Ehrir watched in both amazement and horror as the Ethereal emerged from the waves. Its limbs were dangerous and grotesque enough, but the body… That was another deal. With a roughly spherical shape, it twisted and turned, revealing at least a dozen blind, unmoving white eyes and four mouths with three rows of sharp teeth. A full grown man could be easily fit between the monster’s jaws.

And still, Ostrias jumped at it without a second thought. This man… His bravery, confidence and power were all astonishing. If the Inner Fantasy was inhabited by a lot of people like him, Ehrir could barely imagine what kind of society blossomed there.

The Undone One – and more than two hundred other souls – watched as the battle between their master and a relic from a time long since gone unveiled.

***

“This is one tough bastard”, Ostrias thought as he stopped the Ethereal’s attack (delivered by one of his last remaining tentacles) by turning his right hand into stone and blocking with it. It was simple and quick use of Manipulation that he learned a long time ago. He overcame the barrier that stopped most wizards from turning soft things into hard ones when he was forty, in fact.

The Ethereal proved to be an easy target. But no matter how many times he attacked him with lightning, flames, ice spikes or even energy blasts… It proved to be useless. It was as if the thing’s body could be barely injured at all, in sharp contrast to its limbs. Only powerful slashes left wounds on it, but they didn’t slow the creature down. Quite the opposite, in fact – it just became more aggressive and faster in its movements. Its magic assaults turned fiercer, too – wave after wave of powerful Control tried to strike the Ashen Gaze. He still resisted it, but it was getting harder and harder. If the Ethereal succeeded he would probably become a mere marionette for its primitive mind. He couldn't allow that.

And so he stormed the thing again and again, leaving wounds from which no blood gushed out. When he reassured himself that this wasn't working, he tried to use Conquering, but was met with an unpleasant surprise.

Ostrias couldn’t reach the mind of the damned thing no matter how hard he tried. He couldn't even begin to guess why. It was like it was protecting itself via sorcery, but that kind of spell was far too advanced for this… thing. Its might alone was definitely not enough to nullify the Ashen Gaze’s focused, powerful blasts of Conquering. Could the Ethereal possess the intelligence required for using magic defenses?

“No, that can’t be right”, whispered he after finally cutting off the last of the creature’s limbs. It responded by roaring again. The power and intensity of the waves of Control attempting to enter his skull increased two or three times. “Damn it… Let’s just finish this, shall we?”

While uttering these words, fire covered Ostrias’ fists. But those were no ordinary flames – they came from techniques of the Inner Fantasy's sorcerers and were hotter than a newborn star. Or so said the scrolls, at least. He unleashed them immediately, letting them form two giant snakes of white fire.

“Stop it already, small one. You can actually hurt me with this.”

The voice came as the waves of Control stopped and some unknown force gripped the Ashen Gaze. He realized what it was. The Ethereal – that seemingly mindless, feral being – had used Manipulation to turn most of the air around him into an invisible, solid mass. And on that of that… It was speaking to him, wasn’t it?

“Are you… intelligent?” he infused his thoughts with a specific, peculiar type of Conquering – one that could allow telepathy to take place.

“Yes. And I’m also angry.” The Ethereal’s thoughts could barely take shape that was understandable for mere humans. It was also somehow communicating with Ostrias in a language familiar to the sorcerer.

“Why are you attacking me, small one? Not that you are doing much – my limbs will regrow soon and the wounds will close. But still… I am curious.” The Ashen Gaze could sense the feelings within the creature – quiet anger that smoldered and yet was brighter than a star, and also a sense of curiosity beyond that was indescribable. The consciousness of the Ethereal was very, very different from that of a human. More advanced, even.

“You… Ate some of my people. With your damned mist.”

“You mean that I satisfied my hunger with your fellow lesser beings and now you’re condemning me for it? Don’t make me giggle.” The creature roared in a manner distinct from every laughter Ostrias had heard in his life.

The Ashen Gaze felt insulted. “Lesser beings”? It was understandable – the Ethereal was from another time and was still far superior to a normal human in every sense of the word. Especially with that monstrous, gigantic intellect lurking in its grotesque body. But to dismiss mankind with such steady tone... Ostrias gritted his teeth, but tried to keep his calmness.

“You think you can beat me? My subordinates will realize what is happening and will annihilate you every second now.”

“Every second? Think again, small one. Look around.”

The thing gave Ostrias the chance to move his head. And the Ashen Gaze saw it. Every wizard standing on his ships had his eyes closed and was seemingly unconscious.

“I put them out, small one. Unlike you, they have no chance of resisting. You are… talented, in a sense. Be at ease, I didn’t kill them. You… make me wonder, truly. You want to know why?”

“No… But I don’t have a choice, do I?”

“Yes, you don’t.” The Ethereal laughed again. The hair on the Ashen Gaze’s neck almost stood up. “I see your concept of moral to be ridiculous, simply said. But yet I think it's interesting. And now I’m going to have a short talk with you. It won’t be too complex and I’ll try to be… What’s the word you simpletons use for it? Ah, yes. I’ll try to be friendly.”

Ostrias sighed silently. During all the talking he tried to breach the Ethereal’s magical barriers, but to no avail.

“And what will we talk about?” he thought in the end.

If the creature could smile, it probably would at that very moment. He felt its happiness, at least, although it was otherworldly.

"I am thinking about eating you and half your people before dawn and savoring the others for later. Make me change my mind."