The Black Legions marched through Dreams, extending their dominion wherever they trod, for none could oppose them, or their dark and nightmarish allies. But Dreams are virtually infinite, so there remained much to conquer, even though the Legions too were without number.
At the heart of their ever-extending Empire stood a black tower, from the gates of which issued ever more Legions. Black towers are very much of a standard design: gates like mouths, tower like a dark finger, and dread winged things circling above. But this one was built of the worst nightmares, and made the towers of Hell in the Waking World seem like the Temple Trees of the Calaquendi by comparison.
From the topmost chamber of its demonic phallus of a main tower there glowed a green light, which shone like a baleful eye seeking out new dominions to conquer. Inside that chamber paced the Dark Lord himself.
Mheldegrin addressed the stoppered and filigreed silver bottle which he held in his hand. "MERLO, it is foolish to resist me. Have I not demonstrated that I am the most all-powerful wizard there has ever been? I continue to summon invincible hordes. I have Bound You, as I will any other Powers foolish enough to intervene. Why not just co-operate? It will be so much easier."
"Mheldegrin, it is you who are the fool", replied the Demigod of Dreams in even tones, though He spoke only by the wizard's sufferance. "Can you not see that this is all but a dream? You lie in a coma, overdosed on Black Lotus. These worlds you conquer, they too are but dreams: figments of the imagination. What sort of conquest is it when you dream yourself invincible, so you can defeat make-believe worlds, whilst your body lies drooling and useless in that squalid chamber where you hide from the Demons that hunger for your soul?"
"A pretty speech, Dreamlord, but it is You Who make-believe, if You think I shall return to that existence. It is I who have the power here. I have found Your flaw, and it was so simple. All I had to do was dream that I was all-powerful, and I was. You gave me that power, and then were trapped by Your own power, which You had given to me. Why should I return to my former existence, when I can have whatever I want here? What is reality anyway? The imagination is so much more vivid!"
"Ah, wizard, you will see. Reality always catches up with you in the end. There comes a time when all dreamers awake. Then this spurious power will desert you, and you will pay the price for your presumption."
"We shall see indeed, my Demigod in a bottle, we shall see indeed..." and the mighty wizard, Mheldegrin, all-conquering Dark Emperor of Dreams, replaced the silver bottle on the shelf and willed it to silence. There were still so many worlds to conquer.
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