Journey Through the Shadow Realms

The hot wind blew across the desert and disturbed the sand on top of the dunes that were the only features in that arid landscape. The sand looked golden under the harsh sun, the tiny grains reflecting the light a hundred times and making the scorching heat even more unbearable. The sky was empty, a bright featureless curtain that only turned bluish gray near the horizon. There was not a wisp of cloud in sight and no bird dared to fly across a sky that was as barren as the desert below. The stranger reached the top of a sand dune and surveyed the undulating landscape, noticing the lack of vegetation that could have otherwise broken the sun’s dominance over the desert. The few creatures that had managed to survive under such hostile conditions had buried themselves under the shifting sand and remained well hidden from the unforgiving sun. The stranger seemed to defy the harsh elements and stood out in the open with only a white scarf as face covering and a flowing garment that reached

Enzir appeared to be alarmed at the sudden reaction of the prisoner to the psylugs. He had never really used them on any of the prisoners before, but Lankko mentioned that they were very effective in eliciting the truth from those they latched on. The psylugs continued to change colors rapidly and appeared to swell. Enzir was dazzled by the brilliant display of color and seemed transfixed until he realized that the prisoner’s screams had gone silent. Enzir shook his head and blinked his eyes as he saw the psylugs fall off the prisoner's temples to the grimy floor. The psylugs continued to writhe, eventually returning to their original dull gray color.The prisoner’s body went limp and Enzir saw that he had become unconscious. He turned to the soldiers who were still holding onto the prisoner’s restraints."Wake him," Enzir said, turning away from the unconscious prisoner. Lankko heard his master and gave instructions to the soldiers. One of the soldiers tapped the prisoner’s shoulders

Later that night, Lankko dragged his steps over the stone floor of the corridor of his dungeons as the effects of the copious amount of wine he had consumed slightly affected his balance. He clung onto Mira when they stepped over the threshold as he almost stumbled to the floor."Careful, my sweet, you'll hurt yourself," said Mira, holding Lankko steady."I'm fine," said Lankko, steadying himself. "Let me show you the chamber."They entered a dark chamber used for questioning prisoners and Lankko smiled proudly as he showed Mira around."So this is the famous torture chamber!" exclaimed Mira. "Just how many prisoners have you had here?""Shh! Don't call it torture chamber. I'd rather call it the questioning room. Makes it less painful to the ears."Mira looked around the dark room lit only by two torches pinned to the far wall. "So, how many prisoners have you questioned here?" She asked, emphasizing the word 'questioned'."Let me tell you a secret," began Lankko. "I don't really do mu

Mira raised a finger and poked it at Lankko's shoulder. Slowly, Lankko dropped sidewards among the cushions. Satisfied, Mira rose determinedly and took Lankko's keys. She then ran out of the observation room and retraced her path through the corridors and doorways until she reached Lankko's laboratory. She unlocked the door and opened it, beholding once again the Pearl of Sorrelia. She looked around the room and wondered about the best way to reach the vessel in which the pearl was contained. Seeing no easy way across the tubes and glass vessels on the table leading to the pearl, she climbed the wall like a cat and went across the beams on the ceiling. When she was directly above the pearl, she grabbed the beam with her legs and reached downwards into the circular vessel. The lights that danced around the room were immediately extinguished when Mira took the pearl out of the water and she found herself looking through an almost inky darkness. She felt the pouch that hung around her

"Would you like to have your breakfast at the dining hall or would you prefer to have it in your room?" the servant asked Enzir with a bow. It was a sunny morning and Enzir wanted to make the most of it, so he followed his servant to the dining hall where the large windows let in the sunlight and the cool morning breeze.There was no one else at the dining hall except for the servants who waited on him, the rest of the household still very much asleep at that time of the morning. Enzir preferred these quiet times over the chaos of lunch and dinner when most of his household would be dining with him. He wanted the silence of the morning to help him think about his affairs and what he would do the rest of the day. He enjoyed the rice porridge that was served him and left the boiled egg in his bowl for last. He observed that it was smaller than what he was expecting and would like to talk to the cook for not boiling a larger egg. He was to be told later by the feisty cook that i