by Jeff Inlo
Gnafil was slightly confused by the reaction. He noted the initial fear, understood it, but laughing at the daokiln was like swimming with river rogues, not a good idea.
"Take care, wizard. Reiculf does not share your sense of humor."
"Of course he doesn't, but you seem to like jokes."
"Jokes?"
"Come on, torch boy, don't carry this too far. Do you think I just fell off the vegetable cart?"
"You are speaking riddles to me," the infern admitted, unable to comprehend Neltus' reaction.
"Okay," the wizard allowed, "let me spell it out for you. You're pulling my leg. I don't know why, maybe you want to get back at me for calling you torch boy. It's a good joke, but that's all it is."
"You think this is some game?"
"Absolutely," the wizard lied.
"Then you are wrong."
"No, I'm not," Neltus insisted with an even bigger smile. "It's a gag. It has to be. I know you couldn't have talked to Reiculf. I might not know everything there is to know about demons, but I know the master of all demons isn't going to waste his time with the likes of you... or me for that matter. I also know you wouldn't be able to see him. Right? I mean there are rules about demons, not that I understand them, but you can't just waltz over and have a little talk with Reiculf. You should have chosen someone else. Maybe Godson. That would have been a good one, too."
"The rules have changed," Gnafil snarled, beginning to believe he understood the spell caster's impudence.
"Rules don't change," Neltus scoffed. "Not rules like that anyway. This is Reiculf we're talking about. If he could reach out to you or me, he'd just destroy us all."
"But he can reach out to you or me. Ansas has made it possible."
"Ansas? What's he got to do with this? That sorcerer is long gone and I say good riddance."
"You wouldn't have said that to his face."
"That's very true, but I don't have to. Like I said, he's gone, taken away by that Baannat creature. Look, Gnaffy, this joke has gone on long enough. I'm all for a good laugh, but you're overdoing it. In all honesty, I'm a bit surprised. You used to be such a stick in the mud. I couldn't even get a chuckle out of you. Now, you're making jokes about Reiculf. Quite a jump, but if this is a new side of you, it needs some work. How about we go get something to eat and work on it together?"
Neltus raised an eyebrow and did his best to offer an expression of goodwill. He had put on quite an act, but he knew it was necessary. He had hoped it would be enough, hoped that the infern would recall his pompous behavior and accept the charade as nothing more than an annoying reflection of the wizard's personality.
The infern was more confused than suspicious. He expected Neltus to offer resistance, but not in the manner of outright amusement. Gnafil snarled with irritation as he felt it necessary to clarify the wizard's fate.
"Ansas may have been taken, but his discoveries have altered existence. You already know that. Your magic was used to link the serps of the coast, to allow them to pool their talents."
"So?" the wizard questioned with a shrug.
"Those serps were sent to Demonspawn by Enin."
Neltus feigned momentary shock. He wanted to make it appear as if he had no idea what had happened to the members of the serp council, even though that was far from the truth.
He was not there to witness Enin's dismissal of the serp council into Demonspawn, but the echoes of their past connection remained strong enough for him to sense their passing into the realm of hate and despair. Even though they no longer held any of his magical core, he could still sense certain cataclysmic events. Passage into Demonspawn was not some insignificant affair. When the serps were forced into the pit of hate, it rang out to Neltus through the shadows of magic that once connected them all. He knew when they expired, and he even knew that one had avoided death.
"Really?" Neltus questioned, hoping to sound convincingly surprised. "Enin sent them to Demonspawn?"
"A fate they earned," Gnafil acknowledged.
"A dreadful end," Neltus admitted with a shake of his head. "I imagine it was painful."
"Their fate is not as important as the ultimate consequences. Through the serps, Reiculf learned of Ansas' discoveries. He obtained the notes the sorcerer made and adjusted the knowledge for his own purposes. He has learned how to transcend certain boundaries by mixing magical cores."
"Mixing?"
"Yes, he has created a bond through the magic itself that ties my core to his... and his to mine. He has found a way to reach out beyond Demonspawn."
Neltus stared at the infern, but only for a moment. He then began to pace about the room, apparently contemplating the news as if considering it for the first time. He even mumbled a few words the infern could not hear.
"This can't be true," Neltus finally responded, allowing his very real fear to bubble to the surface once more. There was no longer a need to hide it, and it would help him execute his plan.
"It is true," the infern insisted, "and Reiculf seeks all those who have experience in the transference of magical energy. You were joined with Ansas, and you allowed for the linking of the serps. He has great plans for you."
"Plans?" It was not an unexpected revelation, but Neltus allowed his growing fear to make his response that much more convincing. "For me? I don't want anything to do with this!"
Gnafil found the reaction more than sincere. He expected it. He knew the cowardice of the human spell caster would race to the forefront when confronted with superior power, and there were none in all of Uton that could match the vile energy of the demon master.
"That is not a surprise, but as I indicated before, you have no choice in the matter."
"But what if I refuse?" Neltus moaned.
"You will not be able to refuse. Reiculf can act through me. He can seize you at will."
Neltus turned silent, but again, only for a brief moment. His future was at hand, a choice had to be made. He knew it would come, and he had dreaded its arrival.
If he was to escape, he had to immerse himself in the qualities Gnafil knew he possessed. He had revealed his fear and succeeded in displaying the proper reluctance to serve the daokiln. His fear, however, would eventually be replaced by the desire to both survive and profit from an unavoidable outcome. He had made deals in the past—deals with powerful beings—and the half-demon was aware of his shady history.
Neltus allowed twisted thoughts to race through his mind. He wondered what it would be like to have the power of Reiculf at his command. He imagined all his past enemies kneeling before him. Deep down, he knew he would find no satisfaction through the demon master, but he needed to look beyond such awareness. He needed to appear willing to accept what the infern offered.
He also had to focus on his own hopes of influence and riches. It was possible that his own selfishness might actually save him. He looked upon the infern with a hint of enthusiasm, and then explained his thoughts.
"Maybe this could work out for all of us," the wizard offered with a wry smile.
"You sound as if you are considering some deal. There is no..."
The wizard cut off the infern.
"Now, now, Gnaffy! You might be connected to the big demon, but maybe you don't understand him as well as I do."
"You think you understand the daokiln?" the infern questioned harshly.
"I understand the facts. Reiculf could have taken me the moment I walked through the door, but he didn't. He wanted it all explained to me first."
"What does it matter?" the infern wondered.
"Why would he waste his time? Maybe because he wants to make a deal. Let's be honest, you know what I'm like. That means so does he. He knows I wouldn't dare fight him. I didn't want to fight Ansas... or Enin. And I certainly don't want to confront Reiculf."
"He knows you would not be so foolish, if that is what you mean."
"That's true, but doesn't it go beyond that? It seems Reiculf can take what he wants, but here you are still talking to
me. I may not be able to refuse him, but choice does matter, doesn't it? I mean, he could force me if he wanted to, I accept that, but he'd prefer I would agree on my own."
"That would alter the dynamic between you," the half-demon confessed.
"So let me make the choice," the wizard offered eagerly.
The half-demon appeared willing to accept the suggestion, or at least consider Neltus' terms of surrender.
"What do you propose?"
"Let me create the portal to Demonspawn. Let me meet Reiculf in his domain. That way there would be no question, no doubt about my commitment."
"You would willingly step into Demonspawn?"
"It's like you said, I really don't have a choice. And you know me... I'd rather live with a demon than die with an angel."
Gnafil could not deny that simple fact. He knew of Neltus' cowardice. He also could not deny the power in allowing an individual the freedom to choose his own path to damnation. If Neltus was willing to walk directly into the pit of desolation, so much the better.
"Very well, as long as you realize that no matter what you do, Reiculf will have you."
"That's why I'd rather do it the easy way. Look, I don't even need any more time to think about it. I'm ready now. Here, let me show you."
Neltus concentrated deeply on a spell he had prepared in his mind before Gnafil arrived in his room. He used his connection to the infern to reach into a realm he had no intention of entering. As carefully as possible, he used Gnafil's link to the daokiln to create the map for his spell, and then he allowed the crimson energy to form the portal to Demonspawn.
"Indeed, you did that rather quickly," Gnafil noted with both surprise and a hint of suspicion.
"Better to get it done and over with. No sense dragging it out." Neltus paused as he gave one last look to the infern. "Do you think I'm trying to trick you? You just said I can't get away. Don't you think I know that? I'll tell you what. I'll go first and you can follow."
The wizard didn't wait for an answer. He leapt through the portal and disappeared from the room.
Gnafil looked to the portal. Neltus was gone, there was no doubt in the half-demon's mind about that, and the rift was a direct path to the center of Demonspawn. He didn't expect Neltus to put up much of a fight, but the speed in which Neltus accepted his fate still surprised the infern.
He wondered what Reiculf would do when the wizard appeared. It would certainly make the transference of energy much easier. There might also be additional questions regarding the magical cores now that the daokiln had additional subjects to study.
Not wanting to displease his master, the infern quickly followed through the portal. He leapt into its center and immediately passed into the dark heart of Demonspawn. The gateway was flawless, and its construction confirmed Neltus' willingness to enter into a bargain with Reiculf.
Surprisingly, however, Gnafil found himself alone in front of Reiculf. He expected to find the daokiln questioning the spell caster, but the only question was directed at him.
"Where is the crimson wizard?" the daokiln hissed, as the lord of hate glared down upon the infern.
Gnafil looked up into the blazing eyes of hate. Seeing far too much pain waiting for him, he averted his eyes and frantically glanced about the dead and blackened grounds.
"He should be right here," the infern moaned. "I followed right after him. I used the same portal."
Reiculf growled.
Gnafil, fearing for his very existence, looked back into the rift. Through the break, he could see the empty room of the inn. The portal had not closed. It remained open, and that in itself was an oddity.
"He went through," the half-demon insisted. "I saw him."
"Find him!" the daokiln commanded.
Without hesitating, Gnafil leapt back through the portal. He stood in the empty tavern room with no sign of the wizard. He had seen Neltus enter the portal. That was no illusion. He could even follow the lingering trail. He was absolutely certain the wizard entered the rift, but he was not on either side. The infern was beyond confused.
A portal to Demonspawn was a unique rift. It could not be opened easily. Any gateway leading to the master of all demons required more than just an understanding of dimensional pathways. It was more than just a passage from one realm to another. It was a conscious decision to enter corruption. It amounted to spiritual decay.
Growing more suspicious of the portal, the infern examined it more closely. He also took hold of his connection to the human wizard. The echoes of their bond allowed the half-demon to grasp strands of history, shadows of past actions. In doing so, he found part of his answer.
Neltus' trail led into the portal, of that, there was no question. It did not, however, lead out into Demonspawn. The trail ended in the very middle of the portal, at the curtain between dimensions.
Realizing he had been tricked, Gnafil summoned the power of Reiculf to clarify the mystery. Three rings of transparent but distorted energy appeared around his head. The half-demon stared through each ring and looked into the heart of the gateway.
With the aid of the daokiln's magic, Gnafil finally spied the remnants of a second portal. It had been constructed within the first gateway when the spell was initially cast. It no longer existed in physical space, for it had closed immediately after Neltus' leapt into the rift. Still, the half-demon was able to detect the echoes of the portals existence.
The hiding of one gateway within another was surprising enough, but the properties of the second portal were even more stunning. Gateways usually have distinct paths—a direct link between a point of origin and a final destination. The hidden portal, however, had not just one path, but several.
"What has he done?' the infern hissed.
Even though separated by dimensional space and barriers, Reiculf answered through their magical connection.
"He was prepared for you," the demon master revealed. "The portal to Demonspawn contained an escape rift, a portal that generated random locations. Neltus ended up in only one of those locations, but the portal would create a false trail to each destination."
Gnafil was so confused, he actually questioned the daokiln.
"How is that possible? The creation of such a portal would take monumental concentration and an immense amount of time to plan. Even then, it should not create a false trail. I should be able to see where he ultimately landed."
"Must I repeat myself?!" Reiculf roared. "He was prepared for you! He knew you were coming and so he had the spell ready before you even entered his room!"
"But what of the false trails?"
"You are an imbecile! The portal was created within a rift to Demonspawn. Neltus entered both portals at once, but he only exited through the escape rift. That's why the portal to Demonspawn didn't close when you went through. It's still waiting for him to exit. With the portal to my domain still open and waiting for Neltus to complete the journey, his trails are being mirrored. It was an exceptional spell."
"You are happy he escaped?"
"Of course not! This just makes me want him more. Follow each trail until you find him!"
Reiculf closed the rift to Demonspawn, leaving Gnafil to recreate portals to follow every trail he could detect. It would be a long search.
#
Neltus had no idea where he would end up when he entered the portal. He constructed it that way. For him to be safe, he needed to make the hidden gateway so random that there would be no way to determine the destination before going through.
It didn't matter. When he first started developing the spell, he mapped out several safe locations within many dimensions. Though the destination within the portal would switch randomly from one point to another, he had to choose specific sites when the gateway was erected. He avoided the most dangerous realms and focused on areas where he would be safe, at least for a few moments. He knew he would not end up in a pool of fire or in the midst of deadly monsters. All of the destinations were relatively safe, mostly barren lands, hollow
caves, lifeless plains, or just empty dimensional space.
As fate would have it, he ended up in a transitional plane between physical existence and mental awareness. It was the space between thought and action, an area that would be as thin as tissue paper for most decisions.
He almost laughed at the irony, for he had taken great care in planning his own actions. He almost wanted to explore the area, but he put aside such idle curiosity. Dwelling too long in such a space could lead to confusion, and once confused, he might have lost his ultimate direction.
Taking up physical space in such a dimension also threatened to destroy him. The realm was not so much an actual destination as it was a space for the connection between decisions and consequences. It was just one more layer that created the whole of existence. Holding a body in such a realm was only possible through the use of strong magic. His crimson energy would keep him intact but only for as long as his reserves lasted, and after casting such a complex portal, he didn't have much magic remaining within him.
He pulled two enchanted stones from his pocket. Just as he prepared the portal spell in his mind before confronting the infern, he empowered the stones with enough energy to cast one last spell of transport. He knew creating the escape portal would drain him, but he also knew he had to create another portal back to Uton.
He held the stones apart. One needed a clear destination; the other required a point of origin. When he enchanted the stones, he had no idea where he would utilize them, and thus he had to implant the point of origin once he escaped the infern. Directing the magic within the stone, he placed his current position as his starting point. The destination was already set.
Once he realized what he was up against, Neltus always knew where he would have to go. Even after escaping, the reprieve was only temporary. He would be hunted, and there was only one person who could possibly save him. He had to return to Uton and get to Connel.
Chapter 6
Neltus' portal appeared near a busy market in the northern section of Connel. Twisting lines of people snaked across a wide cobblestone road. Customers hustled from stall to stall and filled their carts or bags with various goods. Jostling for position was often part of the routine. The clamor of greetings, questions, and haggling over prices turned into a mumbled and indistinguishable hum. Visitors from smaller towns might have been astonished that anything could be accomplished in such mass confusion, but goods moved through the market with amazing efficiency.