Joint Intentions (Book 9)

by Jeff Inlo

  Ryson considered following it, cutting off its escape, but he doubted he would get anything more from the creature. He let the demon leave and fixed his attention on his surroundings.

  He had been brought to a place of importance. The demons of the area steered clear of the depression. Only one creature stood within its boundaries, and it waited directly at the center of the crater. By that alone, Ryson wasn't ready to consider it the lord of all demons, but he could not discount the sheer magnitude of the beast.

  Rul Saattan.

  The name meant nothing to the delver. He had not heard it before. It was not part of any of the legends, and he could not recall it ever mentioned by the dwarves or the elves. He believed there was no written history of the creature.

  With the drahkasin's abrupt departure, the delver was left with few alternatives. He decided to place greater focus on the single demon at the center of the basin. He took out his spyscope and peered through the curved glass for a closer inspection.

  As the beast turned directly toward him, the delver nearly stopped breathing. Confusion and fear bit down on the delver's every thought. In the twisting mass that was Rul Saattan's face, Ryson could see faint traces of the daokiln, but he could also see Baannat... and Ansas.

  The monster stared back at him. As if it could feel the delver's astonishment and terror, it grinned in ecstasy.

  "Come speak with me!" Rul demanded, and the voice of the realm's master rolled up the slopes of the basin and into the delver's ears, as if directed there by sheer will alone.

  A very large portion of Ryson wanted to run in the opposite direction. His desire to break at top speed from the crater was even stronger than his curiosity. If there was no other reason to confront the beast, he would have sprinted away.

  The thought of Linda held him in place. The delver needed answers to ensure the safety of his wife. In that regard, he would not retreat. He put the spyscope back in his pouch and steadied himself. After one long breath of the cold thin air, he glided down the embankment, moved across the flat bottom of the basin, and stopped but a few paces from the frighteningly large beast.

  "You are Rul Saattan?" Ryson questioned immediately.

  "I am."

  "You're also Reiculf, aren't you?"

  "I was."

  "Baannat and Ansas too?"

  "They are my history."

  "Demonspawn used to be an accumulation of history," the delver noted.

  "My realm is more than it was."

  "And this is your realm, but it's not Demonspawn and it's not Baannat's domain. What is this place?"

  "Demonsheol."

  "But what is it?"

  "It's my kingdom. An alteration, a realm that combines emptiness and torment."

  "Baannat's realm and Demonspawn combined?"

  "Very perceptive."

  "How did this happen?"

  "I allowed it."

  "Why would you allow something like that?"

  "As demons, we have, to some extent, always been confined. You are aware of that. There were boundaries. If they were crossed, there were consequences. It was always an intricate dance, an irritating balance of choices created even before delvers existed."

  "Are you saying those boundaries no longer exist?"

  "Not as they once did. Baannat's realm had boundaries of a different sort. The nothingness of nonexistence became, by necessity, a separate domain of its own definition. But within its own reality, it could not be bound."

  "That's a contradiction."

  "So it is, but then so was Baannat, and to some extent, so are you."

  The answers were becoming far too abstract, and the delver needed to change directions.

  "You ordered the drahkasin to bring me here, didn't you?"

  "I did."

  "Why?"

  "You are a delver, you have questions."

  "And you're just happy to answer them for me?"

  "Happy? No."

  "Then why?"

  "There are some things which can't be ignored, and I have my reasons."

  "Do those reasons have to do with the magic you sent back to me?"

  "Partially."

  "How did you remove it?"

  "When you battled Reiculf, you had Ansas take your magic and place it within the daokiln. Ansas and Reiculf are now a part of me. I can undo what both, or either, have done."

  "That doesn't mean you can just forget about what happened between us."

  "I have not forgotten."

  "And what do you intend on doing about it?"

  "I have not decided."

  It was not an answer the delver expected, and he eyed the beast with growing mistrust.

  "You expect me to believe that?"

  "I have very few expectations of you."

  Ryson was becoming frustrated. The beast appeared willing to answer his questions, but he wasn't getting any clear answers. He decided to start at the beginning.

  "Did you bring me here... to this place, to Demonsheol?"

  "No, circumstances took care of that."

  "What circumstances?"

  "You were in Baannat's realm when the slink ghoul's domain and Reiculf's sanctuary were merged. Everything within Baannat's realm, every aspect, is now here. Which means you are here."

  "But why was I restored? I was separated from my body. My body was back in the dark lands, not in Baannat's realm. Why was I put back together?"

  "Many factors were involved in your restoration. As I have just said, the transformation of Baannat's realm is partially responsible for your arrival in this realm. There is also the significance of the energy within you. The magic of being a delver would not allow for you to be broken apart while two realms were brought together. There are other forces as well, powerful forces which determined you should not be lost. Finally, there was Reiculf's attitude towards you. When Reiculf existed as a separate entity, he wanted to punish you. He couldn't punish you if you were incomplete."

  "Reiculf restored me?"

  "No, you should not confuse Reiculf's desires with the consequences of his actions. They are separate entities. Reiculf wanted many things, punishing you was but one small aspect."

  "But you just said you haven't decided what to do with me. Now you want to punish me?"

  "No. Reiculf wished to punish you. Reiculf, as he was, no longer exists."

  "And Baannat?"

  "He is also gone, just as Ansas is gone."

  "Why would Reiculf merge with Ansas and Baannat if he knew he would no longer exist?"

  "Because of you."

  The accusation fell upon the delver like a heavy chain net; confining his movements, weighing on his conscience, crushing his spirit. He still could not determine the true intentions of Rul Saattan, but he knew, without doubt, they were far from benevolent.

  "Don't put the blame for this on me," Ryson declared.

  "Why not? I deal in lies, but I love the truth... when it hurts."

  "How can that be the truth?"

  "You defeated Reiculf, created another barrier which held him back. You put your magic in him as a way to prevent him from harming you or your mate. It enraged him. You turned the past against him."

  "Then it was Reiculf's rage which made him do this," Ryson argued, "not me."

  "You cannot separate one from the other. Your actions caused his rage."

  Ryson had no desire to take responsibility for Reiculf's twisted actions, but he could not simply ignore the beast before him. Rul Saattan was a combination of three of the most powerful and dangerous creatures the delver had ever faced. Whether he wished to accept responsibility or not, he had to know the level of danger which existed from the creation of a new land... and its new master.

  "So what happens now? Are you going to attempt to rule all of existence? Or are you just going to go on a binge of destruction?"

  "Perhaps both, perhaps neither. I am newly born. I have yet to determine the full extent of my desires."

  "But there are some things you
want."

  "Of course."

  "What are they?"

  "Far too broad of a question. If I asked the same of you, how long would it take you to detail each of your desires?"

  "I don't want to play some guessing game with you."

  "Then do not guess. Ask me direct and precise questions or ask me nothing at all."

  "How can I be precise when I have no idea what you're talking about?"

  "An insufficient response. I am giving you an opportunity which should not be wasted. I had you escorted here because, as I have said, I owe my existence to you. I am in your debt, and my answers are your payment. When we have concluded this conversation, I will owe you nothing."

  "If that's true, then you should answer all my questions."

  "I have."

  "No, you haven't. I asked what you were going to do about me. You said you haven't decided."

  "I haven't. You are not some miniscule, irrelevant creature. You have been at the center of many important events."

  "Someone else told me that not long ago."

  "The sorceress Vraya."

  "You know her?" Ryson questioned, wondering about any connection between the sorceress and the fiend before him.

  "I do now," Rul admitted. "Her magic is similar to that of Ansas, and Ansas is me. She appeared in the desert when Baannat kept watch over you. The slink ghoul heard your conversation in the Lacobian. She was insightful about you. Baannat realized that as he listened. Baannat is also me, and so, I know what Baannat knows."

  "So you heard what she said and you're just repeating it?"

  "No, I'm agreeing with it. You asked what I was going to do about you. I'm not quite certain. I would like to remove you from existence, but that may be a mistake."

  "Why would you think it's a mistake?"

  "Consider this; if Reiculf had obliterated you when he had the chance, I would not exist. You served a purpose in my creation, and you may serve me in other ways as well. I must be careful when dealing with one such as you."

  Once more, Ryson felt the overwhelming weight of responsibility fall upon his shoulders. He didn't wish to believe he had any part in the creation of a monster, but he could not deny his role in past events. The beast also implied the delver's future actions might prove to be in Rul's favor, and in that, he made his own desires clear.

  "I have no intention of helping you."

  "Your intentions do not matter."

  Ryson disagreed, but he decided not to argue the point further. Rul Saattan continued to answer his questions, and the delver decided to demand more detailed information regarding the problems he believed were in need of the greatest attention.

  "Where's Enin?"

  "Still in the clutches of the pit demon."

  "And where's the pit demon?"

  "In the dark realm, somewhat lost and confused at the moment. It was told to wait for instructions by Baannat, told to guard the coreless wizard and protect him from harm. But the slink ghoul no longer exists, and the connection between the ghoul and the pit demon has been severed. Baannat's previous wishes are no longer relevant. I have no need for Enin, so I have no desire to waste my time giving the dathit new instructions."

  "What about Neltus?"

  "What about him?"

  "Where is he?"

  "Hiding."

  "You don't know where he is?"

  For the first time, Rul Saattan hesitated in offering an answer, and Ryson noted obvious annoyance, even fury in the beast's twisted face.

  "You really don't know, do you?" the delver pressed. "You said you were in my debt and answers were the payment. If that's true, you have to answer, or you will still owe me."

  "Very well, delver, you are correct... in both regards. I have to answer you, and I do not know where the crimson cored wizard is hiding."

  "How can that be? Reiculf and Ansas were both connected to Neltus. You should be able to find him without a problem."

  "There are other forces which work against me."

  "What kind of forces?"

  "Forces which oppose me."

  "That's the same answer as before."

  "But it answers your question."

  "Are you trying to find Neltus?"

  "Yes."

  "Why? If the boundaries of Demonspawn are really broken and you can reach out to any existence, you don't need him anymore."

  "It's not a matter of need. It's a matter of want. What you said about Neltus is correct; he was connected to both Reiculf and Ansas. Because of that, I want him."

  "Why?"

  "You are running out of time, delver."

  The warning surprised Ryson.

  "What are you talking about? Are you saying you don't want to answer my question?"

  "No, I'm warning you. Your friends are about to transport you back to the dark lands. I could stop them... if I wanted. Know this, I don't want to. I view their desire to return you to relative safety as the end of our discussion. When it ends, my debt to you will be paid. If I explain the reasons I want Neltus, you will not have time to ask another question."

  Ryson understood. He believed it was extremely likely that Holli, Jure, and Vraya were attempting to find him. When they did, they would bring him back to the stone spire in the dark realm. He decided he could not risk losing the opportunity, so he asked Rul the question regarding the most important aspect of his life.

  "What are you going to do about Linda?"

  "As with you, I have not decided."

  "That's not an acceptable answer."

  "But it is the truth. Like you, she has played an important role in many key events. In many ways, she is responsible for the defeat of Baannat, Ansas, and Reiculf. She may be the most powerful individual in your land."

  "I'm not going to let you hurt her."

  "That's not a question. And it seems my debt to you is now paid in full."

  Ryson was unable to respond. He felt Jure's magic take hold of him and pull him through a portal which opened and closed in an instant. He found himself back at the peak of the rock tower in the dark realm.

  Chapter 21

  Holli could not continue to wait. Looking down over the precipice, she could hear the shrieks of the dark creatures growing louder and more chaotic. The removal of Demonspawn from the dark realm and its merging with Baannat's sanctuary stirred the beasts into a frenzy. It was as if an immense tempest had thundered across the dreary lands. The heart of the storm might have passed, but the following winds continued to blow and play havoc with the threads of magical connections.

  Her thoughts were burdened with several worries, but the welfare of the delver became her most pressing concern. Vraya had revealed Ryson had been pulled into the new creation, Demonsheol, and Holli had no reason to doubt the sorceress. What the elf guard needed was a way to retrieve him.

  "There must be a faster way to find him," Holli stated as she turned back to Jure and Vraya. "We can not simply stand here and hope the turmoil will eventually calm. If Ryson is trapped in this new realm, he may be in great danger."

  "I don't want to wait either," Vraya agreed with the elf, "but I can't follow the trail of my spell. There's just too much interference."

  "She's right," Jure agreed. "I can follow it for only a short distance, but it leads right into this new realm, and that's where the chaos is the greatest. And it's the ebony magic of her spell which makes it even more difficult. The creation of Demonsheol is affecting black energy more than the other hues."

  "But your magic is not of an ebony color. What if you separate out the white magic you used to link to her spell?"

  "There's no way to do that. My magic is just riding on top of hers. Her spell is the base."

  The elf guard would not relent.

  "What about his sword?" Holli questioned the sorceress. "Previously, you focused on the Sword of Decree to follow him. You were able to watch him from any distance, from almost any realm. We have to assume it is with him again. What if you focus on the blade instead of your
spell?"

  "I didn't just follow the sword," the petite spell caster maintained. "I followed the alteration of the sword's enchantment. It was the transformation of its properties which allowed me to monitor Ryson's movements. That energy also rides through ebony magic, and it faces the same disturbance."

  Jure understood Vraya's dilemma, but he analyzed the problem from a different perspective. As he considered his attempts at following his own white magic, he believed he saw a way through the turmoil.

  "But you still were able to take hold of the sword's enchantment," Jure noted to the sorceress. "You basically used it as a sight spell without actually casting the spell."

  "It was still based on ebony magic."

  "But the sword isn't enchanted with exclusively black magic. It's empowered with all the hues, especially the energy of light."

  "I can't follow yellow energy."

  "But I can."

  "You can use the enchantment of the sword to locate Ryson?" Holli questioned the elder wizard.

  "Not alone, but with Vraya's help I can. She was able to follow the sword because of its transformation, its unique signature in ebony magic. If she shares the knowledge of that link, I can find a similar pattern in other hues."

  Holli looked to the sorceress.

  "Will you do this?"

  "Of course," the sorceress responded without reluctance.

  Vraya held out her hand for Jure. When he clasped his fingers around hers, she called to mind the distinct echo from Ryson's enchanted sword. She allowed that memory to ride through her ebony magic and into the white swell of the elder wizard's essence.

  A magical vision of the Sword of Decree energized within Jure's perception. He could feel the awesome power of the blade, and he also sensed the immense transformation still surging through the weapon. In Ryson's hands, the sword had become far more than the elves had ever envisioned. It had become a symbol of hope and unity.

  He saw it all through Vraya's ebony magic. He understood immediately how the sorceress could follow the delver's activities through the echoes of such power. Vraya's magic linked her to change; the more significant, the greater the connection.