The Dark Power Returns

The door of the tavern burst open, and in strode an eight-foot tall ogress. She peered impatiently around the room, causing patrons to shy away from her glare. Snorting with frustration, she moved towards the terrified bartender, who obviously wanted nothing to do with such an intimidating figure. Just as she was about to vent her anger at him, she heard a voice from the far corner.

"You're late," said a raven-haired woman, leaning casually back in her chair. Much to the relief of the barkeep, the ogress moved to join her.

"I wasn't given very good directions," she growled. "You know I don't come into the city much, Vortex."

"Oh, we've all heard about your little visits to town," Vortex said with a smirk. "'Baba Yaga comes riding through the air on her enchanted broomstick, striking terror into the hearts of all who see her. She loves feasting on the tender flesh of the young, and citizens who suspect she is coming keep a careful eye on their children...' I admit, you've certainly got these locals under your spell."

Baba Yaga grinned evilly, flashing her sharp iron teeth. "From what I hear, your reputation isn't doing much better. Has the Council of the Seven allowed you back into any of their towns yet?"

Scowling angrily, Vortex was about to respond when the third figure at the table leaned forward. "We have more important matters to discuss today, ladies." The thick hood that hid her face fell back, revealing a chalk-white visage. "The Grimoirium Magica has resurfaced at last, and the time to fulfill the prophecy is at hand."

Both of the sorceresses stared at the undead shade of Lady Bane in shock. "Could this really be true?" whispered Vortex.

"Aye, the book has fallen into the hands of that fool Glacius," the Lady replied. "We must recover it before he has time to act."

"Glacius does not even believe in the legends," sneered Baba Yaga. "These mages are so caught up in their quest for progress that they refuse to recognize the wisdom of the ancients. Even if he has managed to determine what the spell is capable of, his pathetic Council of the Arcane will never allow him to cast it."

"It does not matter if he understands what the spell will result in," Lady Bane explained. "Once he realizes that it has the power to destroy the world, he will seek to protect the book at all costs."

Vortex frowned. "If the Grimoirium is being kept in the Tower of the Arcane, even the three of us working together cannot muster enough force to seize it. Such a task would require incredible astral energy!"

"Perhaps these will be useful," said Lady Bane as she opened up a large sack on the floor. Her companions gasped as they saw the hundreds of perfect black pearls inside. "These should be sufficient for the task. I acquired them from a merchant who called himself Mandrake, and I do not believe that he knew their true power.

"Soon, we three will rule over the souls of those who are slain in the cataclysm. I will finally have the power to lift the curse that afflicts me, and be restored to life once more!"

"I will dance upon the graves of the dead and chew their bones," said Baba Yaga, licking her lips.

"And I will see the fools who have spurned me fall from power at last," said Vortex. "But let's not get ahead of ourselves, there is still much work that needs to be done."

*** *** ***

The Archwizard Glacius stood at the window of his room, worrying about the future of Alyria. As he gazed over the beautiful landscape that had remained essentially unchanged over his many centuries of life, he felt a distinct sense of unease. While the Grimoirium Magica and its spell of destruction were safe for the moment, Glacius knew that he would not be around forever to look after them. Someday, care of the book would pass on to another, and its security could not be ensured.

Suddenly, Glacius noticed something odd outside the window. Although it was barely past midday, a blanket of darkness was creeping across the land. A quick glance at the calender confirmed his fears that no eclipses were expected any time soon, and Glacius quickly began casting a spell to detect enchantments. However, the spell died on his fingertips, and the darkness enveloped the tower.

While slumping down onto the floor, the Archwizard could make out three shadowy figures standing in the doorway. Before the magical sleep overtook him, he could see them approaching, and heard one mutter, "All too easy..."

*** *** ***

"Are you sure this area is safe?" Vortex inquired nervously. The three sorceresses stood in a small clearing deep within Rune forest, making the final preparations for their spell.

"Of course," growled Baba Yaga. "The trees are too thick for us to be seen from above, and I've never known of anyone who has come this deep into the woods and lived to tell about it." She ground her teeth together, producing an awful scraping noise. "We've set up a magical shield, so the energy from our casting will not be detected. And the prophecy says that the casters of the spell will be immune from the destruction that follows."

The Lady Bane cackled with glee, oblivious to all but her preparations. "We are ready to begin!" she announced. Placing the Grimoirium on a large stone altar specially carved for the ritual, she began chanting the first words of the evocation.

As the horrible words filled the clearing, a disturbance in the fabric of the world began to form. A dark portal began to take shape, apparently made from a black void of nothingness. From this portal came a voice that chilled the hearts of even its evil summoners.

"At last, I have been freed from the confines of my prison," said the voice. "The Powers that protect this world do not wish to confront the dark side of their nature, and have prevented us from taking any action since the beginning of time.

"The words that can release us have been lost to this plane for countless eons, but finally they have been discovered. Following the terms of the ancient compact, you who have spoken the words shall receive dominion beyond your wildest imaginings. The Dark Powers shall rise again..."

Lady Bane collapsed to the ground suddenly, and her companions rushed to help her. However, they stepped back in surprise as the shroud around her fell away, revealing a vibrant and healthy woman. "I live again!" she cried, rising to her feet triumphantly. However, the opportunity for celebration was short lived, and a shadow fell over the area.

Looking upwards, the sorceresses saw a gigantic meteorite hurtling through the sky. Following its trajectory, they found that the town of Rune was directly in its path. Suddenly, the city in the distance began glowing with a white light, and a semi-transparent dome formed above it.

"They're trying to save the city!" Vortex cried. "All our efforts will be for nothing! I can't let them win... if we cannot destroy Rune, we will destroy everything else on the continent instead!" With this, she grabbed the bag full of the remaining astral reagents, and furiously began casting a spell.

"Don't interfere with the magic!" Baba Yaga exclaimed. "If we change the patterns of the spell, we don't know what will happen!" The ogress charged towards Vortex, attempting to break her concentration on the spell. However, she struck just a second too late. A bolt of orange lightning arced from the ground, hitting the rock with a loud thunderclap. The meteorite fragmented into three smaller pieces, which flew in different directions. Seconds later, there was an enormous earthquake as the rocks struck the ground.

Vortex, thrown through the air by the tremor and the force of Baba Yaga's attack, struck the altar head-first and sent the Grimoirium Magica flying. The others watched in horror as the book sailed towards the rift in space, seeming to grow smaller until it finally disappeared. The portal then vanished with an ear-splitting bang, sending a shockwave through the area. The explosion threw both Lady Bane and Baba Yaga into nearby trees, knocking them senseless and leaving an eerie calm in the clearing.

*** *** ***

While the direct threat of the evil plot has been averted, a far greater danger is now awakened. The true nature of the Dark Powers is not fully understood by the mages of Alyria, and without the Grimoirium Magica further research on the subject is impossible.

The whereabouts of Vortex, Baba Yaga, and Lady Bane are currently unknown.