"The Call of Nightmare"
Ogar's Redemption, Part 1
By Mike Christopher
From an idea by Dan Tibbles

"Kyug! Here, Kyug!" Ulk's voice rang out clear and bell-like in the mushroom-lined tunnel. Distant echoes returned her cry from the many twisting passages of the Fungells, but there was no reply from her missing Korrit.

"Kyug, you come out this instant or I swear I'll undream you!" She twisted the brightly glowing animite ring on her finger just for good measure. Her threat was answered by a small squawking sound, followed by the scurrying of tiny fungoid feet. Hurriedly, Ulk scrabbled after the noises, hoping that she had chosen the right direction. Sound played funny tricks down here in the deepest reaches of the Underneath, as it bounced hither and thither amongst the slime-covered corridors and fungus-filled caverns. Many a wandering Magi had gotten lost down in these deep regions, as the tunnels twisted and looped around and about themselves in a crazy maze of phosphorescent mushrooms and glittering mineral formations of amazing variety and beauty.

Ulk wasn't afraid of getting lost, however. She knew these caverns almost as well as anyone in all of Ombor. As a child, Ulk and her crèche-sister, Ogar, would wander off into the wilds of the Mushroom Jungle and beyond, often descending far into the depths of the Fungells for days at a time. The two young girls had enjoyed the time away from the hustle and bustle of busy Ombor, with its towering mushroom dwellings and vast underground harbor teeming with boats of every size and shape imaginable. Those were grand times, thought Ulk to herself. Ogar and I had dreamed such marvelous dreams together. I just wish Ogar were here now. She always knew how to get a korrit to behave itself!

The scrabbling noises were louder now. Ulk was sure they were coming from just the other side of the big orange and green mushroom pillar looming directly ahead. I'll have to sneak up on it, she thought as she silently edged her way around the column. Korrits were small, but very stealthy. By sitting perfectly still, Kyug could blend in with the surrounding fungi and be nearly undetectable. Ulk and Kyug often played these games of chase, but now the underday was getting dim as the glowcaps began closing their luminescent umbrellas and Ulk was eager to return to the city. Tomorrow was important; she didn't want to miss it.

She could feel the energy that connected her to the korrit suddenly grow stronger. I gotcha now, you little spore. Ulk took one last side step, then whirled around the column, reaching out and grabbing her spongy little dream friend firmly with both hands just as it attempted to scurry higher up the column. Kyug squealed loudly in protest, but when Ulk turned it upside-down and began tickling its fourteen nubbly little toes, its squeals degenerated into the hoots and whistles that passed for korrit laughter. "You thought I wouldn't get you this time, didn't ya?" Ulk laughed now too, then gave her rotund little friend a big squeeze. Kyug squeaked and puffed out a cloud of perfumed spores-a sure sign of contentment if ever Ulk had seen one.

"Okay, okay. Enough spores now. It's time to go." Ulk placed her little friend on the ground and lifted her glowing ring. Kyug squeaked and squealed in protest, and attempted to scurry off into the growing darkness once more. "No you don't, Kyug!" Ulk brought her foot gently but firmly down on the mushroom creature, preventing its escape. "You know I need the energy to summon the trogovo to take me back to the city. I promise to dream you back real soon." With that, Ulk gave the glowing animite stone on her ring a tap with her finger and the korrit disappeared in a swirl of violet smoke.

Ulk sighed. It was always hard to send Kyug back to the dream realm. He was her favorite dream creature, and had been her friend for much of her life. The Korrit ring had been given to her as a special gift from Ogar on the day the two girls had been proclaimed children no more and given the title of Underwardens. Thinking of her friend reminded Ulk of why she had wanted to return to Ombor so desparately. Trug's search party was due to return, and with it she hoped there would be news of what had become of her missing friend.

Ogar had gone missing on an extended trip into the Fungells by herself. Trying to escape those awful nightmares she'd been having, remembered Ulk sadly. She had wanted to accompany her old friend, but Ogar had insisted that she needed to be alone to face down her troubled dreams. I never should have listened, she thought, I should have gone with her...followed her, something.

Ulk fumbled in her ring pouch, replacing the Korrit ring and rummaging around in search of the Trogovo ring. Finding the big heavy ring at last, she placed it on her finger and tapped the darkened stone until it began to glow. Taking a deep breath, she formed the picture of the trogovo in her mind's eye-large flattened body flanked by broad wing flaps and a mushroom-capped head on a thick neck. Ulk released the breath and let the energy flow from her body and into the forming trogovo. The huge winged creature hovered patiently before her, awaiting her command. As always, Ulk was a bit intimidated by the thing's size-it was by far the largest creature in her ring collection, and one she summoned only rarely. The smaller cousins of the trogovo, known as agovo, were much less intimidating but also too small to carry Ulk for more than just a short distance. Ombor was far away, but the trogovo should be able to get her home in plenty of time to greet Trug's ship as it pulled into Ombor harbor.

* * *
Deep within the very heart of the moon, the forces of darkness were mustering. The walls of the Core slowly spiraled around an ominous fortress set deep within a bone-white forest of skeletal trees and spiky thorns. Shadows gathered in the halls of the castle, sliding down the winding tower stairs, across the jet-black tapestries and up the obsidian steps to the throne where they became as one.

Those who were gathered within cringed back in fear as the shadows took form upon the Throne of Bone and the whispering blackness took on shape and substance. No one dared to disturb the icy silence, just as no one dared to look away from the horror coalescing upon the throne. The shadow extended a finger from its hand and pointed towards the doors leading to the antechamber.

"It is time," the shadow spoke in whispers that thundered throughout the ebony halls, echoing through the bones of both the living and the dead.

The doors opened, and a tall female figure flowed gracefully into the room and approached the throne. All eyes were upon her as she crossed the great chamber to kneel before the shadow.

"Prove yourself," hissed the shadow.

The woman looked up into the blazing coals of her new master's eyes, and deftly pulled back the thick ropy strands of her fungus hair so that he might clearly see the sincerity of her expression.

"What wwwould you have meeee do, my lorrrd?" Her strong gaze did not waver from the heat of his terrible glare.

"Open the Underneath...."

Her eyes widened slightly, but her mouth drew into a resolute line and she bowed her head. "It ssshall beee done."

* * *
The trogovo flew swiftly through the twisting passages to the Fungells. Ulk tried to relax and enjoy the trip, but the continuous banking and turning of the flying fungus was making her a bit queasy. Abruptly they soared out into a much larger cavern. Huge tree-like mushrooms sprouted up around them as they entered the Mushroom Jungle, which sloped all the way down to the shores of Lake Ombor. It won't be long until I'm home, thought the young Magi. Ulk concentrated on the towering canopies of the giant fungus gliding past. The enormous stems sprouted from dense undergrowth of lesser fungi, with the occasional brilliant crystalline outcropping jutting up from the jungle floor. Above, the sprawling canopies of the mushroom trees spread their lacy underbellies across the cavern celiling, dotted with glowing streaks of phosphorescence in every color imaginable.

Suddenly, the trogovo screeched in alarm and Ulk had to hang on tightly as her mount banked sharply to avoid a strange new tree that had abruptly sprung up before them. Fungi were known to grow rapidly in the dense jungle, but this was unheard of! Ulk regained control of the trogovo and circled the enigmatic new growth. The colors were strange as well. This new tree was very dark-indigo streaked with oily violet. Ulk instructed her mount to land and she dismounted to have a closer look. Motash will be interested in this, she thought to herself. The venerable elder of Ombor was always fascinated with the teeming life of the Mushroom Jungle, but was far too old to go exploring for herself. Nowadays, she relied on the Underwardens to bring back interesting specimens for her to examine.

The dark fungus seemed to quiver as Ulk cautiously approached. The surface was flowing with some greasy substance that oozed from large open pores all along its surface, giving off a terrible odor of decay. Ugh! It stinks! Ulk held her nose as she drew closer. Behind her, the trogovo made small noises of unease that echoed her own growing sense of imminent danger. Suddenly, the spongy ground underfoot began to tremble violently. The trogovo screeched and launched itself into the air as Ulk lost her footing and fell backward into a dense growth of glow-puffs, sending their sparkling spores high into the air and momentarily blinding the startled Magi. A terrible grumbling sound rose from the quaking jungle floor. Ulk scrabbled backward, away from the dark mushroom tree as huge cracks began to appear all along its surface. Cold violet light spilled forth from the widening cracks. The deep grumbling sound rose in pitch to a deafening high-pitched keening.

Terrified, Ulk glanced around for her trogovo, but it was nowhere to be seen. She crawled desperately away from the mushroom tree to take refuge behind a more normal growth. Grimly, she realized she might need all of her energy soon, so she tapped her glowing trogovo ring and released the missing creature back into the dream realm. Her nerves steadied somewhat as her energy replenished and she cautiously peered around from behind her shelter. The dark mushroom tree was now almost totally gone, and rising in its place sprang a geyser of seething darkness and smoky shadows. The violet light that had filled the air began to fade, as did the terrible noise, leaving only the frightening pillar of shadows and an even more frightening shooshing and whooshing sound-the sound of nightmares whispering as they brushed past one another in the dark.

The base of the shadow geyser filled with darkly flickering lights, deep crimson and tarnished copper. A solitary figure emerged from the light-a figure Ulk recognized at once.

"Ogar!" she cried as she sprang from her hiding place, forgetting her fear in the excitement of seeing her friend safe and sound.

Ogar's gaze turned in her direction, coldly glowing eyes narrowing as they focused in on the approaching Magi. Ulk hesitated; knowing that something was horribly, terribly wrong.

"Ogar--what is it? What's happened? Where have you come from?"

Ogar remained silent. The only reply to Ulk's question was the whispering of shadows from behind the deathly still form of her oldest friend.

"Ogar," Ulk lowered her voice. "It's me, Ulk. What's happened to you? Where have you been?"

A slow smile crept across Ogar's features. Her mouth opened, revealing teeth that were dark yellow and much sharper than Ulk ever remembered. "I've been dreammming, old friennnd." Ogar's voice was a low hissing slur, sounding nothing at all like the clear silver chimes her friend's voice had once resembled. "Ssssssuch nice dreammssss. Sssssuch pretty, pretty dreamsssss."

Ulk stepped back. This could not be her oldest friend-her crèche-sister. Ogar's skin had darkened to a putrid olive green and was mottled and moist. Her scent was that of moldered canvas and dead, dried fungus. She was clothed head to toe in loosely wrapped swathes of colorless gray fabric- reminiscent of funeral shrouds. In her voice and in her eyes there was nothing but the promise of death.

Ogar advanced toward Ulk and held out a heavily wrapped hand. "Come, ssssisssssster. Come and join meee in my dreamssssss."

Ulk stumbled backward, away from this awful thing that once had been her dearest childhood companion. She shook her head violently. "No! Stay away from me! What has happened to you?!"

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of many voices echoing between the thick spongy boles of the mushroom trees. The Omborian Guard, thought Ulk. The entire city must've heard that terrible noise and felt the ground trembling.

Ogar's vile gaze shifted slowly to the trees beyond. "Weee have commmmpany cominggg," she hissed. Her terrible grin widened and she clapped her hands lethargically in a mockery of delight. "Just innn time to meeeeet sssssssome of my nnnnnew friendsssss."

Light from the Guards' torches was streaming between the tree-stems as Ogar lifted her hand in a lazy gesture. At once, the shadow geyser behind her teemed with more of the crimson and copper lights. A mass of writhing tentacles emerged carrying the torso of an armored Magi. It took Ulk a moment to realize that the tentacles were actually his legs! Next came a woman with a warrior's build, covered in darkly glistening leaves. "My commmradesss, Qwade and Warrrrrada," hissed Ogar in introduction. She dismissed Ulk with a glance before turning to face the oncoming Guard, now beginning to enter the clearing of the shadow geyser.

The Captain of the Guard, a stout Magi named Gogor, called a halt as he entered the clearing and stepped up to Ogar. His expression was grim and he showed no surprise at finding Ogar here and in this terrible new guise. "Well, well, Ogar. Come home at last have you? Still having those bad dreams?" Gogor sneered at the changed figure of Ogar. Ulk was confused. How did Gogor know about the nightmares that Ogar had been having just before she disappeared? Gogor glanced up at the seething shadow geyser and then over to Qwade and Warrada. "So you accepted Agram's offer did you? How could you?" Bitterness filled his voice. "How could you betray your own people? Surely you must know the dreams he has offered you will never come true!"

Ogar hissed in reply, baring her yellowed teeth in a feral snarl. Gogor visibly paled, and the Guard advanced to flank him on both sides. "Traitor!" Gogor yelled. "Agram wormed his way into my dreams as well-and the dreams of many others in Ombor. We were able to say no. We found strength in our love for our beautiful Underneath. We saw the destruction of our homeland was all that truly lay beyond his pretty lies!" Ogar hissed again, as Qwade and Warrada moved closer to her side. Gogor gulped visibly, his voice carrying just a hint of pleading, "Can you really do this, Ogar? Can you really open the door of destruction to the only home you've ever known?"

"Ogar, listen to him," cried Ulk, still confused but beginning to understand the nature of her friend's betrayal. "We are friends. You can still turn your back on this..." she gestured to the shadow geyser, "...this darkness and come back to the ones who love you."

"Sssssilence, Old Frrriend!" Ogar spat. "I dreammmmed about the world, not jusssst thiss puny littllle Underneathhhhh. Now it willll alll be open to meeee! I have the entire Moonland to dream uponn nowwww, and my dreamssss are large-so very larrrge!"

"Your dreams will be the end of your own people, and your name will be cursed by all of Ombor!" Gogor raised his right hand, his massive fingers bristling with rings.

"My dreamssss are not your concernnnn, Guardsssman. I brrrringg you nightmaresss of your ownnn to deal with nowwww!" As one, the three shadow Magi tapped the rings upon their fingers and stood back as their nightmare creations took form. Ulk leaped away as an astonishing multitude of terrifying beasts formed before the Omborian Guard. The shadow creatures were unlike anything she had ever before seen. Vile beasts that slithered and crawled, armored with ebony carapaces and spiny claws. The Guards began summoning their own dream creatures, but it soon became very apparent that the nightmare shadow-creatures were far more powerful than anything in the standard Guard arsenal.

Ulk fingered her only other remaining ring-a gum-gum ring. Looking in horror upon the huge tentacled monstrosities descending upon the Guards' own valiant dream-creatures she realized the futility of bringing forth one tiny little gum-gum into the fray. Helplessly, she backed away, not sure of what to do. How can this be happening? Ogar! What have you done? She watched as Gogor's giant parmalag lifted its great bulk and fell upon the much smaller shadow creature beneath it. The two forms merged, becoming transparent as their dream-energies overlapped. Despite its great size, the giant parmalag apparently did not have as much sustaining energy as its shadow nemesis, for its form began to darken and then it vanished into thin air. The shadow creature untangled its mass of slimy tentacles and slithered toward its next opponent. One by one, the Guards' creatures fell, leaving the Underneath Magi defenseless against the continued onslaught of the shadow monsters. Ulk turned in despair and ran into the Mushroom Jungle, fleeing the sounds of battle...a battle the Guard was sure to lose. Tears ran down her cheeks as she stumbled through the dense fungus thickets, half-blinded in her grief. Suddenly she bumped into something cold and unyielding, causing her to fall backwards.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Ulk peered up to see Ogar standing over her. A shroud-wrapped hand reached out to offer assistance. "My ssssissster..." hissed Ogar. "Come with meeee. It isssss not too late. We can dreammm sssssuch pretty, pretty dreamssss togetherrrr." Ulk turned her face away, unable to gaze upon that once-loved visage for another moment. Her world was collapsing around her. She leaped to her feet and disappeared into the surrounding jungle, not knowing and not caring where she was headed so long as it was far, far away from this terrible nightmare. She might just run forever. Ogar silently watched her crèche-sister flee.

"There issss no place to runnn, old friennnnd. Dreamsssss cannn find you anywhere." She chuckled softly to herself, a dry rasping sound like that of brittle old bones clacking together in a chill wind. "Everyone hassss to ssssleep ssssssssometime."

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Read Part 2 "Cry for Help"