Joint Intentions (Book 9)

by Jeff Inlo

  "That's true, but that's not the only barrier that was broken. An entire army of angels came to our aid, and I think they would do so again."

  "So you think there's a force which opposes Rul Saattan?"

  "Don't you?"

  "Yes, but I thought we were talking about you."

  Ryson didn't want to make the entire conversation about his own beliefs, but his newfound outlook was one of the reason's he had returned to the Church of Godson.

  "I do think there's a power greater than Rul Saattan," Ryson admitted, "but that's not new for me."

  "What is new for you?"

  While the delver realized he had made several discoveries which led to a greater perception of life, Ryson immediately offered the change which was the most obvious.

  "I was able to hear Sy's voice in my head."

  "Do you know why?" Rachael asked.

  "Not for certain. And I wasn't able to talk to him for long. I only heard him say a few words, but Captain Klusac confirmed them. If I had more time, I would have asked Sy about a thousand questions, but he disappeared, so I couldn't ask him what changed."

  "But you have an idea, don't you?"

  "Yes," Ryson confessed. "I think it has to do with what I learned. In a way, it's all tied together. Rul Saattan's coming into existence, the lifting of the barriers, the enchantment of my sword; all those things opened a new path for me. Because of that, I was able to reach through Rul and call all those angels. I knew they were out there. There wasn't any doubt, not any more."

  "And the removal of doubt was the key?"

  "Actually, seeing the guards attack the pit demon was the real key, that and some of the things you told me, and what Vraya said to me."

  "Tell me about the guards first."

  "I saw their courage... not like I saw my soul in Demonspawn, but I couldn't deny what was right there before me. They came charging out from behind the wall with only spears and swords to face a pit demon."

  "That was certainly courageous."

  "Some would argue that it might have been stupidity," Ryson offered as an argument to his own theory.

  "But that's not what you believed."

  "No, because I knew what they were fighting for. Stupidity doesn't need a reason, but I think courage comes from something more."

  "And you saw something more?"

  "I did. I knew there was something inside of each of those soldiers, something which spurred them to do what was impossible, only it wasn't impossible. And it made me realize the mistake I had made."

  "What mistake was that?"

  "I thought the people of Burbon weren't really appreciating what the return of Sy's spirit should mean. I expected them to make the connection to their own spirits, but I was failing to make a connection of my own. It's difficult to explain."

  "Please try" Rachael requested. "I think it's important... for both of us."

  "When I saw my own soul, I knew it was bigger than just me. I didn't think I was unique in that regard, but I never really understood the absolute significance. Think about it; every individual currently living, every individual who has ever walked the land, each of them with a soul. Imagine the sheer magnitude of that one notion."

  "It is almost overwhelming, isn't it?" Rachael agreed with a smile.

  Ryson nodded and tried to put it in perspective, but he knew he couldn't.

  "Overwhelming? It's indescribable. It's also extremely comforting. I know there's a spark in each of us, something that can't be snuffed out, as long as we recognize it's there."

  "And how did that ultimately help you against the pit demon?"

  "I knew a pit demon couldn't stand up to that kind of strength once it was revealed to it. I made sure it was. I forced it to perceive what was within those soldiers."

  "And what about Rul Saattan? In Demonsheol, You said you reached through him to call the spirits. Was he surprised when they appeared?"

  "Absolutely, though I think it was different for him."

  "How so?"

  "I think he understood the concept of the spirit from the beginning. Reiculf did, and Reiculf is a part of Rul. His mistake was he didn't think such a power could be called against him, certainly not in Demonsheol. But he was wrong. All those spirits appeared willingly, and they could have decimated his demons."

  "I have to admit," Rachael revealed, "I'm a bit confused by this. You seem to be saying that the realization that everyone has a soul allowed you to defeat Rul Saattan. But you seemed to believe that well before this latest encounter. That wasn't really a revelation for you, was it?"

  "No, but even though I knew there was something inside of each of us, I never put it in complete perspective. Vraya told me I was distracted. She was right, and I had to really open my own eyes. I started looking further out. It's not just about what's inside of me, or even what's inside all of us together. Even that's too limited. It's a much bigger picture. It's like seeing a cornstalk and maybe even the cornfield, but not the whole farm... or the farmer."

  Rachael appreciated the metaphor.

  "So you were thinking about the passage I shared with you."

  "Yes, I was. I still am. But looking back, I think I was ignoring what was all around me, right in front of me. I was trying too hard to figure out what to do for myself."

  "That's not necessarily a bad thing," Rachael offered. "Discovering your own faith is an important step. It becomes a concern when you lose sight of others. You can't be consumed with your own needs."

  "I guess that's what I'm trying to say. I wouldn't have made it this far without the help of my friends, and certainly my wife, but I was looking at myself as if I was isolated. I think that's why some people think I'm a contradiction."

  "You are a rather interesting individual. You have brought many people together, entire races for that matter, but there is that part of you that requires you to go off on your own."

  "Vraya basically said the same thing about me."

  "It's the truth," Rachael confirmed, "and it's hard to dismiss."

  "Maybe, but I realized there was a lot more I needed to acknowledge."

  "Very good."

  "You know what I'm saying?" Ryson questioned with a clear expression of hopefulness.

  "I believe so. You continue to grow."

  Ryson was hoping for something more. Despite everything he had been through, he still found it difficult to place his insight into words. He knew more than when he started, but he wasn't sure how to completely define his experiences.

  "I don't know what that means," the delver admitted.

  Rachael decided to map it out from the beginning.

  "When Sy first came back to protect Burbon, you saw him as a spirit protector, just as others in your town did, but you didn't stop there. Maybe it was because you're a delver or maybe because you were looking for something more in your own life, but you wanted to connect Sy's spirit to your own existence. In doing so, you saw your own soul when you fought Reiculf in Demonspawn. Even after that, you weren't satisfied, you kept moving forward. You wanted to build on what you had seen."

  "That's really not surprising, is it?"

  "It could be. Others see things and ignore them. They probably don't see their own souls of course, but there are other moments of enlightenment that go unnoticed or disregarded as unimportant. You didn't ignore what was revealed to you."

  "How could anyone ignore seeing his or her own soul?"

  "You've already told me that there are people visiting Burbon just to see the spirit of Sy Fenden. Don't you think that many of them fail to make any connection to their own souls... that they're just hoping to see a ghost?"

  "That's probably true," Ryson conceded.

  "And imagine if everyone got a chance to see what was inside of them... just for one brief instant. Do you really believe that they would all come away with the same appreciation? No, some would definitely ignore it, or insist it never happened, pretend it was an illusion. Others would forget it over time, lose the knowl
edge in cares born of this land. They would refuse to let it open their eyes... their hearts... lift their spirits."

  "But not everyone," Ryson insisted.

  "No, not everyone, but far more than I would like to believe. That is a sad truth, but it's one I can't avoid. Thankfully, you weren't one of them. You saw your own soul and took the next step. And from what you've told me, taking that step allowed you to stop Rul Saattan, free Sy, and save Holli. I believe I see the Hand of Godson at work."

  Ryson knew where he was, and he knew the reader's faith. It wasn't a surprise to hear her bring the focus back to Godson, but for him, he still wanted to grasp the events based on his own terms.

  "That may be. I really don't know what constitutes Divine Providence, but that's what you do, isn't it? You help people see that there's something more to us than the life we have in Uton."

  "I try, but I'm pleased with all the help I can get. I think Sy Fenden's return has helped people find their way. I think the return of magic to the land has opened more hearts than I could ever guess. And I think you're helping as well."

  "I'm not too sure about that."

  "Why am I not surprised? You hardly ever give yourself the credit you deserve."

  "I'm not looking for credit. I'm just trying to be honest."

  "I've never thought you've been anything but honest."

  "Then you'll believe me when I say it's hard to be an optimist. I think Linda wants me to be more optimistic. Vraya said she wanted me to celebrate the good things I've seen, but it's impossible for me to ignore that bad things happen."

  "But you're seeing the positive side of this past encounter," Rachael countered.

  "That's true," Ryson allowed, "but it's not always easy to separate the good from the bad. We talked about me being a contradiction; well, I think life is a contradiction. We have a spirit within us—I know it's there—but it's hidden. I can tell people what I saw, but not everyone will believe me. We live our lives in this existence, but we don't really know what happens to us in the next, or how important it really is."

  "And isn't that where faith plays a part?" Rachael pressed.

  "Maybe, and as I said before, I believe there is a far greater power than Rul Saattan. There's something within each of us which, if we choose to look for it, can lead us to a better place, a better frame of mind."

  "And with this new outlook, what will you do now?"

  "The first thing I wanted to do was to come back here and talk to you."

  "Why?"

  "I wanted you to know what happened. This all started when I decided to look for answers about what I saw in Demonspawn. We talked about what I should look for. You helped me, and I think you helped saved the land."

  "I'm not sure I deserve any credit."

  "You do. Quite a few times, I thought of what you told me. I kept trying to do what I thought was right, but I have to admit, I thought about the story you told me and what it might mean. I didn't want to lose my soul. That's what showed me how to defeat the pit demon, and how to call on the angels. Don't ever forget that; what you said helped defeat Rul Saattan. And I wanted to make sure you knew that."

  "Well thank you, but I'm still interested in your plans. What are you going to do now?"

  "I hope to talk to Sy at some point. I'm not sure if he'll listen to my questions, or answer them, but I'll ask the next time I see him. Burbon's having its Harvest Festival in a few days. Before all of this started, I told him to show up for the kids. Maybe I'll see him then. Those festivals are a lot of fun."

  "We have one here in Connel as well," Rachael added, "but I think the celebrations in the smaller towns are better. Though I do have to admit, I'm looking forward to watching the dwarves rejoice with us. They do seem to enjoy a good party."

  "Yes, I can see that," Ryson agreed. "You'll have the dwarves, and hopefully, we'll have a ghost captain. Singing, dancing, eating, and costumes. It'll be a good way to celebrate before the dormant season."

  "Make sure you enjoy yourself," Rachael advised the delver. "Think of all the spirits around you, the angels that are watching over us. When you sing, make a joyful noise and remember what you've seen."

  "I intend to."

  A Final Note from the Author

  It's getting more difficult for me to remember all the details of previous Delver Magic books. Maybe it's simply because there are more of them now—or maybe it's because I'm getting older—but I'm a bit worried that certain inconsistencies may be found in going from one story to the next. Since I continue to build on events which occurred in earlier books, I have tried to keep from making any obvious errors. I've enjoyed using previous encounters among the characters to create new stories, and I've also had a great deal of fun building on the elements and characteristics of magic and spells. In doing so, I risk creating the inexplicable discrepancies that are somewhat similar to the contradictions Ryson considered during this story. I hope you will forgive any mistakes in continuity that you might find.

  If you have a comment or question about any of the Delver Magic books, please feel free to send me a note. Also, please let me know if you encounter any difficulty with the formatting. Contact information can be found on my web site at www.sitelane.com. Please consider my other novels, including Soul View, Soul Chase, Counterproductive Man, Slow Fall, When Do I See God? and Alien Cradle.

  Jeff Inlo lives in New Jersey, USA with his wife, Joan, and their dog, Jilly.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Epilogue