by Jeff Inlo
"We will go in together, but we will separate immediately... no need to give him a single target. Ryson, move to the back of the room once we are inside. I will go to the left, Jure will go to the right. If Neltus spots us, he will either try to flee or fight. It will depend on if he has a clear path of retreat. I do not intend on giving him one."
"It's pretty crowded in there," Ryson offered.
"It is. And he will attempt to take advantage of the crowd. We cannot afford injuring innocents. I intend to strike quickly before he even sees us. Questions?"
A concern of tremendous significance flashed into the delver's mind, and he could not avoid it.
"You're going to kill him, aren't you?" Ryson asked.
"If he is inside, he will have an arrow in his heart before he can raise his hands. I am aware of your aversion to such matters. As I have said often before, I will not change what you are, but I will also not change what I am. I will protect this land... and I will rectify the obvious errors for which I am responsible."
"But you're making me part of a killing."
"No, I am asking you to go inside to help identify a threat and protect the innocent. I will handle the rest."
Ryson wanted to find another way, but he wondered if there really was an alternative. Once more, he recalled how callously Neltus attacked in the desert. When the crimson casting wizard regained his power, he used it for the sole purpose of furthering, and protecting, his own desires.
Ryson knew Neltus wasn't going to just hold up his arms to surrender. If the wizard raised his arms, he would do so to destroy anyone who threatened him... as well as anyone who got in his way. In a crowded tavern, an arrow from an elf guard's bow might have been the only way to ensure no one else was harmed.
Even though it would not be by his hand, he could not dismiss the responsibility for any action which occurred once he entered the tavern. He knew the intentions of his companions. He wasn't going in blind. As he had stated, he would be part of a planned execution.
He didn't want to go inside, but how could he turn away? Neltus was as much his responsibility as Holli's. The elf guard had gone to Burbon to retrieve Linda, his wife, but the spirit of Sy Fenden wouldn't allow it. Ryson had asked Sy to defend Linda, and so the spirit warrior had done so. And while the delver was grateful beyond measure, he couldn't dismiss that Neltus had manipulated the situation for his own advantage.
Ryson wondered why life had to be so difficult, and why there had to be people like Neltus to add to those difficulties. Neltus was self-absorbed, ignored the plight of those around him no matter what the cost. Such behavior tended to create more than just difficult circumstances. It led to suffering.
Holli was prepared to resolve the situation, but in a way that meant more violence, more killing. What could the delver say? There was no simple solution and no time for some great debate about morals and the importance of life.
If he even attempted to offer alternative solutions, Holli would have waved him aside in disgust. He was not so dense he could not see the burning anger in the elf guard. Her overwhelming sense of duty would demand she rectify the problem. How could Ryson stop her? Did he even want to?
He was never given the chance.
Holli moved without warning, beyond issuing a simple command.
"Follow me!"
And with that, she entered the tavern.
Ryson felt as if all control had slipped through his fingers. Just as in the desert, it was as if a wave of sand was falling down upon him and he was struggling through the onslaught. He couldn't halt the flow of activity or even redirect its course. All he could do was fight his way through and hope to keep from being buried in an avalanche of errors.
For whatever reason, he thought of two women; Reader Rachael and the sorceress Vraya.
Reader Rachael had offered advice to the delver about growing his spirit. It was a cryptic message, but not one completely without substance. He thought of how he actually saw his soul in Demonspawn. He wondered how it would change after he entered the bar... would it grow stronger or diminish?
He knew there were no easy answers. What kind of stain would appear on his soul if he entered the tavern knowing Holli's intentions? He couldn't begin to guess, but he also had no idea if he would be tarnished more by doing nothing. Would he feel better about himself if Neltus escaped but was then taken by Reiculf and used to destroy the entire land?
As for Vraya, the strange magic caster talked about change. Significant shifts in life were important to the ebony casting sorceress and such moments of transformation drew her to Ryson. She had been watching him. Ryson wondered if she was watching him again, somehow magically following the winds of alteration as an anchor for some sight spell, using the tempest of critical events which seemed to follow him everywhere.
He wondered how his life would change during the next brief encounter. Even as he rushed into the inn, he could not shake the consequences of the moment. It didn't even feel as if he had made a choice. Events just rolled ahead, like a cart pushed down the side of a mountain. Decisions were made on impulse, nothing more, and everything flashed forward in a single instant.
All he could do was move, and he raced around the elf the moment she entered the building. He rushed through the tavern like a brisk wind, weaving his way through the crowd to the back of the room.
While twisting and turning through the throng, he scanned every face, glanced into every dark corner. Before he even reached the back wall, he realized the moment of consequence would never materialize. Sometimes change doesn't come when it's expected, and there are times when potentially cataclysmic events turn into nothing more than a room full of strangers perplexed by a whirlwind of activity.
It took Holli a bit longer, but she also realized Neltus was not in the tavern. After receiving many disapproving glances, she placed the bow back on her shoulder and moved toward the bar. She motioned Jure and Ryson to join her as she called for the barkeep.
The owner of the establishment was serving his guests that night, and he stepped up to the grim faced elf with a resilience of his own. He barely glanced at the pointed ears, but he could not dismiss the glare in the elf's eyes. He was experienced enough to understand the emotions behind such an expression, and he was not about to deal with the expenses of broken glass and furniture which always accompanied brewing hostility.
"There'll be no trouble in my place," he said firmly.
"No, apparently there will not," the elf agreed, as if she had already made the assessment that an altercation was unnecessary, and thus, the tavern owner's opinion was inconsequential.
The owner accepted the response as an agreement to act responsibly. With that consent given, his demeanor became drastically more friendly.
"I'm Ott Hester. This is my inn. What can I do for you?" He continued, but it was as if he was offering recommendations as opposed to questioning the elf about her actual desires. "You need a room? Food? Just a drink?"
"I am in search of an individual," Holli stated.
She decided saving time was more important than avoiding further attention. She knew it would cause a bit of a stir, but it was the most efficient way to ensure she would get an accurate response. She turned to the elder wizard and made a surprising request.
"Jure, use the power of illusion and conjure an image of the one we seek."
The wizard did as he was asked. A ring of white power appeared around his wrist. As he released it, it turned slightly golden to take on the power of light. An illusion born of magic created an image of a man standing next to them at the bar, and the form carried the exact appearance of Neltus.
The tavern owner appeared much more impressed by the color and intensity of Jure's magic than the illusion which it created.
"White circle? Heard that was possible, but never saw it before. Actually heard there was a guy who could cast in two circles of white magic."
Holli revealed nothing about Enin and the loss of his core. She remained completely
focused on the objective of her search.
"The one you see in this magical image... his name is Neltus. He casts in red magic. He also can achieve a circle in regards to control of the energy. He is dangerous, and we need to find him."
"Dangerous? Always thought he was just annoying."
The statement revealed a great deal. The innkeeper was clearly familiar with the crimson cored wizard, but the elf desired confirmation.
"You know him?"
"Absolutely. He was a mixed bag. Bit of a pain mostly, but he liked to showoff and I have to admit, it brought people in. I let him play his tricks... as long as he knew what line not to cross."
"He has crossed many lines tonight," the elf revealed. "He has broken his word and obtained power he should no longer possess. He has attempted to kill my companions. Most important, he is now a threat to everything in the land."
The tavern owner found the last line far too overdramatic.
"I admit Neltus has some strong magic... but a danger to everything in the land? Don't you think you're exaggerating there a bit? Hard to take the rest of your claims seriously when you make it sound like he might destroy all of Portsans. I know that's not going to happen."
"Then you do not understand the danger. It is not Neltus' magical energies which are the threat. It is the power of a demon lord who can use Neltus as a conduit."
"Demon lord?"
"A daokiln."
"Never heard of that one," Ott confessed.
"Consider yourself fortunate. Now, do you know where Neltus is?"
"No idea. Hasn't been in here for quite some time. Actually, I've kind of wondered what happened to him."
"You are certain he has not been here, that he did not slip in at some point this evening?"
"Believe me, I'd know. I wouldn't miss something like that, even if he tried to hide from me. The moment he'd walk through the door, I'd know."
Holli's frustration began to grow again. She had come close. She had clearly followed the right path. Neltus was familiar with the area and that was why he chose the desolate warehouse for a destination of escape. Unfortunately for the elf guard, Neltus chose not to return to a place he used to frequent. He had been more careful than she expected.
Still, she believed old habits died hard. Even if Neltus decided to avoid the call of food and drink from a familiar inn, there might be old acquaintances or other establishments where he would feel nearly as comfortable.
"Are there any other places in Portsans where we should check?" she inquired of the innkeeper.
"Just about any tavern," Ott suggested. "But I wouldn't get your hopes up. It's not going to be easy finding a guy like that. I don't want to sound boastful, but my place is just about the safest inn in town. He liked that, and he came here quite a bit. Beyond that, he was never that selective, so he could be anywhere."
Holli fumed. She did not doubt the word of the innkeeper, but it seemed she had reached a dead end. As she looked about the crowd, it appeared no one paid them much attention, even as Jure's illusion continued to illuminate the bar. She saw not the slightest bit of interest in anyone's eyes. Knowing there was nothing further to gain, she advised Jure to end his spell. Once the glowing form of Neltus was gone, she decided to leave.
"Thank you for your time," the elf offered the tavern owner, and then she led her companions back outside.
As Holli was about to begin a systematic but probably fruitless search of the surrounding area, the elder wizard called for a stop.
"Hold on," Jure requested.
He looked back at the inn and considered everything he had heard. The wizard tried to put certain aspects in order, tried to find a semblance of logic in a sequence of illogical events. All the arrows seemed to point to one spot, until they reached that spot and then the direction faded into emptiness. It was almost as if they had followed a map to the proper destination only to find they had been passing the landmarks in the wrong order.
"There's something not right here," the elder wizard admitted to Ryson and Holli.
"You sense something in the magic?" the elf guard questioned, hoping they might latch on to some new clue regarding Neltus' whereabouts.
"Actually, no, not really. It's not a spell. I'm sure of that, but there's clearly more here than meets the eye."
"Speak quickly. I cannot afford to discount your judgment, but time works against us."
"I know, but it's not that easy. I'm still trying to figure out what's really going on, how we reached this point. I know you brought us here, but it was almost like you knew where to go."
"I followed my instincts."
"And they were right. Neltus has been here before. The innkeeper knew him."
"That much is obvious, but Neltus was more careful than I would have assumed. He decided to resist old habits."
"Maybe he did, but then again, maybe Neltus wanted us here."
"Explain."
"I keep thinking of the innkeeper. Do you remember what happened in there? Even before we said a word, he stepped up and gave us a stern warning. He took one look at you and told us there'd be no trouble."
"He is the owner of the establishment. His actions are understandable."
"It's understandable he wouldn't want us to cause trouble, but he spoke to you as if it was an absolute order that you would follow. It wasn't a request. It was a demand that was spoken with complete confidence. But there were no guards in there to keep the peace, just workers... and him."
"It is not beyond reason to speak with certainty when you are defending that which you care about. I do not believe this concern is worth..."
"Actually, I think it is worth it," Jure stated firmly. He was still just tugging at the tangled strings of a nagging concern, and he didn't want to let go. "Think about what happened in there. He had to see Ryson move. Humans don't move that way. And look at you... he knew you were an elf. And yet, there wasn't the slightest hesitation in how he approached us, but there's even more than that."
Holli listened carefully as she clamped down on the impatience which pressed her to pursue more important matters. She could see the elder wizard struggling with the loose ends of a troublesome mystery. Even as the time for a response grew critical, she could not afford to discount Jure's intuition.
"Do you remember what Ott said about Neltus?" Jure continued. "He knew Neltus was a wizard. He talked about how Neltus would show off, but the innkeeper made it clear he would only allow him to go so far. You know what Neltus was like. He did whatever he wanted, and if he drank too much, he did more than that. But this Ott guy basically said he allowed Neltus to cast his magic in there, but there was a certain line which couldn't be crossed. Do you think Neltus would really care about any line drawn by an ordinary barkeep? How could the owner of this place have stopped Neltus?"
"I admit it is an intriguing question," Holli allowed. "I also understand how it would peak the curiosity of a wizard with your skills, but is it worth our current attention? We have many critical issues. We must find Neltus."
"There's also Enin," Ryson added.
The mention of the coreless wizard in the grasp of the pit demon kept Jure focused on his own growing concerns.
"I've been thinking about Enin as well," Jure confessed, "and also Linda."
"What do you mean?" Ryson demanded. "What about Linda?"
"I think both Linda and Enin were deliberately targeted. That's why I also think there's more to this innkeeper than meets the eye. Consider everything that's happened since Neltus showed up. We ended up in the desert and there's a pit demon just waiting there for us. How often does a dathit appear in the desert... or anywhere in Uton for that matter? And it just grabs Enin and stares at it, leaving us to wonder what it's doing and how to stop it."
While Holli remained quiet and began to consider separate events as possibly more connected than she previously allowed, Ryson's curiosity boiled over.
"You don't think Enin was grabbed because of his lack of magic?"
&nbs
p; "Who gave us that theory? The doppelganger. You still want to believe that?"
"No, I don't, but I can't see how this is all connected. And what about Linda? Why do you think she was targeted?"
"If you're asking for the reason, I don't know. But again, it was the doppelganger that brought up creating a magical void to distract the pit demon."
"But it was Neltus who suggested getting Linda," Ryson pointed out.
"And I think Neltus is part of this."
"Neltus did say he was duped," Holli added, as Jure's point of discussion grew in importance. "Neltus believed someone had been watching us, and it was Neltus who revealed the doppelganger. It appeared as if Neltus had been deceived."
"And that's when it all fell apart," Jure noted as he looked to Holli. "I'm guessing Neltus wanted his core back and was willing to do anything to get it. He brought us into the desert and Enin was grabbed. Then we get some story from the doppelganger about how Linda can help free Enin. But things went wrong when you went to Burbon. You took Neltus, and I don't think the doppelganger expected that. And then, Sy intervened."
"And you think this is all tied together?" Ryson questioned. "It's a bit convoluted for me."
"And that's exactly what I'm talking about," Jure responded. "This is all becoming so complicated that I think we're missing something obvious, but I still have questions about this tavern. I think Neltus wanted us to come here."
Ryson saw it somewhat differently.
"But Neltus didn't want to be followed. He left all those fake tracks back at the warehouse. If he really wanted us here, wouldn't he have left just one clear trail which would have led us here?"
"I don't think so. Leaving one trail would have been way too obvious, but he left enough of a mess back at that warehouse for us to know he was here. Think about that. He made it obvious he was in Portsans. We knew that the moment we got here. Trails all over the place. It doesn't make sense. Why didn't he just have the ground erase his tracks?"