by Jeff Inlo
Ryson repeated some of Linda's words.
"Meant to be," the delver mumbled to himself.
Ryson recalled many of the conversations he had with Enin. The wizard talked often about destiny, gave long speeches about things that were part of a larger plan. Ryson was never quite sure what he accepted as inevitable, part of some grand destiny, and what came about due to nothing more than bad choices. Fate wasn't necessarily a difficult concept for him to grasp. It was just sometimes hard for him to recognize.
At that moment, he remembered what Vraya revealed in an earlier discussion. She spoke about a change that was coming. It had brought her out into the desert. She said there was a great transformation about to occur that was bound by fate.
Bound by fate... meant to be.
Ryson couldn't ignore the connection.
"You said a great alteration was coming," the delver abruptly questioned the sorceress, ignoring Enin's attempts to move in a new direction. "Holli asked why you finally made an appearance. You said something about the energy of alteration boiling over. Was this it? Reiculf's merging with Baannat and Ansas... was this the change you felt coming?"
Vraya did not hesitate in her response.
"Yes."
"And you didn't warn us?"
"I had no idea what it was until it happened. I told you that from the beginning. How could I warn you?"
"But you had a feeling about this. It didn't just start today, did it?"
"No," the sorceress admitted.
"When did it start?"
"The very first time you entered Demonspawn; when you battled Reiculf, placed your magic in his essence and defeated him. That's when I felt it begin."
"Then you should have known it had to do with Reiculf."
"And why is that?" Vraya defended herself.
She showed no anger toward the delver, even as he accused her of being negligent in offering a warning. She spoke to him with a great openness, not wishing to hide anything. When she questioned his assumptions, she did so in order to obtain his insight.
Ryson took a much more aggressive stance. He remained uncomfortable with the idea of the sorceress watching him. He was a delver, and along with exploring the lands and seeking answers, there were times he thrived on being alone. Being under the sorceress' nearly constant scrutiny removed the sanctity of his solitude.
He allowed that frustration to erupt.
"You were watching me! All this time, keeping tabs on me. You knew what had happened. You had this feeling there was going to be an enormous change in the land... and you got that feeling when I was in Demonspawn... when I faced Reiculf. You should have put the two together."
Stomps, who had been sitting at Ryson's side, sensed the delver's tension. The dog put his head on Ryson's knee and looked up expectantly.
The delver looked down, slightly irritated at first, but he couldn't help but smile at the innocent eyes of his companion. He reached down and scratched Stomps behind the ears. It calmed him even as Vraya responded with continued openness.
"A great deal happened in Reiculf's realm. How could I have possibly known that Reiculf would decide to merge with Baannat and Ansas? A number of changes had already occurred. The most powerful wizard in all the land lost his core. Sy Fenden returned from the dead. There was no map in my mind, nothing that pointed to this."
"But on this evening, you were following Ryson's movements before he brought Neltus to Enin's home," Holli noted, as she willingly entered the debate in order to point out certain deficiencies in Vraya's account. "You knew we were being deceived by Neltus."
"No, I didn't," Vraya replied with a bit more hostility toward the elf. "I didn't follow Neltus. I had no idea what he had been doing. His arrival in Connel was as much a surprise to me as it was to Ryson."
"But you were watching through the magic. You should have been able to see the events around him with greater detail."
"Of course I was watching, but I only saw what Ryson saw, not even that much. I didn't watch him every passing moment."
Enin interceded as he hoped to gain a greater understanding of the sorceress' purpose as opposed to determining any level of fault or foul play.
"At some point, you realized things were different," the coreless wizard maintained. "In the past, you remained in the shadows, watching but not revealing yourself. When did you make the decision to change your tactics?"
"When Neltus tried to kill Ryson. He came very close. I realized then things had taken a turn far worse than I suspected."
"But if I understand things correctly, you appeared in the desert after Neltus left."
"I did, but I saw that Ryson needed help, and I started to realize that Neltus was only one part of a greater transformation. At that point, I still wasn't sure what was going to happen, but I knew it was close. This time, I wanted to be involved."
"When did you know for certain Reiculf was involved?"
For the first time, Vraya hesitated. She looked to Ryson, almost said something directly to him, but instead, she faced Enin to give an honest reply.
"It was when Ryson took the Sword of Decree in his hand and it gave him the message to see Baannat."
"You saw something different, didn't you?" Enin questioned.
Vraya nodded.
"I saw Baannat and Reiculf," she revealed. "I saw it in the magical waves of the sword. It wasn't in the message that was given to Ryson. He just saw Baannat, but an image of Reiculf was caught in the ebony magic swirling around the sword. I didn't see them merging together, but I knew they were both involved."
"But you did not say anything about Reiculf at that time," Holli reminded the sorceress.
"I know. I wanted to, but Ryson was convinced it was Baannat, not Reiculf. The sword gave him direction. How could I dispute him? Ryson was already arguing with Jure about the daokiln. I didn't want to take sides."
"This is not about taking sides," the elf guard stated. "You withheld important information."
"And you would have believed me?" Vraya shot back. "You've done nothing but hold to your suspicions of me since I arrived, and that was after I saved your life!"
"There is a vast difference between being irrationally suspicious and vigilantly cautious. I would have questioned you, but it would have been within reason. You should have told us."
"And what would have happened? We would be arguing as we are now, perhaps worse. Say what you want, but I know you still don't trust me. I sense change, and in you, that hasn't changed at all!"
"Holli mistrusted me when we first met," Enin advised the sorceress, breaking up the growing tension. "It was when the magic first returned. She felt it was dangerous for a human without training to be casting spells of white magic in two circles. Eventually, I earned her trust, and I tried not to hold her suspicions against her. Though in the beginning, I admit it was hard."
"Then you understand it's difficult for me now."
"I understand, to a degree, that it's difficult for both of you."
"But if she continues to mistrust me, how can I help you?"
"By focusing on what's important to you," Enin responded as he gave a quick glance toward Ryson. "And not worrying about Holli's concerns. Trust me on this, we all feel better when Holli remains careful."
"Where does that leave us now?" Jure wondered.
"Neltus," Ryson offered firmly.
"I agree," Holli acknowledged.
"Not Rul Saattan?" Jure asked, thinking the new entity was decidedly more dangerous than the crimson casting wizard.
"Rul wants Neltus," Ryson revealed. "He admitted as much when I questioned him."
"For what reason?"
"He said it was because they were once connected."
"But Enin was connected to them in a way as well, and you said Rul didn't care about Enin."
"Enin didn't get his core back."
"And that is another reason we need to find him," Holli added. "I promised the spirit of Sy Fenden I would bring Neltus back to Burbon
for his core to be removed again. I intend on keeping that promise."
At the mention of Sy Fenden, there was a slight pause. Everyone remained quiet as they waited for some sign, a sudden appearance of the ghost warrior or a knock at the door by Captain Klusac. Neither materialized. If Sy had somehow been listening, the spirit showed no disapproval toward the new objective. They all realized Neltus would have to be found and his magic removed, though some viewed the task with greater concern than others.
"Neltus will not give up so easily," Vraya stated. "I might not have known his intentions, but I felt the change in him when he regained his core. I believe he'll do anything to keep from surrendering his magic again."
Holli carefully considered the sorceress' words. She believed the same thing, but she saw a way to challenge Vraya without arguing over Neltus' intentions.
"Are you willing to assist us in bringing Neltus back to Burbon?"
"I am."
"And is this simply because you wish to help us?"
"That, and I believe Neltus is dangerous. They say a man with nothing to lose is very dangerous, but a man who could lose everything that is truly important to him, and knows it, is beyond deadly."
"Then with the power at our disposal—your and Jure's magic, Enin's wisdom, and Ryson's senses—we should be able to prevail."
"I'm not so sure," Ryson revealed. "Rul Saattan admitted he didn't know where Neltus was. He said Neltus was hiding. If Neltus could hide from Rul, I'm not sure we can find him."
"I believe I can help in that regard," Enin stated. "Neltus once held a slice of my magic. He returned it to me, but we were connected for quite some time. I know what his magic feels like."
"How does that help us?" Ryson wondered.
"I would guess he is already casting spells again. He probably can't help himself. I know I couldn't. I can't tell you how hard it is for me not to ask Jure to direct magic into me again... so that I might cast another spell."
"Even if he is casting spells, I still don't see how that can help us."
"Jure can pull the echoes of magic from across the land. He can filter them through me. If I sense Neltus' magic, we can follow it back to where Neltus is."
Jure found the suggestion intriguing but also somewhat overwhelming in scope.
"Neltus could be anywhere," the elder wizard declared. "How long is it going to take to pull magic from every region of Uton? We could be doing this for days, seasons, more."
"We won't be pulling from every region," Enin advised. "This is Neltus. He is attached to the land. We're not going to find him near the oceans, and not in the wooded areas. There's a chance he could be in the valleys, but my guess is he's in the desert, in the high mountains, or on an empty plain. He's going to want to reconnect with the ground and he's not going to want to have to deal with a lot of water or trees."
"What if he's in a cave to escape the light?" Jure asked, trying to imagine where the red magic might be the strongest.
"It's still dark outside, and will be for some time," Enin replied as he considered his own appreciation of the magical hues. "No, he's not in a cave; too much shadow. He's outside on some barren area, pulling magic directly from the top of the land. He's definitely in a place where the crimson magic is the strongest. We start our search in those regions."
"I have a question," Ryson announced. "If Enin can find Neltus, wouldn't Rul be able to as well? As Reiculf, he once controlled Neltus. The daokiln took over his body and used his magic. And as Ansas, he put a slice of his own ebony magic inside of Neltus' crimson core."
"Reiculf is gone and so is Ansas," Enin answered. "They are a new entity with a new core of magic. I don't think it would be as easy for Rul to isolate Neltus' unique essence, though I could be wrong."
"And what happens then?"
"Then it's a race to find Neltus, one we don't want to lose. We should start right away, though I do have one request. Jure, could you refresh me with a spell? It's very late and I haven't slept. Without my magic, I find I need rest, but you can cast a spell on me to reenergize me. Then we can begin."
Jure nodded and cast a simple spell of light which refreshed Enin, made the coreless wizard feel as if he had slept peacefully for an entire night. Jure then turned his attention to the others.
"Anyone else?"
"I am in no need," Holli responded.
"I can cast my own spell, but thank you for the offer," Vraya answered.
"It's not going to work on me," Linda noted.
"Ryson?"
"No, that's alright," the delver paused, but then took the initiative to address his own needs. "I'm not going to be able to help you with searching magic, but I'd like to talk to Vraya in private. Will you need her?"
"Not while we search," Enin replied.
Ryson looked first to his wife.
"Is it okay if I talk with her alone?"
Linda nodded. She would have liked to have been part of the conversation, but she understood. Vraya was watching Ryson, not the both of them, and it was his right to know exactly why without anyone else interfering.
"Thanks." Ryson then turned to Vraya. "Do you mind?"
"Not at all," the sorceress answered.
"Then let's go outside."
Chapter 24
Rather than stand in one place, Ryson recommended that Vraya walk with him through the streets of Burbon while they spoke. It was still quite dark and a long time before sunrise. Other than a few guards on patrol, they had the streets to themselves and could talk in private.
"I imagine there are quite a few things you want to know about me," Vraya offered, noticing Ryson's discomfort, "but you're not sure where to start."
"Actually, I don't know how to deal with you at all," Ryson admitted. "I could start with asking about your life, your family... if you have any. Or I could ask you about how you've used your magic in the past. I could even ask you about the future, what is it you hope to achieve. The problem is, I'm not sure how I'd view any of your answers. Part of it is trust."
"We've talked about that before."
"Yes, we have, but I still don't really know you. We haven't gone a full day since we first met."
"That's true."
"But you've been watching me longer than that... substantially longer."
"So you feel I have you at a disadvantage?"
"Don't you?"
"I suppose I do, but it's not an advantage I wish to use against you."
"How can I be sure?" Ryson wondered.
"I guess you can't. But it seems to me you just met Rul Saattan. You asked him questions and you accepted his answers."
"He said he was paying off a debt."
"He could have lied about that. If he's a combination of Baannat, Ansas, and Reiculf, I doubt he's the most trustworthy of creatures."
"True, but my instincts told me he meant what he said."
"And what if I told you I owe you a great debt as well, one that can't be repaid by simply answering a few questions."
"Do you?"
"I do," the sorceress admitted.
"For what?"
"For many things. I've learned more than I could ever expect by watching you. I've learned to control my magic far better than I could have ever imagined."
"But I don't use magic."
"Not in the ways a spell caster does, but there's still magic within you, and you've used it as a delver would. That in itself is important. It's shown me how to use magic based on my abilities, my skills."
"How so?"
"I've watched you deal with things like illusions; spells that attempted to fool your senses. You've learned to overcome such things. When you knew you couldn't rely on what you saw, you focused on what you could hear, smell... or feel. The magic may be a mystery to you, but you've learned to recognize it. That alone has allowed you to improve your abilities."
"That's me, what about you?"
"Recognizing the existence of magic and the effects of spells is the same as understanding changes
to our circumstances. If I can understand what causes certain transformations the way you can sense your surroundings, I can better understand the power of my ebony energy."
"And what else have you learned from watching me?"
"That it's important to hold to my beliefs, as you have held to yours. You believe there's an importance attached to life, every life, no matter what the form. You've been placed in very difficult circumstances which have challenged that belief."
Ryson decided to test the sorceress again, to see just how many of his conflicts and confrontations the sorceress witnessed.
"And I couldn't always stick to it."
"I don't think that's true."
"You didn't see me kill an entire army of shags?"
"Actually, I did. It was... a difficult moment."
"I also destroyed several inferns."
"I know."
"Didn't their lives count?"
"They counted, but what were you supposed to do? You killed the shags because they were going to slaughter algors. You destroyed the inferns because they would have burned down an entire city and everyone in it. You saved lives."
"That's what I tell myself. Did you know that too?"
"I can't read your mind, if that's what you're asking, but I listened to your discussions with Sy Fenden when he was still alive. The two of you argued several times over where a line should be drawn in taking a life."
"I didn't save Sy either. I failed in that regard as well."
"You tend to dwell on your failures far more than your accomplishments. You're a great deal like Holli in that regard."
"My failures have cost lives."
"And your accomplishments have saved many more of them."
"So now you're trying to flatter me?"
"I'm telling you the truth. What do your instincts say about that?"
"I don't have to rely on my instincts. I know what happened. You haven't lied... yet."
"But you're worried I still might. Why? What do your instincts say about me?"
"You make me uncomfortable," Ryson admitted.
"Because I've been watching you?"
"That's part of it, but not all of it."