Delver Magic: Book 05 - Chain of Bargains

by Jeff Inlo

  #

  With every goblin in the Great Valleys completely subdued, Jure turned his focus on eliminating them as a threat. It was not sufficient to simply bind them. They had to be removed from the land and placed where they could cause no further harm.

  Across the countryside, Jure began to open one portal after another. The gateways led into the dark realm, the breeding grounds and homeland of the goblins. The dimensional doorways sprung up in cornfields, on dusty dirt roads, in empty town squares, and on lonely hilltops. He constructed them tall and wide, for he knew that once he began to push the goblins through, he would need considerable space for the masses that he would heave across dimensions.

  At first, he worried he might be sending an invitation for a mass invasion of other dark creatures. That was something no one needed, but the dark realms were filled with horrifying monsters searching for ways to escape. A host of open portals would surely gain their attention, and such large gateways would offer potentially disastrous consequences. The return of magic to Uton meant portals could be opened between realms, and they often were, but some of the largest walking nightmares of the dark realm were unable to utilize the smaller gates. Opening the valleys to titans of misery would counteract Jure's desire to end the conflict.

  He originally hoped the massive tide of goblins forced back through the portal would discourage any other fiends from trying to pass through. He would do his best to generate a constant flow of goblins through the dimensional rifts. Hopefully, he would create a massive torrent that would serve as a shield, but he knew there would be ample breaks. Dark creatures were nothing if not opportunists, and it was their inherent nature to capitalize on the misfortune of others.

  He would have liked a more reassuring solution, and in the flow of magic, he believed he found one. The surge of magical energy was actually growing. He imagined it was Heteera's doing, but he brushed aside his concerns over the sorceress' intentions. He would let Enin focus on that problem. Instead, he opened himself up to even more of the energy.

  As he opened the portals, he directed waves of ample magic through each one. He placed a directive into the flow that ensured it would move in but one direction. Even as the gateways waited for the goblin masses, no creature could enter into Uton from the dark realm. The pressing magic would force retreat from even the largest monster trying to force its way across.

  Thrilled with the progress, Jure turned his attention to the bound goblins. He focused his mind on yet another massive spell. It would utilize the power of a storm, and winds of force and fury would sweep across the valleys.

  Just as the magical light sought out the goblins, the rush of air followed the same paths. The wind soared down across the grounds and took hold of the binding light that captured the loathsome monsters. It hooked into the magical bonds and lifted the dark creatures high into the air.

  Across the valleys, goblins—and only goblins—were gathered up in whirlwinds and carried across the skies in great throngs. The forceful breezes moved with clear intentions. They did not damage a single building or fall one tree. The powerful rush of air created such a roar that many people were forced to cover their ears, but it was their eyes that found the spectacle so unbelievable.

  Whereas the goblins once poured across the land in a gray wave of their own evil intent, they were suddenly and unceremoniously yanked into the air and thrust high over towns and fields. Just as they had tried to herd the humans into heading west, the goblins were driven in great flocks toward gleaming portals. They fought and struggled, but they could not break the bonds of light that tied them or free themselves from the winds that carried them.

  Every portal across the land became a receptacle for a colossal wave of snarling, angry monsters. The rifts swallowed them all and once the goblins passed back into the dark realm, the binds of light that held them disappeared. Their sudden freedom, however, meant nothing. As they landed on the barren ground in heaps, they were pressed away from the gateway by the continuous flow of other goblins discarded from Uton by Jure's powerful spell.

  When the last goblin passed through, Jure used the tremendous wave of magical energy that continued surging into him to close each and every portal instantaneously. It was as if he blew them out like flames on a great array of candles.

  The orb of white fire still hung in the sky and he used it to inspect the surrounding lands. His vision followed the beams of light, and the rays of magic revealed both the good and the bad. The goblins had been eradicated from the valleys, but he saw the great damage they had left behind. While he took pride in accomplishing his goals, he found emptiness in a victory that left so much destruction.

  With the energy still pouring into him, he decided to do more. Jure could do nothing for the dead, but he could still save thousands. With spells of healing, he tended to wounds of all types. He revived all that held to the smallest spark of life. He disregarded not a single injury, no matter how small. He would do everything in his power to wipe away as much pain as possible.

  After tending to every wounded human and animal, he turned his attention to the damage within towns and cities. He used the magic to put out every fire, but still he wasn't satisfied. He rebuilt shops and homes, restored as much property to its original state that he could. He knew he couldn't erase the memory of what happened, but he hoped to wipe away as many reminders as possible.

  #

  Before trying to stem the tide of magic flowing into Heteera, Enin made one last attempt to reach her. He doubted he would be successful... on either front. He knew he could siphon off a great deal of energy, but it wouldn't be enough. The magic was roaring in so fast that anything he absorbed would be replaced almost instantaneously. As for Heteera, she had shifted from indifferent to incensed. She didn't want to listen. She craved the abyss of isolation, but the magic wouldn't allow it.

  Enin came up with but one hope. He believed if they worked together, they could alter the structure of the barrier. They would need to do more than just strengthen it to hold the enormous surge. They would have to create spillways and outlets to control the monumental flow. It would lead to additional risks—the magic wouldn't be completely contained and the instability would increase—but at least Jure and Heteera would have a chance to survive. When the time came, he didn't want to struggle against both the magic and the sorceress.

  "You realize we have an opportunity," Enin began. "The reservoir of magic within you has been dramatically diminished."

  "I know that," Heteera responded, "but there's no opportunity for me. I'm still the same as I was. I don't have any control of the magic. The barrier will just reform."

  "No, it won't."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Can't you sense the amount of magic surging through you? You won't be able to stop it. Trying to free yourself from the current will be like hoping to swim out of a waterfall after going over the edge. You're more than just a magnet for the energy. You've become major conduit. Energy from across the land is caught in the swell. You don't believe me? Try to reduce it, even by a small amount. It's not a trick. It's the truth."

  The sorceress didn't want to reduce the magic, she wanted to refill the barrier and return to the isolation where she found comfort. She also, however, wanted to prove the wizard wrong. She wanted to be rid of him, and so, she tried to remove her essence ever so slightly from the incoming magic. Her efforts were shoved aside harshly.

  "What's going on?" she cried.

  "I tried to warn you. Magic was being directed into the city of Ashlan to offer cover to a draevol. That's where you are... in Ashlan... where your magic needed to be. When you sensed the barrier retreating, you used all of your will to bring in as much magic as possible, but there was far more here than you—or the barrier—could handle. You created a massive tide that might be unstoppable if we don't work together."

  "That doesn't make any sense. Why is it just flowing through me? Why isn't the barrier reforming?"

  "Because Jure is sti
ll using the energy. He's removing the goblins from the land as we speak. Unfortunately, he will soon have to close the portals he created and he will have no further need for the magic on such an enormous scale. When he stops casting his spells, the magic will have no outlet. It won't fill the barrier. It will just rip through the two of you, killing you both."

  Heteera would not believe it.

  "No, that's not possible."

  Enin pointed to the sad truth.

  "I wish it weren't, but it is. You don't have to believe me. Think of what just happened. Why weren't you able to reduce the influx of magic?"

  "Because I have no control! But it doesn't matter. Jure's spell will handle it, and when the barrier returns to its previous size, things will be back to the way they were."

  "No, they won't. You and Jure will be dead. Control is no longer an issue. Even with all Jure's control, he won't be able to break his own link. Just as it flows through you, it will surge into him, but he can't cast it out forever. It's just not possible. At some point, he will have to stop, and when he does, it will be over... for both of you."

  Heteera's anger turned to horror.

  "You're not lying?"

  "I wish I was, but I'm not."

  Heteera began to see the truth, not so much in the wizard's words, but in the magic that coursed through her. The barrier continued to surround it, separate it from her consciousness, but she could still feel it. Despite the reduced size of the mound, the current of energy roared through at an incomparable pace.

  As she had taken hold of the barricade, utilized it for her own needs, she had become very aware of its properties. She knew its expansion could drive her into oblivion, but she also understood the barrier's limits. It could not possibly contain so much raw power. The moment Jure stopped utilizing the energy in massive spells, the magic would indeed rip away their very essence.

  She probably could have accepted her own fate, but the thought of Jure suffering for her mistakes was too much for her. If purpose was her goal, fault was her fear. Jure was right. She didn't wish to cause harm.

  "Isn't there something you can do to stop it?" the sorceress begged.

  "Perhaps if the three of us work together, we can alter the barrier, enable it to slowly restrict the flow so that we can eventually control it. In all honesty, I'm not sure how successful we can be. The barrier will grow, and it will remain somewhat unstable, but I believe it's our only chance."

  "Wouldn't that put us right back where we started?"

  "No, the flow would be controlled enough so that you and Jure would survive."

  "But I would be storing a dangerous amount of energy."

  "I don't see how we could avoid that."

  "Is that really the only chance we have?"

  "It's the only one I can see," Enin admitted.

  Heteera, however, decided to reach for another answer, one that offered an existence beyond the magic.

  "What if we just removed the barrier?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "Dissolve the spell that caused the barrier in the first place."

  The wizard could not follow her logic. The barrier was not the issue. The removal of the spell would only shatter the vessel that held the magic. The flow of energy would run unabated.

  "That would do nothing to stop the current of magic."

  "But it would break Jure's link immediately, wouldn't it?"

  Enin considered the point. Destroying the barrier would certainly break Jure's connection to the flow, but he continued to see it as a partial solution at best. It wasn't the barrier that attracted the energy, it was Heteera.

  "It would," the wizard conceded, "but that wouldn't solve the problem, just a part of it."

  "Before you brought me to Ashlan, you told me that the magic inside of me had built up to a dangerous level. That's what you were afraid of. You said I couldn't die because the magic inside me was too great and for some reason it required a purpose. It's not the amount of energy stored within me that's the danger anymore, is it? It's just the flow, and the flow is no longer seeking a purpose. You even believe the purpose has been fulfilled, don't you?"

  "I don't understand what you're suggesting."

  "I'm not suggesting anything... yet. I'm just trying to understand it all. When Jure stops casting his spell, the flow of magic—if it continues as it is now—will rip us both apart. Right?"

  "Yes, that's what I want to prevent."

  "But there will be no cataclysmic release of pent up energy since the magic isn't being held in me, it's just going through me. Correct?"

  "I believe so."

  "It is correct. I can see that now."

  Enin was pleased to hear that, but he still felt Heteera was avoiding the true issue.

  "Then you understand we have to come up with a way to contain the energy and control the influx at the same time."

  "No, we don't. All I have to do is destroy the barrier right when Jure finishes his last spell," she explained. "The magic won't tear him apart."

  Enin finally understood her intentions.

  "You'll die!"

  "But Jure won't, and neither will anyone else. And once I'm gone, there will be nothing to attract the magic. The flow will end... the danger will be over."

  "It won't work," Enin implored. "Jure cast the spell, not you. If you try to interfere with it, it could be disastrous."

  "But Jure will help. When he's done using the magic, he'll know he has to break his connection from the barrier all at once. That will be enough. He might have cast the original spell that created the barrier, but I'm the one who turned it into what it is. All he has to do is show a willingness to end the spell, and I can do the rest."

  It was true. Enin knew it. The barrier had become a joint endeavor. It was as much Heteera's spell as it was Jure's. She was the one who fed it and molded it into its current state. All that was necessary was a spark of willingness from Jure, and he already revealed his desire to end his spell and bring Heteera back from isolation. When he chose to break the link, it would open the path for the sorceress to destroy the barrier.

  Enin wondered if he could stop her, wondered if he even should. It seemed such a waste, but he also had to admit that it would solve the dilemma. For all his power, he really didn't know what to do.

  He placed his consciousness momentarily in the magic and hoped for enlightenment. The magic, however, held no answer for him. It was pure in form, nothing but energy. He would have to make his decision on his own.

  While in the magical energy, he noted that Jure had closed the portals and was going further with his own plans. The elder wizard had begun to repair the land and its occupants, casting healing spells and restoring incantations. He was still using the massive amounts of magic to help the land. When that was over, however, he knew Jure would call an end to the magical flow and break from the barrier. It would happen very soon.

  "I'm sorry about all of this, Heteera."

  "Don't be sorry. You said it was meant to be."

  "I didn't think you were supposed to die."

  "But I ended up helping a great many, didn't I?"

  "Yes, you did. It's just that..."

  "Stop worrying about it. It was my mistake. I'm the one who called for more magic. You tried to warn me. Jure did what was right. Let me do the same."

  "I don't know if it is right."

  "Let me worry about that."

  At that very moment, Heteera felt Jure try to break free from the magical current. It was exactly as Enin warned. The elder wizard couldn't disconnect from the great flow. With one great effort, Jure tried to extinguish the connection, and Heteera's will joined with his. She focused on shattering the barrier entirely, and combined with Jure's desire to break from the flow, the tunnel that held the great surge of magic burst apart. The magic washed Heteera's soul out of her body, but before she was gone completely, she managed to leave Enin with one clear thought of where she was headed.

  It's better than magic.


  Chapter 27

  "She did what she thought was best," Enin stated sadly.

  The wizard's essence had returned to his body, and he addressed those that realized Heteera had died. He wanted them to know the full merit of her noble act. He turned his attention to Jure.

  "She wanted to make sure you weren't hurt. The current of magic was too strong for either of you to stop. She knew what she was facing but decided it was worth it. I told you you were putting your life in her hands, and in a way, I was right. She didn't want to see you suffer for her mistake."

  "The barrier was as much my mistake as it was hers," Jure replied sadly.

  "No, that's not correct. All along, you did what you had to do... the right thing to do. Her mistake was not seeing that soon enough. She created the magic current out of fear. She admitted that, and then, she did what she had to do. People make mistakes all the time. It takes courage to admit it and live with the consequences. Give her credit for that. She deserves it."

  It wasn't that Jure didn't want to give Heteera any credit. He simply couldn't understand the loss. It seemed a waste. For a moment, there was a point, a reason... a purpose for them all. Together, they used their gifts and they defeated the goblins in a way that none of them could do apart. He couldn't understand why one of them had to suffer for it.

  Holli did not wish to remove attention from Heteera's sacrifice, but she understood that the real source of suffering needed to be confronted.

  "It is time we find the draevol and make it pay for this... all of it."

  She harbored a deep resentment toward the demon. She wouldn't deny it, or even attempt to conceal it. Elf guards didn't allow emotions to affect their objectives, but as she began to realize, she was no longer simply an elf guard. She was also an apprentice to Enin, and she believed that her struggle in accepting that fact caused her to make several missteps.

  "I suppose it is," Enin agreed. "We know where the demon is and the goblins are no longer a threat."

  "It worked then?" Ryson asked. "All the goblins are gone?"