Chapter 2: "The Vasty Deep"

Somewhere else

He awoke.

Where was he? He clutched his staff and pulled himself to his feet. All around him was pitch darkness. A simple incantation produced light from his staff, but the dark void seemed infinite.

This was an unnatural place. Even if he hadn't known that just from the sight of it, he would still have felt it in his bones.

What had happened last? He remembered a battle. Another battle, another war, where he had sent Bolingbroke packing once again. Of course he had; between his army and his magic, he could overcome any...

Magic. That was what happened. He remembered now.

He had summoned a spirit to aid in the battle. Of course he had; it was practically his signature move. He'd been using magic since he was a child; it was the true source of his strength and his wisdom. The earth had shaken like a coward when he was born.

He probably hadn't even needed magical aid for that particular battle, but instead he had decided to go on the offensive rather than merely wait to be attacked again. So he had summoned another beast to aid him, and planned to storm the gates of Henry Bolingbroke's own palace once and for all.

But this beast was different.

This one had fought back. Not just fought back, but overrun his own sanctuary at his castle and pulled him Jove-only-knew where. The last thing he had heard was his own men's trumpets sounding retreat. The tide of battle had been turned against him by this monstrosity.

Everything had gone dark.

Everything still was dark. Why couldn't he see? Even Hades would have had some landscape to discern.

"So... you are awake," came an inhuman growl that seemed to emanate from the very darkness itself, coming at him from all directions at once.

He raised his staff defiantly. "Yes. I assume you are the beast that brought me here? You took me by surprise. Care to try again?"

The being changed the subject. "How did you acquire my horn?"

Horn? What horn?

Oh. The special ingredient in the summoning ritual. When he'd acquired it, all those years ago, he'd been told it was a fragment of a unicorn's horn.

Wait, this thing was a unicorn? Unicorns were easy. And now that he knew what he was up against, there were a thousand incantations that would work. He smiled, and prepared another incantation. "I bought it many years ago, a witch was selling haunted tokens to survive. I purchased many a dark thing on that day."

"You've summoned many creatures with those items."

"Indeed. I live a rather charmed life. Now please, do not think I am rude to cut this fascinating conversation short, but I must now return to Earth. Goodbye..." and with that he cast a linking spell that would open a door to the world from whence he had come. He also held his staff prepared with a hex in case the beast attacked.

The portal opened. He saw the sanctum, practically in ruins but still working enough to bring him back. But then the portal blinked shut, and a pair of glowing eyes stared at him through the dark.

Instantly, he unleashed the binding spell, with a few extra for good measure. Sure enough the eyes retreated, and the veil of smoke was even pierced. But before he could re-cast the linking spell, there came a laugh from the shadows, and the voice spoke unhindered. "If you wish to return home, I can send you there now."

He was puzzled. Hadn't the creature just seen that he didn't need its help doing that? "So can I."

"But you might not like what awaits you."

Now he paused. "What do you mean?"

"Your castle overrun. Your men scattered. Your wife and children taken hostage." Then, as if seeing his expression, it said, "Oh, don't blame me. You were winning and you summoned me anyway."

"I still can win."

"Can you? Your family is locked in the Tower of London. What do you suppose will happen to them if you bring your demons to attack English soil now?"

He could not reply.

"Perhaps you could enter into a truce. You might have been destined to lose in the long run anyway. But can you regain the confidence of your people? The great magician, defeated by his own conjuring trick?"

What?

Of course. He had always been victorious. The image of him in the public eye was of a man who could command the devil himself. What would the people say now that he had been overcome by his own power?

In times of war, reputation was as important as skill. They had needed to believe he was invincible, that he commanded the very air and sea. He did command the air and sea! But even the slightest sign of weakness would be exploited. Give them an inch and they would take ten miles.

Even if his family could be saved by some other means than backing down, his name would never carry such weight again. And without him, the war was as good as lost. His nation, his people, would be left wide open to the tyrannical invaders.

His family and his subjects were lost. And it was all this monster's fault. In a single instant this one beast, from some random corner of creation, had undone him, and his country, and his very world. "And what do you suggest, demonic one?"

"I can stop all that from happening."

"How? I assume you will offer to spirit my wife and daughters away from their imprisonment. But can you then make them forget my humiliation?"

"I can do both."

Now he was startled. "I beg your pardon?"

"That is one of my remaining powers. A word from me, and history will remember you victorious. It will be as if you never lost. Even your family, home safe with you, will not remember being taken prisoner."

"You can do all that?"

"I can do much more, but I sense a willingness to do the rest yourself."

If the creature had simply boasted about its ability to do what it claimed, he would have assumed it was a trap. But this casual mention of other abilities, the mention like this was an afterthought, made it sound almost sensible. "And in return?"

"You will release my true form from its imprisonment."

This was getting interesting. "True form, you say?"

"For eons, I have been locked away. Only my shadows, a fraction of my power, were able to roam free in the world I should have ruled. Here in the space between worlds I can do little but speak and create illusions, and in physical realms I can manifest only as a mindless beast, which I can barely puppeteer from here." The voice now raised a bit, becoming agitated as it growled, "I, the greatest scholar and soldier in history, reduced to a monster barely able to speak or even think!" It calmed down once again and continued, "My own unhappiness has been reflected in my former subjects."

"You had subjects."

"And you will help restore me to my throne."

Remarkable. He himself was going through all his own trouble because of a king who had deposed his predecessor. A number of other bits of this tale struck a chord with him as well. "I merely must release you, that is all?"

"Not quite all. Release me from my prison and I will return your family to you. But in return for my effect on history, you will act as my lieutenant in the upcoming battle. You will summon more of your creatures to help build my army. You will aid my revenge against the tyrants who deposed me. And then, once the war is won and I am back on the throne I lost, I will give you the rest of what I promised."

A scanning ward revealed no falsehoods. This was hardly a guarantee, but even if he agreed, he could back out at any time. In the meantime, if he could get a closer bearing on this thing, it might help him get some leverage later. Besides, he sensed a kindred spirit. "I have the honor of addressing whom?"

A chunk of the fog swirled together and out walked something strange. It was shorter than he was, with a fiery mane jutting from silver armor, with the green eyes and the fire surrounding it. And a red horn, sure enough, jutted from its forehead... though it looked complete and unfragmented. It looked ridiculous, but nevertheless it would have been intimidating to a lesser man than he.

The thing spoke. "I am King Sombra, ruler of the Crystal Empire." It extended its foreleg as if to shake hands. "And your name is Glendower, is it not?"

"It is. Owen Glendower, the rightful Prince of Wales." He extended his hand to take the creature's hoof.

They shook on it.