The Shadows from Beyond

15 ~ Lymbo

~ Torin ~

Torin opens his eyes. He is in a misty forest of dead and decaying trees. No, not all trees. People fused to trees. Their screams echo in this dark, cold place. He shakes his head and walks on. Here, in Lymbo, he knows the terrain well. But he also knows he's not alone here. He is not the only one here that covets the lost human soul that was killed this night. But he is the one who will find her and bring her home.

He is not in his human body, as she would know it. No, he is in his wraith body. He knows Wren won't recognize him like this, but he knows he has to try to help her. In his wraith form, he towers above the trees, or he would, if they were in the mortal world. But here, with the trees bearing twisted humans' remains and their moans and cries filling the bitterly cold air, he doesn't. He just towers above most others in here.

Torin spreads his wings and takes flight, flying above the treetops, but not above the thick fog. He knows better than that. Doesn't want to attract any unwanted attention. And as he flies, ignoring the sounds of the screams and cries of the people in agony.

And as he flies, he listens and watches, trying to find where she might be. Wren is lost for now, yes. But this is not the only thing he must worry about. For he is technically alive, and living things do not tread in Lymbo.

And because of that, he is being hunted.

But Thorin still flies on. He flies long through the woods, and into the barren wastelands surrounding them. He flies over the ruins of cities and towns, over crumbling cathedrals and homes. He flies, even though he knows he is being hunted by the Soulseekers.

Wren does not seem to be anywhere he searches, and even though he uses his special wraithsight, he cannot see her anywhere he goes. Torin flies down, landing on the soil before a particularly ruined cathedral.

His senses tell him she is close. But he cannot discern which direction she is in. But then, the fog around the destroyed building flows back away from the cathedral. And from it, emerges a woman with dark skin, huge purple and red bat-like wings, red eyes like fire, and black hair that reminds him of midnight.

The black horns on her head depict her as a demon. And he tenses, ready for a fight. But she doesn't seem to be too interested in a fight.

Instead, the demon approaches him slowly. "I knew you would come here, Torin Fade."

"You know me?"

She sighs. "You... don't recognize me, do you?"

Torin shakes his head. "I'm sorry. But I really need to keep going."

"Yes, well, you're not the only one hunted," says the demon. She smiles. "You should know that you, and I, and Wren Killoran, are all being hunted. And if we don't hurry, we will face a fate worse than anything death herself could bring upon us."

"Yes. Well, I have to find Wren —" He stops and turns back to the demon. "How did you know who I was looking for? Who are you?"

"My name is Niobe Helion. And I.... I thought you'd have remembered me."

His eyes widen, and he feels his heart break. He steps forward, reaching out his clawed hands to touch her. And she lets him. He gently touches her face, gently caressing her jaw.

"Niobe ... how ...?"

Niobe was once his lover. The lover he lost.

Well, one of them.

"How did you become a demon?" Torin asks.

"I ... don't remember much after ...." She shakes her head. "No. We have to go. We must find Wren, and leave."

"Y - yes," he stammers.  "We will speak of this later. But ... I can't tell which way she is."

That is when Niobe smiles.  "Yes, well, I know where we must go. Follow me."