Legends of the Dragonrealm, Vol II - By Richard A. Knaak Page 0,331

could not help but want to deny the sight before him.

“You have a funny inside voice. It makes all sorts of funny noises.”

It was reading his thoughts, the surface ones, at least. Dru Zeree had mentioned that Darkhorse had done the same—

“Darkhorse? What is a Darkhorse?” The black, bottomless hole grew larger, its borders coming within a few yards of the nervous Tezerenee.

The warlock kept a careful rein on his thoughts. Any loose notion would be easy prey for the creature… and there was no promise that it was as friendly as Darkhorse had been.

“Darkhorse is like you.”

“There is nothing like me.” The blot was proud of that fact. “There was other I, but other I is gone.”

“Darkhorse is other I. It… he has a new name.”

“A name?”

What sort of mind did this creature have, Gerrod wondered, that it could read his thoughts well enough to learn his speech but not understand various terms and ideas? Master Zeree had described a similar situation with Dark-horse, but not how irritating it could be. There were already too many emotions vying for mastery over the warlock without one more addition.

“What… is… a… name?” With each word, the hole grew larger. Gerrod now found himself truly having to worry that he would be devoured, swallowed, or whatever the case might be if the creature continued its growth.

“A name is what you call something. I am Gerrod. If you talk to me, you might mention my name so that I will know that you are speaking to me.”

“Gerrod, you are amusing, Gerrod. Gerrod, what else do you know, Gerrod? Gerrod, come and Gerrod entertain me further, Gerrod!”

“That’s not what I meant.” He wondered if it mattered that his visage was still covered by his hood. Would his annoyance and fear register to this bizarre horror?

The hole chose that moment to swell further. Gerrod tried to wave himself away.

“Why do you do that? Why do you wiggle your appendages so?”

“You… your body would swallow me! If you get any closer, I’ll die—” It could hardly understand that term. Gerrod hurriedly sought another. “I’ll be no more. I won’t be able to entertain you again!”

The blot paused, but its tone did not encourage the young Tezerenee. “You… fear… me.”

He could not deny it. “I do.”

“I like its taste.” The dweller from the Void seemed to consider things. At the very least, it was both still and silent for several breaths. “You are more entertaining than the other things I have met!”

“Others?”

“I absorbed them! It was fun, but this is more fun! I think I shall play with you!”

“Play?” Try as he might, Gerrod could not keep the quiver from his voice. Could it be that the spell, unable to fix upon one creature, had brought him instead to one akin to what he sought? How else to explain his meeting this brother of Darkhorse’s so soon after his debacle?

Was it that soon? Had not Dru Zeree said that time was not a consideration in the Void? How long had he actually been there?

I will not allow panic to rule me! he thought, teeth gritted. I have to get away from this thing before it loses interest in me and decides to… to… The warlock found he could not bring himself to complete his thought.

“Do something else for me!” the hole demanded.

What did he know about Darkhorse that he could use to divert the creature’s attention? “Can you make yourself take up less area?” He indicated with his hands what he meant. “Can you make yourself this big, for instance?”

The blot was suddenly the very size he had indicated. Gerrod blinked in astonishment at the speed with which the dweller reacted to his suggestion. He had known that the shadow steed was swift to react to things; Zeree had made that clear. What had not been clear was how swift those reactions were. He would have to be careful about what he did. Gerrod could not allow the monstrosity to know what was happening.

“Now what?” bellowed the blot, its voice still reverberating with harsh consistency in the human’s ears.

Now what? indeed! Have it become a horse like its brother? No, that would likely rely on the dweller’s searching through the warlock’s thoughts for an image of a horse. Gerrod had no desire to allow this entity to go rooting around his mind. It might not leave him the same.

A shock tore through his system, so abrupt that Gerrod had no time to brace himself for it. He