Meztraxia was looking over a map of the region, trying to divine which city would be the best target to strike at, when wisps of shadow wafted out from beneath his clothing. Assuming it to be another of the godling’s meagre tricks, he waved them away and continued his work. He was staring down at the table, planning a route, when something closed around his neck.

His hands immediately went to his throat, clawing at the shadows as they constricted. The shadows parted before his fingers, causing his nails to gouge into his own flesh without weakening the magic’s hold. Already starting to black out, he summoned a line of tiny soldiers around his own neck and set them to destroying the shadow. It still tried to evade and maintain its hold, but attacked from all sides it had no choice to disperse and Meztraxia fell to his knees gasping.

As he was struggling to get his breath back and clutching at his windpipe, the shadows renewed their assault. Avoiding his protective ring of soldiers, the darkness poured into his ears and open mouth. Overwhelmed, Meztraxia abandoned all semblance of effective resistance and thrashed madly on the ground to no avail. After a brief struggle, as brutal as it was ineffectual, the darkness claimed him.

The next thing he knew, he was surrounded by shadow, but for a dim purple light hovering in the air before him. It illuminated the emptiness around him as well as an image of the goddess of shadow he’d fought, formed of her namesake.

The strikingly accurate figure stared daggers at him and said, “I will kill you eventually, I swear it.”

“Your efforts are admirable,” Meztraxia said, returning the look, “but ultimately inconsequential. You and your people will perish, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. I am beyond your petty magics now.” He felt the very strength she’d brought against him slowing becoming part of him as well along with a new understanding within him. He had some sense of the goddess herself, allowing him to sense just how depleted she was. She would not threaten him again any time soon, perhaps ever.

But there was more to it than that, he could also sense her location. The thrill of victory rushed through him at her foolish ploy being turned back on her in such a manner, only for him to realise this must be exactly what she’d intended. Why else would she have risked this? Surely she knew she was no match for him by now.

“A clever scheme,” he said, “but you will not lure me so easily. Your time will come, after I’ve taken the essence of a few more gods for my own.”

“Are you truly so afraid to face a crippled god on your own?”

The taunt was so obvious it almost made him laugh, was this all the godling had left to offer? Insults more befitting a child than a god? “Please, spare me your transparent provocations. I have nothing to prove to you, I’ve already shown you the inevitability of your doom. Our battle will be at a time and place of my choosing, unless you’ve the courage to seek me out on your own. Something which I doubt very much.”

The goddess smiled. “You seem awfully sure of your control of the situation. Where do you think we are right now?”

“I imagine it’s some manner of illusory realm you’ve constructed as part of your pathetic little gambit,” Meztraxia said, unsure of what she was getting at. Was this simply an attempt at throwing him off balance?

“A reasonable assumption, but it is nothing of the sort.” The goddess spread her arms wide. “We are within you, specifically the part of your essence that you stole from me.”

“If you say so.” It didn’t matter what she said and she would soon be unable to keep him here any longer, he was surprised she’d managed as long as she had. “Assuming what you say is true, then I congratulate you on your first and only victory over me. May it bring you much joy in your final days. Are we almost done here? I’ve an army to command and cities to put to the sword.”

“Then I shan’t waste any more of my time or yours,” she said, with a vicious smirk.

Before he had time to analyse what she might mean, the only source of light went out and he was plunged into darkness. For all the goddess’ theatrics, he assumed she’d simply given up the fight and he’d soon be back in the real world. However, he remained where he was and felt a foreign presence emerge within his mind. It came not from without, but from the portion of his being that once belonged to the goddess of shadow.

Outraged at this instruction, Meztraxia lashed out mentally and tried to crush this invader by force of will alone. For all his efforts, he may as well have been trying to tear out his own mind. The other consciousness within him remained as it was, unaffected and simply there. Even without it actually doing anything, the profound invasion of his very self was maddening.

The darkness around him faded, and he found himself back on solid ground, but it did nothing to dispel his unease. This new part of him was still there, he could already feel it eating away at his mind as its influence grew ever so slowly. He clenched his fists; this could not be allowed to happen. The goddess could not be allowed to take over, not now or ever.

There was a good chance she wouldn’t even be capable of that much, but he simply couldn’t risk it. There was only one thing to do; hunt her down and rip the last of her essence from her as soon as he could. He could sense where she was, all the remained was to do exactly as she hoped and pursue her. Foolish as he felt for being manipulated by her like this, the heart would soon show her the folly of opposing them.