Pool of Twilight

years. It was a critical mission, but sometimes it made her feel just the slightest bit lonely.

Gamaliel's sharp ears caught her sigh. The great cat opened his green eyes and regarded his mistress. Worry flickered through his mind. Something had been bothering his sorceress of late, something that caused her to forgo sleep from time to time, or to neglect her meals. Gamaliel did not like that. His mistress's well-being was his preoccupation, and he wondered about the air of melancholy he had detected lately. Of course he would have attacked any being that disturbed Evaine, rending it to bits. But the cause of Evaine's sorrow was obviously beyond his ability to correct with his claws. This troubled him. The cat racked his brain for a way to help her, but could think of nothing. He growled softly in frustration.

The sound snapped Evaine out of her reverie. She laughed then. What cause did she have to be so gloomy? I'll feel better when I find another pool to track down and destroy, she told herself.

'Come on, Gam,' she said brightly. 'Let's see about supper.'

Just as she stood, she heard a crystalline chime. Evaine frowned. 'Now who could that be?'

She uttered a word of magic. Suddenly a shimmering spiral staircase appeared in the center of the room. Evaine quickly ascended, Gamaliel on her heels, entering a room that was in truth not located anywhere in her house. Or even in this world, for that matter. The room was a pocket dimension, a fragment of an alternate world, with the gateway located in Evaine's house. She used it as her private spellcasting chamber.

Evaine stood before a curious, eye-shaped mirror of polished silver. She waved a hand before the smooth surface. A face appeared in the mirror, that of a striking woman with brilliant green eyes and fiery hair.

'Shal!' Evaine said in surprise.

'Evaine, I'm glad I found you.' Shal's voice sounded slightly distant, echoing as if it came from the opposite end of a long corridor. 'I'm afraid there's trouble in Phlan. And I think it involves a pool.'

Evaine felt a rush of both dread and anticipation. 'Tell me,' was all she said.

An hour later, after listening to her old friend Shal and asking a number of key questions, Evaine knew all there was to know. The hiding place of the Hammer of Tyr had been discovered, but there was someone besides the clerics of Tyr who was determined to find it, someone with the power to summon a large number of deadly fiends.

'Kern is going to be journeying to the ruins of the red tower in three days,' Shal explained, her voice heavy with worry. 'I don't like the idea of him walking into unknown danger, Evaine. I want to know who it is who's after him.'

Evaine thought for a long moment. 'There is a way, Shal,' she said finally. 'But I think I will need some help.'

'Anything,' Shal said earnestly.

'We need to search for this mysterious enemy of yours, and we're going to have to leave our bodies behind.' Evaine's mind worked quickly. 'Whoever this foe is, he or she must be a wizard of some sort. And I have no doubt that the wizard is drawing on this pool of twilight. It takes enormous amounts of power to summon and control as many fiends as you've described. I know that all too well. Now, since Kern is the person this evil wizard of ours is after, we'll need to start by concentrating on him. But I can't do this effectively without you.'

Evaine went on to explain the specifics of the spell-the material components, gestures, and necessary arcane incantations. When this was done, she took a deep breath.

'This spell will not be without risks, Shal,' she warned her friend.

'They're risks I'm willing to take, Evaine.'

Evaine didn't argue with her friend's resolve. 'I'll be able to help you along. I have a fair amount of experience with this sort of thing.' She grinned eagerly. Gods, but she loved magic. This was going to be exciting.

'Ready?' Evaine asked.

'Ready,' the wizard of Denlor's Tower agreed.

Simultaneously, Evaine and Shal prepared to cast the spell-Evaine in her pocket dimension, Shal in her tower a hundred leagues to the northeast. Gamaliel stalked close to his mistress. Whenever she cast one of these spells, her body was completely vulnerable. Though it was unlikely anyone would attack her here, it was Gamaliel's duty to watch over her. She could not be disturbed until she woke up from the spell. Otherwise, disaster would result.

Evaine lighted a small brazier, sprinkling on a handful of herbs. A flame flared up, crackling with blue, silver, and crimson sparks. She drew out a small quartz crystal from a velvet pouch and placed it gently on top of the brazier.

She closed her eyes and breathed in the pungent smoke, then whispered a strangely sibilant incantation three times as she moved her hands through a complex web of gestures.

Evaine felt her ethereal self rising from her body. She could see all around, even though she had not opened her eyes. She reached forth a ghostly hand toward the mirror.

Shal…

She spoke in a voice inaudible to mundane ears, but Shal could hear her.

I'm here, Evaine. At least I think so. This is a bit unusual for me…

Evaine cautioned her friend. Don't fight the sensation. Just let yourself float, as if you're adrift in a warm sea. Now reach out to me, not with your arms but with your mind. I'll do the same.

Evaine concentrated, reaching out with tendrils of thought, searching. Then she connected.

I found you! came Shal's excited response.

You have indeed. Now let's go. The longer we're away from our bodies, the bigger our headaches will be when we wake up.

Evaine led the way. Her consciousness rose high into the air, Shal's in tow. The two sorceresses-or at least their spirits-sped southward. The slate gray surface of the Moonsea slipped away beneath them. It was much like flying, except there was no touch of wind or chill air.

Look! Shal exclaimed. The ships down there. They look like toys.

I know the scenery is breathtaking, Shal, but concentrate on the spell, Evaine warned. We're vulnerable to attacks now that we've left our physical selves behind. There are creatures that dwell-and feed-solely in the spirit realm.

Evaine felt a mental shiver emanate from Shal's presence.

Having your spirit eaten-that's not a very comfortable thought.

Evaine laughed wryly. I imagine it's not a very comfortable feeling!

Holding hands as they sped on, the two sorceresses left the expanse of the Moonsea behind. Soon an eerie, disturbingly familiar shape loomed in the twilight before them.

The ruins of the red tower. Here Phlan had been captured by the Red Wizard Marcus twenty-two years earlier. The sorceresses swooped down to circle about the tower. The ruin looked like a jagged tombstone in the fading daylight.

Can you feel it? Shal asked in disgust.

Yes, there's still evil there, Evaine thought back. Powerful evil.

She could feel it radiating from the ruins in hot, nauseating waves. Something lurked down there, deep in the shadows below the tower, something eternally hungry, oozing with maleficence.

You need to think about Kern, Shal. We need to discover if this is the source of the evil that is directed toward him.

I'll try, Evaine.

Shal's thoughts were silent for several moments as they both concentrated. Suddenly, Evaine caught sight of a thin trail of inky darkness arcing back across the Moonsea, toward Phlan.

That's it! came Shal's thought. I can sense the evil reaching out toward Phlan. Her tone become hard. Whatever is down there, it loathes Kern.

And fears him, Evaine added after a moment. She gently probed the spindly trail of darkness. It felt oily to her ethereal fingers, but she couldn't detect any traces of active magic in the pool they had