| |
Ferremor's hands wove in and out of complex formations, his shrouds dancing around him to form the pattern of the shielding spell described in the tome Imp had brought him. As before, it collapsed, falling down around him into chaotic tendrils of darkness. "Argh!" The shrouds were far more powerful than any shadows he had ever encountered, and they tended toward disorder so much that the concentration required to command them was staggering.
"You nearly had it that time, Master," Imp encouraged, his feet dangling from the desk as he watched. "I saw the shield forming like in the picture."
Ferremor sighed, returning to the chair behind the desk. He was exhausted from trying to conquer his own shrouds. They drifted around him now, wild and defensive, almost taunting him with their eagerness. Imp had told him that they would protect him, attacking anything that tried to touch him unless he 'willed them away'. He was frustrated with their strong resistance to control. He couldn't form a portal to the Third Realm without his shrouds, and he couldn't get near Tessa or David until he learned how to subdue them.
Ferremor laid his head down on the text lying open in front of him. "I wish I could sleep." Imp had already informed him that he didn't rest in this realm. His body didn't need it, and the realm kept him vigilant and energized.
"The sun makes you sleep, Master." Imp spun around so he was sitting cross-legged on the desk facing Ferremor. His cowering and groveling had subsided considerably when he came to realize that Ferremor had no intention of punishing him. In fact, he seemed obsessively devoted ever since Ferremor had insisted he was no longer a slave.
Ferremor looked up. "What?"
"The sun. It makes you sleep."
"There is no sun here."
"No, the sun in the physical realms."
"Oh." Ferremor rubbed his temples. "Like a shadow master?"
"Stronger, I think." Imp nodded, smiling helpfully.
Ferremor sighed wearily. "I miss sleep very much. Would I dream?"
"I don't know, Master. Your father never spoke of such things to me."
Ferremor looked down at the text again. "I'm missing something. It can't really be this difficult to control my own shrouds. This is only the basic spell section of the book, and I can't complete a single form. This should all come naturally to me. I mean, I am made of the stuff."
"You are young yet, Master."
"No. The realm was never meant to be closed this long. Who knows how many souls have gone to Hell because I'm missing something simple and vital?"
Imp shrugged. "I would gladly give you any knowledge I have, Master, but I have none."
Ferremor stared down at the detailed illustration of a man who looked remarkably like himself pulling and shaping shrouds with ease. "I will have to leave the shielding of the castle," he concluded miserably. "I will need to witness the birthplace of my shrouds, the dark heart of this realm."
"No, Master! It will hurt you!" Imp jumped to his feet, his tattered wings beating anxiously.
"But it can't kill me, right?" Ferremor stood and bookmarked the tome with a tendril of shadow. "I have to see the source of these shadows in order to understand them. I must understand them before I can control them."
"Master must be patient! Master must learn to protect himself! Heart of realm is very bad, bad place!"
Ferremor watched the Imp pull and twist its tail. It tended to revert to very simple language when it was most upset. "Believe me, Imp, I do not wish to go. What I am doing here is not working, and I can't allow more souls to become condemned because of my incompetence. How many souls have gone to Hell that could have been redeemed?"
Ferremor closed the tome decisively. "I will not be the monster that you've described my father to be. He slaughtered every woman he was ever intimate with, including my own mother. He neglected his duties and allowed Satan dominion over souls he was charged to protect. He used his powers selfishly and treated his subjects cruelly. I will not be that man."
"Heart of realm is terrible, awful place! Master, don't go! It will—"
"Not kill me, Imp," Ferremor reminded him. "For once in my life, I finally understand why I exist. I will return to my world, to Tessa and David, and be a part of their lives, but I will heal the damage my father has done to this realm. No matter how painful or unpleasant, I will do everything in my power to reform as many souls as I can. I will give them another chance. And when I am strong enough, and can be certain this realm is safe, I will rescue the souls Satan has stolen. Souls like you, who deserve another life and the opportunity to change."
Imp watched Ferremor give his impassioned speech and swallowed, his eyes wide. "You are truly the greatest master this realm has ever had! I'm so glad to serve you, Master! Please let me help you do all of those things! Let me come with you to the heart of the realm!"
Ferremor leaned toward Imp. "I need you to stay here. Find all of the books like this one, books with spells and instructions in them. I have to learn to be a master of my powers before I can open the realm and risk invasion from Hell. I am sure they are lying in wait to take advantage of a young and inexperienced emperor."
Imp nodded solemnly. "I will, Master."
"Good. Now, how do I find the source?"