They were clairvoyants who recorded the Realm's history on a magical scroll that never failed to have more room for their writings. And such was the power of The Mind's Eye, which allowed them to see everything of significance that happened in the entire Realm, that they never ventured from their sanctuary. Or so I thought. But I remembered then that my father had told me that one had come to witness the birth of me and Kareena.

"Father?" I began, my eyes still on the monk.

"Some things can only be witnessed with one's own eyes, my son," he answered before I could ask the question. "Do not heed him. Now, I am glad to see that you have returned safely from your . . . meditation."

I had expected his scornful tone. I never could effectively lie to him. "Punish me later if you like, but you must listen to me now! We have to save Kareena!"

He looked at me and half sighed. It was more like he had been holding his breath. I had the feeling that he had nothing hopeful to impart.

"There is nothing any of us can do to save her now," a kindly feminine voice spoke from behind me.

"Lady Zandora," I acknowledged with a slightly impatient, but not discourteous, bow. "You will forgive me, Lady Zandora, but Father, I must hear this from you."

It was obvious he was deeply troubled, but he said nothing.

I fought to control the anger welling up inside me. "If you both are so certain in this, then what is this work you do? What are these chests you toil over?"

My father finally spoke. In a controlled and even tone, he replied, "One is the Box of Balefire, the instrument of summoning He Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken. The other is the Box of Purefire, the one of banishing."

The Boxes of Balefire and Purefire. I had heard a whisper of them, but I never thought to lay eyes upon them. I stood there, staring at these simple-looking things, dumbfounded, and further realized the direness of this crisis.

"He enters the Realm?" I asked, hearing the trepidation in my own voice. My mind was racing, I didn't fully understand what this could mean. And why was the Box of Balefire here beside?

"Why should both be here? Surely you mean to destroy the Box of Balefire," I said.

"That cannot be done," my father said.

"But—"

"There is no time to explain such things."

He went on with his work, making me feel like a troublesome child, but I wanted answers!

"If He could be banished . . . should it not break His hold on Kareena?" I dared to ask.

"The Unspoken's hold reaches beyond what I can control, even with Zandora's aid. Now, you must go, my son. Stay within the temple or go home, but your safety is paramount."

I couldn't believe he was sending me away at such a time! Surely there was something I could do. I had confronted Kareena already. I would see this through!

"No!" I told him. "I will not go! You cannot expect me—"

"Go!"

I straightened and eyed him with contempt, but leave I did. I left the Temple of Order and walked aimlessly about the city. He had shut me out, just as he had before. Perhaps I would have been underfoot, but I hated being excluded from this. I felt I was involved too much to turn away even if I wanted to. Who was he to tell me to leave?

Inwardly, I sighed. He was my father, the Dungeon Master.

"My safety," I said aloud, "What of theirs, my mother's and my sister's? Where were you then?"

I stopped and leaned against a wall where no one should bother me. I shut my eyes to the world. I needed to collect myself. I needed to think in peace. I needed rest. But there was time for none of this!

"Troubled, young master?"

The shadow demon once again. Vexatious pest!

"Go away. Leave me be," I pleaded.

"Not this time. You've run out of options, save one. Now you must hurry lest the work of the Dungeon Master and his sorceress is soon successful."

I eyed him with the same contempt I had just shown my father. "How do you know of their work?" I demanded.

"Shadows know," was all he said.

I sighed, disgusted with him. I wanted no more of his bedevilment. I let my head fall back. I wanted nothing more than to bathe and to sleep, to dream of my mother and my sister in happier times — all of us home with no troubles. I wanted the world to stop and let me catch up to it in my own time.

It was infuriating being forced to stand idly by and do nothing but watch events happen as they might. But what could I do? I was not the Dungeon Master. I was no sorcerer. I felt small and unutterably alone. Helpless and numb, there was no faith left in my being.

"My father told me Good would always prevail against Evil," I said, more to myself than to him.

The shadow demon shook his head at me, pityingly. "Ah, such a failed axiom," he said. "Tell me, did Good prevail when husband expelled wife and child? Did Good prevail when daughter slew mother? And will Good have prevailed when sister slays brother?"

I looked up at him, compelled to listen as he continued.

"It began with your father. The Dungeon Master governs the Realm with a compassion he has never shown for his own family. He has dishonored you all. The Scion must now rise and take control, or risk losing his birthright — this Realm. My Master will give you the means to accomplish all you desire.

"The choice is yours, Son of Dungeon Master."

I found nothing in my heart to counter any of this. I did blame my father for the ruination of our family. I did feel he had dishonored us. He divided our family when he should have involved us all in resolution. We should have worked through our problems together. Why hadn't he tried? Why wasn't I given the chance to . . .?

My mother was dead! Damn him! This was all his fault!

None of his teachings prepared me to battle such as what my sister had now become. I could not allow my fate to be decided by them, nor by anyone. I wanted the power to command my own destiny!

Rage burned within me. I didn't fight against it; I let it consume me. As if it were a palpable force, I let it empower me. My fists clenched at my sides. I hardened myself. I made my choice.

"What must I do?"

The shadow demon floated gently down to me. For once, I was not looking up to see his face.

"Come," he said, laying a dark hand on my shoulder. "You must prepare yourself. Cleanse the way. . . ."