The Soul Conflict

Chapter 7: Distress

We all stood in a circle a few feet away from where Senar had escaped. All of us were red in the face, some crying, and some eerily silent. Or you could be Nigel and start swearing. I myself hung my head in silence as I tried to come to terms with my failure. Raza's eyes the life was strangled from him is an image that will be burned behind my own eyes forever.

"That shit show was a goddamn disaster. If we had out suits, that would have gone differently." Nigel spat. We were all standing by the entrance, and the fireball that burned there had been put out by Angela. The six Kadan members who had helped us stood by us, including both Grace and a heavily injured Hasan.

"Tell me about it." Peter shook his head sadly.

"What I can't believe is that Ibis let you four in here with guns." Angela said and then turned to Ibis. "Why the hell didn't you check them? That thing, Senar, could have followed them in! And now we lost Raza because of it. He was our only thrall left!"

"Don't you think I thought of that!? I helped watch over Raza for years and saw his brother die. His death weighs heavily on my heart, and I won't be able to forget what happened here. I know I shouldn't have let them follow me in, and I am all too aware of the possibility that we were followed inside. Now I know I have to fix this." Ibis said as her voice began to choke. I heard her start sniffling and realized that she was likely crying, not that anyone could see with the hood and all. Grace gave her friend a comforting hug.

"Ladies, ladies. We're still standing right here." Nigel said with his hands raised. "Ibis is right though. We have to do something about this and not let the child killing tin man get away." He continued.

"Your treachery got us into this mess in the first place, you insufferable interloper. Your advice is not needed." Hasan hissed as he clutched at a large cut on his chest. There were a few huffs of agreement amongst the other five Kadan members, excluding Ibis and Angela. Are they going to turn against us? I can't say whether or not I blame them, after all we did barge in and may very well be indirectly responsible for the child's death.

"That is enough Hasan. While these outsiders may have accidentally led Senar into here which led to Raza's death, they fought alongside us instead of defecting or fleeing. That does not mean there will not be consequences later." Angela looked at us, likely glaring underneath the hood. "We are all responsible for forming a plan to bring that creature to its knees." Angela said. There was some grumbling amongst the members. I continued to be silent. There was no point in defending my failure to save him.

"That thing is after souls. But not just any souls, or it would have slaughtered us too. Maybe it's looking for the souls of thralls. Or possibly that term you mentioned..." Marshall said and then trailed off.

"Oh yeah that tree banging jawa thing." Peter pondered.

"Terbangun Jiwa." Grace said while shaking her head with what I can only assume to be disappointment.

"If that was true, than Senar would have killed Nathan too. We still have no idea what Senar was...likely from some sort of subdimension." Marshall concluded.

"What!?" I gasped after being snapped out of my funk. That was crazy talk if I had ever heard of it. Angela and Ibis looked shocked too, and they were wizards for christ's sake.

"A being from another reality. There is no way that guy was native. And I know what you're 'thinkin; There are different dimensions, yes. Hell, Sunai owns one. It's not as uncommon as you might think." Nigel clarified. There was some awkward silence until Angela spoke up.

"That is insane!" A beefy Kadan member huffed.

"Says the guy who shoots purple gas from his fingertips. Come on, now!" Nigel said.