As Seth walked quickly through the forest, he saw that the narrow beam of light in front of him coming from his lantern began to gradually intensify and widen until there was a small and hazy circle of light all around him. Seth didn’t know what had caused the light to change, but he was grateful for it. Something in the gloom of the woods that night was unlike the usual dark of nighttime. Perhaps it was because of the increasing autumn chill and the lack of familiar sounds from frogs, crickets, and other night animals, but the deafening silence felt eerie and unnatural.

Seth began stepping a bit heavier than usual, hoping that the sounds of the sticks and leaves crunching under his feet would comfort him. To his dismay, there was something wrong about the sounds that only made his unease increase. At first he thought that his ears were plugged or the sounds were muffled, but he realized that what he found so distressing was the lack of the slightest echo. It was as if the sounds traveled only as far as his own ears and then abruptly stopped.

Strange shadows flickered just outside of Seth’s vision, shifting like the shadows of smoke against the edge of his small circle of light. It was as if the darkness itself was trying to creep in from every side. Seth could not be sure if it was merely his own imagination and fatigue playing tricks on him, or if there was something more sinister going on, but either way it left him wanting to get back to camp as quickly as possible. For a moment, Seth was seized by the sudden urge to give in to panic and run aimlessly into the night.

Seth took a steadying breath and continued to step forward at a deliberate pace. He tried to remember the strength and peace he had felt that night on the beach when he was given the lantern. As if in response, the lantern in Seth’s hand grew warm, and the warmth seemed to flow up Seth’s arm and into his chest, filling him with courage. Seth stopped walking and looked around him. He noticed that although the light around him was dim, it was no smaller than it had been before the feeling of dread began. Seth smiled with confidence. Whatever may be lurking in these woods was no match for the light in the lantern.

But along with the warmth and courage that flowed up his arm, so too did a renewed sense of urgency to return to the camp with his firewood. For the first time, it occurred to Seth that the feeling of urgency was not for his own welfare, but for those he was rushing to. Seth was now certain that there was something unnatural hiding in the dark of the forest, and while he may have the magic of the lantern to keep him safe, Tarun and Shon did not.

This time Seth did give in to the urge to run, but now it was with purpose, not panic. Whatever was happening this night had something to do with the reason Seth had been led to this land and this forest. After so many weeks of following the lantern with no clear understanding of his end goal, Seth felt a thrill of excitement at the prospect of being useful and doing some good. He was eager to make his master proud, and tonight he might finally have his chance.

As Seth ran through the woods in the direction of Tarun and Shon’s camp, he began to lose himself in the moment and he nearly forgot about his earlier fear in the darkness. The light from the lantern grew brighter for a while, but Seth was so focused on the direction he was heading that he didn’t even notice when the beam of light narrowed and shifted to his right.

Seth became aware of his mistake as he felt his footsteps become heavy and his movements and thoughts both slowed as if moving through tar. Even blinking seemed slow and heavy on his face. His head swam as he turned his head to see the thin beam of light shining dimly and distantly to his far right. Seth tried to correct his course, but he felt as if cold tendrils of darkness were trying to hold him in place and prevent him from turning in the direction of the light. The darkness seemed to tighten around his chest, making his heart pound uncontrollably and his breath was short.

Seth continued to fight against the darkness and try to turn, but he felt as if he was losing the fight. Ultimately, it was his shillelagh that made the difference. Seth hardly ever used it as a walking stick, but in his desperation he tried to do anything to fight against the pull of the dark threads binding him in place. As Seth placed the shillelagh firmly on the ground next to him and tightly gripped the handle, he finally began to make progress against the darkness. He could still feel the weight of the tugging, but it no longer held him in place.

Gradually, step by step, Seth made his way to the spot where the beam of light focused. Seth was relieved when he returned to the safety of the circle of light, but his elation had passed. His own enthusiasm had gotten the better of him, and he had become careless. He promised himself he wouldn’t make that mistake again.

Seth studied his surroundings and tried to determine where his guide intended to take him now. But to Seth’s confusion, the light from his lantern had stopped moving. Seth found that he was safe within the circle of light, but in front of him there was nothing but a thick darkness that he could not see past. Seth was certain that his new friends’ camp was on the other side of the darkness, but it seemed an impassable barrier. Though heavy, the darkness seemed to move and writhe in front of him like a slow moving smoke or a bucket of ink that had been dropped into a pond.

Seth looked around trying to weigh his options, but the sense of urgency that he felt before began to return. He knew he wouldn’t have time to find another way past before something terrible befell Tarun and Shon. Unsure of what to do, Seth looked at his lantern, but the object just continued to illuminate the same spot where he stood. Finally, steeling himself, Seth decided he had no other choice and walked directly into the darkness.

Immediately Seth felt the sensation of thousands of web like strands of darkness try to grasp at his arms and legs. Instinctively, Seth reared back and swung his shillelagh at the dark tendrils. At that moment, a word came to Seth’s mind, just like earlier in the day when he had unexpectedly known the right word for healing Tarun’s arm.

“Shurrah,” Seth whispered. The darkness in front of him shuddered.

Seth stepped forward and swung his shillelagh at the darkness. “Shurrah,” Seth said again, more forcefully this time. Seth did not know how he knew the word. It belonged to a language that was not his. It was an old and forgotten language not spoken for thousands of years, but he had been promised he would learn it. Though the word on his lips was unfamiliar to him, Seth somehow knew that its meaning was roughly translated to “depart” or “be gone.”

Every time Seth repeated the word and swung his shillelagh, the darkness would tremble and retreat a few paces before him and the light from his lantern would fill the space. Courage began to well up inside Seth, and he could tell that he was nearly through the wall of darkness. With one last shout of “Shurrah!” he burst through the other side.

When Seth stepped through into the dim firelight on the other side, he realized that the worst was yet to come. A strange thick mist hovered a few inches above the ground, giving off an eerie blue light in the campsite. The campfire in the middle of the clearing was a good size and the logs in the fire crackled and popped as they burned, but the light from the fire seemed unable to illuminate more than a small circle a couple of feet in diameter.

Just outside of the circle of firelight, Seth could see Tarun kneeling on the forest floor among the strange blue mist. His large, dark-skinned arms were shaking violently, and his hands seemed to be grasping at something unseen. After a moment, Seth could see that Tarun had been trying to lift Shon, who had been completely covered by the mist. The wizards pale skin looked lifeless and blue to Seth, though he couldn’t tell if that was merely an effect of the strange blue luminescence.

At the other end of the clearing, Seth heard a voice that was cruel and mocking. “Really now,” said the voice with feigned concern, “my master is a most gracious host, but I’m afraid that he’s made it clear that refusing his invitation is simply not an option.” Seth’s eyes followed the direction of the voice and saw a thin, pale figure hovering slightly above the blue mist.

“Of course, you could refuse again,” said the pale stranger, smiling widely. “But then, I would have to try to persuade you again, and I think your little friend there has already had his fill of my kind of persuasion.” Tarun said nothing, but Seth saw him try to pull himself and Shon closer to the warmth of the fire.

The pale stranger’s smile widened with wicked satisfaction. “I’m afraid that a lack of acceptance will also be considered a refusal,” the stranger said. “And now it looks like you’re trying to escape, which I was told to prevent by any means necessary.” The figure extended a thin, outstretched hand towards the pair, and began to float quietly towards them.

“Stop!” shouted Seth, as he ran to intercept the stranger’s path. Wherever Seth stepped, the blue mist evaporated around him. “What are you doing to them?”

The stranger stopped and his smile faltered as he looked at Seth, clearly surprised by his interruption. He glared at the opening where Seth had emerged into the clearing, as if angry at the darkness for failing to keep him out. The stranger cocked his head to the side and forced his smile to return, though it was thinner now and not nearly as wide.

“I was merely delivering an invitation to them,” the stranger said. “A private invitation,” he added with deliberate contempt in the emphasis. “In fact, this entire conversation was meant to be private. This does not concern you, and I suggest you leave while I’m giving you the chance.”

“I’m traveling with these men,” Seth responded. “So whatever you’re doing to them here does concern me.”

“Traveling with them?” asked the stranger. “I’ve been keeping tabs on these two for some time now, young man. You certainly weren’t traveling with them last night.”

“I met them earlier today,” Seth said, “but I’m pretty quick with my loyalties. I’m not leaving them to you.”

“I’m not sure how you managed to get past my phantoms,” said the stranger, twisting the smile on his face, “but I can assure you that one word from me, and they’ll descend on this clearing like a flood and tear your soul apart. You have no idea with whom you are dealing or the power I possess.”

“Neither do you,” said Seth, stepping towards the stranger. Seth raised his lantern and swung his shillelagh in a wide arc. “Shurrah!” he shouted. Immediately the blue mist in the clearing dissipated and left only the orange glow of the firelight. In the flickering light, Seth could see an expression of rage and hatred come across the stranger’s face, made only more terrible by the shadows dancing across his sharp features.

“You want to know who I am?” Seth asked. “I am Seth the Fourth, son of Seth the Liar, son of Seth the Thief, son of Seth the Traitor. I am a servant of…”

“Did you say Seth the Traitor?” the stranger interrupted, a smile starting to return to his lips.

“What?” said Seth. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he felt the warmth from the lantern, as if it was urging him to stay on his course. Just one more “shurrah” and your friends will be safe, his mind seemed to say. And yet Seth couldn’t resist his curiosity. “What did you say to me?” he asked.

“Are you really the great-grandson of Seth the Traitor?” the stranger asked, excitement rising in his throat. “Of course, I knew those markings on that little stick of yours looked familiar.”

It was more than Seth could bear. His own father had always refused to tell Seth anything about his own family other than their names. And now it seemed that this foul creature knew more than he did. Somewhere in the back of his mind the word “shurrah” continued to echo over and over, but Seth ignored it. “What do you know about him?” Seth demanded.

“Oh, I don’t know much,” the stranger said coyly. “It’s my master who could tell you stories. Perhaps I was too hasty to exclude you from his invitation. Come with me and your friends to my master’s stronghold, and I’m sure he’ll answer any questions you have about Dear Old Granddad.”

Seth was so wrapped up in the conversation that he did not even notice the thick tendrils of darkness snaking up his legs, or the return of the blue mist. Too late, Seth looked down and recognized the trap. He tried to swing his shillelagh and shout, but the dark tendrils wrapped around his throat, choking him.

“That was a nasty little trick you pulled a second ago,” spat the stranger. “I don’t know where you learned a word of power like that, but obviously once I get you back home I’ll need to be sure to cut out your tongue before you wake up.”

Seth struggled to breathe and looked at the lantern in his hand. Immediately, there shot out a beam of light brighter than the sun on a clear day. The narrow shaft of light struck the stranger directly on his right eye. The stranger let out a bloodcurdling scream and the darkness released its grip on Seth’s throat.

Unfortunately, in his rage the stranger had lashed out and knocked the lantern from Seth’s hand. The rusty lantern sailed across the clearing and landed in a bush. Without the protection of the lantern, the darkness quickly began to advance on Seth again.

“How dare you?!” the stranger screamed, clutching his eye. “You’ve sealed your own fate. I won’t be holding back my phantoms from you or your foolish companions anymore. Enjoy having your sanity flayed and your souls gutted!” And with that, the stranger took flight and disappeared into the night sky.

Seth watched the oncoming darkness advance towards him. He wanted to run for his lantern, but he was already cut off. Tarun and Shon would die tonight and it would be all his fault. He felt like a fool for not using the power he had been given to cast out the stranger when he had the chance.

Seth looked at the campfire dying as it was being consumed by the thick darkness. He wondered if he might buy some time by feeding the fire with some of the wood he had collected, but he realized that in all the commotion and confusion of the night, he had dropped all but a single piece of the wood. Seth eyed the wood and realized it was the strange flute that the lantern had shone on earlier that night.

With the darkness closing in from all sides, and with no other options, Seth lifted the flute to his lips and blew hard. Out of the flute came a single long piercing note. The sound reverberated through the forest and the darkness halted.

Then, from somewhere among the trees, another long clear note answered back.

Seth
Art by Ryan Salway