Onestar stepped through the portal, onto the surface of Omni. It was early evening, yet the air around him had the color of rust and blood. The Spire loomed before him, stretching a mile into the atmosphere, the last of the pure sunlight shining off the top of it's metallic exterior.
The samurai took a moment to survey the area. The normally busy spaceport was abandoned: No spelljammers were at the docks. Sentients were running back and forth in a panic, trying to get to safety. Nearby, there was a flash of light as another dimensional gate flashed into existence. Onestar's eyes widened as hellspawn creatures began to pour forth, attacking anything that moved before them.
For a moment, Onestar considered joining the demons in a fray, but considered against it. While he had no fear of dying, it would keep him from his appointed task. Colicor, he knew, was in the Spire.
The Spire was a half-mile from where he stood, so the samurai took off on a run toward it's gleaming entrance. No guards stood at the usual posts. Most of them were busy dealing with the hellspawn, or trying to find some place of relative safety. Onestar was about a thousand feet from the entrance when a huge, lumbering hordling leapt in front of him, blocking his path.
"Where you run to, slant-eyes?" the monster asked, its voice sounding like flesh being ripped over coarse sandpaper. "Party other way."
"I don't have time for this," Onestar replied, pulling his katana from its sheath. The monster laughed (or perhaps it belched...who could tell?) then lunged forward, four huge arms reaching out. Onestar leapt out of the way, slicing the monster's lower right arm as he went. The hordling cried out in pain, grasping its wounded appendage.
"Now, will you leave me alone?" Onestar asked, assuming a defensive position. The monster stood, looking down at the samurai. Onestar didn't wait for the creature to move however. He knew the Bracers of Wildspace had several powers, other than protection. With a thought, they could project a beam of light. Onestar thought he could blind the hordling, then kill it.
As Onestar raised his left arm toward the hordling, a beam of pure white force erupted from the bracer, striking the creature full in the chest. The force of the bolt sent the creature hurtling through the air, slamming him against one of the stone embankments that surrounded the Spire. Onestar looked as the creature, stunned from the blow, fell to the ground, its neck broken.
"Monitor never told me they could do that," Onestar mumbled as he turned back toward the Spire. The samurai reached the gate, opened it, and entered.
Inside, the Spire was cold and dark. Normally lit braziers were dead in their metal lattice stands, their flames extinguished. The entrance hall was taller than the largest building, but Onestar could see nothing as he looked upward save darkness. Concentrating, the bracers began to emit magical light, enough to throw additional shadows into the chamber.
"COLICOR!" Onestar cried out. "WHERE ARE YOU!"
"There is no need to shout," a voice replied from ahead of the samurai. Tannenbam Colicor stepped into the circle of light the samurai created. His face covered by the long robes, Colicor was holding a pink crystal globe in his withered right hand. He moved slowly, unsteadily. Onestar guessed that he hadn't completely reformed after what happened on Glorin.
"Where are the other Magi!" Onestar ordered. "Why is the Spire cast into darkness?"
"I prefer the dark, samurai. Or have you forgotten." Colicor carefully placed the globe on the ground and began fishing around for something under his robes. "As for the council, well, I'm afraid that they're dead. Pity. I could have used their help with these invaders."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"For someone intelligent enough to master psionics, you're quite the idiot, you know that?" Colicor replied. "I killed them. Killed the council, every last member. Planned to take over Omnispace and run it all myself. Would have too, if it wasn't for that thrice-damned Te'Ess-Arr. He set me up!"
"Colicor, you're not making any sense."
"It makes perfect sense, you sword-carrying imbecile! Te'Ess-Arr left this crystal" (Colicor pointed to the rose crystal globe at his feet) "with all the details of his plan. He knew I'd reform from the explosion, you see. He knew I'd come back here, find the crystal, and understand what he was doing, while I watched the world...MY WORLD...DIE AROUND ME!"
"Don't you see, Onestar? It's not just Omnispace he's after. Te'Ess-Arr is not going to be satisfied until all systems that rely on Spelljammers are destroyed! He doesn't want anyone to buy Spelljammers. He wants everyone to invest in his new planar travelling system. He's going to destroy Oerth, Krynn, Solaris, just like he destroyed Omni!"
Colicor ran over to Onestar, grabbing him by the cloak. "YOU! You're one of those hero-types! You've got to stop him before he destroys any more spheres!"
Onestar shoved Colicor away from him. "Don't worry about him, Colicor. It's your own head I'd worry about now." With that, the samurai tossed his sword to the ground, and began to approach Colicor. The magi backed away quickly.
"What do you think you're doing?" Colicor asked.
"I'm going to wring your neck until you're dead," Onestar replied. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"You can't do that!" Colicor said, standing. Onestar stopped just a few steps from the magi. "Here I thought you'd be more sensible, more realistic. Go after Te'Ess-Arr and leave me alone. Looks like I'll have to kill you then. DIE!"
As Colicor screamed the last word, Onestar's eyes opened wide. The samurai clenched his chest. Seconds later, he fell over, dead.
Colicor brushed his hands together. "Takes care of that. Wonderful little spell, that 'Power Word Kill', wouldn't you say?" Colicor looked down at Onestar. "I am so disappointed in you Onestar. I thought you were smarter than that."
"I am."
Colicor's eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped. Onestar sat up, and while Colicor was still trying to figure out what happened, the samurai jumped him.
