Pure Choice dm-6

by Jeff Inlo

  Ryson stared into the dimensional opening. He could see no immediate danger, no colossal monsters waiting to devour them, but a growing uneasiness dominated his thoughts. He hated the dark realm. Everything about it assaulted his senses. Even before stepping through the rift, he knew he would find anguish rushing at him from every dank corner. There would be pain, not actual physical trauma, but enough mental torment to cause enormous distress in the pit of his stomach. For him, entering the dark realm was like entering a shag's den after rolling in salt. He was asking for agony.

  Despite the unwelcoming landscape that waited on the other side, the three willingly stepped into the heart of the rift. Once through and standing on the dreary ground of an entirely different existence, Jure asked Holli for guidance.

  "What do you want me to do with the portal?"

  "I do not wish to offer an open passage for any nearby creatures," Holli insisted, but she also hoped they would be able to return quickly to Dark Spruce. Keeping the portal active offered an avenue for safe retreat. "Can you leave it open, but place a block on the path?"

  "I can, but how strong do you want me to make the barrier? The larger creatures might be able to break through a minor spell. A stronger barricade would guarantee protection, but it would eventually become a drain on my energy."

  "Not an enviable option," Holli admitted. She did not wish to languish with indecision, and despite the advantage of retaining the portal, she settled upon the safest choice. "We are facing a spell caster capable of abducting an entire camp of elves at once. We may need your power. Close the portal completely. If we need to, either you or I can create a new one back to Uton."

  Jure accepted the decision and quickly cast a spell to close the rift. He then looked about the bleak lands.

  "We should be very close to the point where the elves were taken. If they were not forced to move a great distance, Ryson should be able…"

  The wizard stopped in mid-sentence and gazed over his left shoulder.

  "What do you sense?" Holli demanded, as she, too, felt something of enormous magical strength in the distance.

  "A strong source of energy, a powerful spell." He nodded in the direction he looked. "Over there. Not far."

  There was little the elf could see as a tall bluff blocked their line of sight. Holli turned to Ryson.

  "Can you hear or smell anything in that direction?"

  Ryson steadied himself. He had tried to constrain his senses once he stepped through the portal. The sounds of the dark realm consisted of groans and whines of pure misery. The scent was of suffocating anguish. Opening himself up to such sensations was a measure of self-torture. Unfortunately, his abilities were needed.

  Facing the direction Jure indicated, the delver took an even breath through his nostrils. Instantly, he caught the scent of many elves in the distance. He turned his head slightly and held an ear to the oppressive wind. He could hear them as well.

  "He's right. They're close and in that direction. Probably below those razor crows."

  Ryson pointed to the gray sky where over a dozen small birds circled in the air.

  "Do you note any signs of distress in what you can hear?" Holli asked.

  "No. They're not moving, at least not running or fighting. There's nothing that would indicate any kind of conflict."

  "The strong magic concerns me," the elf admitted and she turned her attention back to the wizard. "Anything you can sense from the magic? Its purpose?"

  "It's constant and powerful. It's also unique in certain properties. It matches the sensations I received from the elf camp."

  Holli looked across the barren land. She knew the delver was well suited for the job she had in mind, but based on the circumstances, she believed he would require additional security. She decided Jure's talents were needed again as well.

  "Can you place a defensive shield over the delver that would protect him from any magical traps?" she asked of the wizard.

  "Traps?" Jure noted with a hint of surprise. The energy aura was so strong that he doubted hidden magical snares were the true danger. Still, he deferred to Holli's tactical plans and offered what he could. "Well, I could place a spell of deflection around him. Any magical energy would be disbursed away from him, but it would only be temporary, a very short duration."

  "I believe that is all we will need." Holli turned to Ryson. "I do not want to stumble forward without greater information. I would consider a sight spell, but a sorcerer of great power could potentially distort it. I need something I can depend on. I need you."

  "What do you want me to do?" Ryson asked.

  "A fast scout. I want you to rely on your speed as well as your senses. Do not try to observe every last detail, but gain an overall view of what is ahead of us."

  "I can do that," Ryson agreed. Not out of fear but out of caution, he wanted to understand Holli's concerns. "You think there are magical traps waiting for us? Because if there are, I won't be able to sense them."

  "I believe it is doubtful. I think whoever has done this has far too much power to bother with traps, but I would rather take the precaution. Are you ready?"

  "Yes."

  Holli nodded to Jure.

  The wizard conceived a spell of deflection, one that would disburse magic as opposed to absorb it. It was the most efficient way to ensure the delver's safety against any traps. A perfect circle of white magic appeared around Jure's wrists. When he gently pressed his hands toward the delver, the magic spun off his hands and encircled Ryson's body. After but a moment, it disappeared.

  "It won't last long," Jure warned, "but it's a fairly solid defense. You will be shielded against any magical attack, but only magic. It won't do any good against arrows and swords, or even claws and teeth."

  "Don't worry about it. I don't sense any dark creatures nearby, other than those razor crows, and I'm not really worried about them. All I can sense are the elves, and they're fairly close."

  "I know it will be difficult," Holli acknowledged, "but open your senses to everything. Do not try to analyze any of it. Simply obtain what you can. Trust me on that. Run in and run out. That is all we will need."

  "This won't take long," Ryson responded.

  The delver wasted no further time on words. He turned toward the scent and sound of the elves and dashed toward them in a blur of motion. Trusting completely in Jure's spell, he moved almost without care. He sensed no danger in the form of dark creatures, so he did not have to worry about any physical attack. It was only the magic that could harm him, but not while under the protection of Jure's incantation.

  His delver eyes scanned the ground before him, charted the safest path across the rocky terrain. His legs carried him fluidly over the harsh ground, and his perfect balance allowed him to adjust to the uneven land. He raced across a small hill, then leapt over a ravine and finally rushed up to the top of the rocky bluff.

  Upon reaching the high ledge, Ryson turned hard to his right. The ground in front of him declined quickly into a much lower clearing that stretched out for a great distance. Though he spotted the elves instantly, he could not see them clearly, and the cause snatched his attention.

  The enormous dome that appeared like a translucent, overturned bowl defied Ryson's expectations of reality even as he rushed across the tortured terrain of a nightmare realm. The walls forged a shadowed but transparent curtain that flowed down from the sky. While he could see through the entire barrier, he could not dismiss its overwhelming presence. Its immense size astonished the delver and he could not imagine the force of will necessary to create such a magical fortification.

  Taking hold of his senses and forcing any astonishment clear of his intended purpose, Ryson continued to run toward the magical wonder. His eyes scanned the whole of the barrier just as he took several great breaths through his nostrils. He opened his ears to every sound. He did just as Holli asked. He didn't pause to consider what he saw, smelled or heard. He simply took it all in as he raced along the open grounds of the lowla
nd clearing.

  He decided not to touch the translucent wall that surrounded the gathering of elves. He wasn't sure what the reaction might be between it and the magical shield Jure placed around him. Instead, he rushed entirely around the large dome in order to ensure it was complete. He found no breaks in the wall.

  For all the elves he could see, he did not observe any injuries. They all seemed in good health, though their spirits seemed bleak. It was not a surprise. He could not imagine what it would be like to be held captive in such an oppressive prison. The dark realm was desolate enough on its own. To be trapped for long under a massive and unmoving shadow would likely have driven the delver mad.

  There were no dark creatures near the dome, other than the few razor crows flying overhead, but they were outside the shaded wall. It was the one shred of optimism he could find. He could not imagine why the elves had been corralled in such a manner, but at least he saw no imminent danger to their well-being.

  After completing his dash around the barrier, Ryson rushed back to Holli and Jure.

  "I found them. They look alright, but they're under some kind of barrier. I'm not sure…"

  Holli cut him off.

  "Do not try to explain it. Just keep your mind focused upon everything you sensed." She then turned to Jure. "Please remove your spell."

  Jure did so with a wave of his hand.

  Without another word, Holli cast a spell of her own. A green octagon emerged from her fingertips. It expanded as she spread her arms outward. It engulfed the three of them as she placed one hand on Ryson's shoulder and the other on Jure's.

  Instantly, they shared the full sensations of Ryson's memory. Ryson himself found the recollection strengthening in his own mind just as it passed to Holli and Jure. He saw the overwhelming dome, even relived the sense of awe he felt when he first saw it. Deep in his mind, he recalled his inspection of the elves, heard their mumbled discussions with enhanced clarity. He even smelled the smoke of their small fires as if they were burning right next to him. The crispness of the memory surprised him, surpassed his recollection of the actual event.

  Holli removed her hands from her companions once the memory was passed in full. Both she and Jure had been able to experience every sensation Ryson acquired during his scout and with the same vivid recollection.

  Holli engaged them both with her considerations, disregarding any fascination with the results of her spell.

  "No visible threats," she concluded. "Razor crows, but not enough to pose any true danger. The grounds are clear of dark creatures both inside the dome and across the lowland clearing. The elves have secured a camp. They have guards in the trees and at the perimeter. They also seem to have obtained significant supplies of food and water."

  "The barrier is remarkable," Jure added. "It's stable but translucent, and apparently uniform and unbroken. It appears to have been in place for some time. Amazing."

  "There did not seem to be any magical traps," Holli noted. She then looked to Ryson. "Do you feel it is safe to approach?"

  "I didn't see anything that might be a problem, other than the barrier."

  "That does appear to be the main obstacle, but you were able to hear the elves, which means they can hear us. We can communicate with them, and that should be our next objective."

  "I would like to get a closer look at that barrier," Jure requested.

  "Then let us proceed."

  Ryson took the lead and guided the elf and wizard over the few obstacles before them and to the very edge of the barrier. The delver's earlier scout had already gained the attention of the elf guards at the perimeter, and two figures moved toward them from the center of the camp.

  With the barrier between them, the elf guard captain, Birk Grund, and the camp elder, Shantree Wispon, greeted the newcomers with growing optimism. They had been found… and by Holli Brances no less. Though the powerful wizard of Connel was not with them, the two trapped elves could not deny the hope that rescue was near.

  After a brief discussion revealing the extent of their capture and the identity of their captor, the two elf leaders allowed Holli and Jure to consider the implications of the additional information and to devise a plan of liberation.

  Considering the full extent of what they learned, Holli could not avoid the obvious conclusion.

  "Ansas wanted to bring me here," she declared.

  "Maybe the both of us," Jure added.

  "That is true. Together we defeated him in Pinesway, and I forced him to accept banishment in the dark realm. He has been here ever since, perfecting his abilities and perhaps planning his revenge."

  "Maybe we shouldn't be hanging around here waiting for him to notice us," Ryson offered.

  "Also true," Holli agreed. "We need to get everyone back to Dark Spruce as soon as possible."

  Though her abilities as a magic caster were growing, she knew she could not break through the magical barrier. Jure, however, was blessed with greater skills.

  "Can you free them?" she asked of the wizard.

  "I've been analyzing the barrier," Jure admitted. "It doesn't require additional energy to maintain its existence, just the magic it was given at the initial casting. It's also blocking all teleportation and portal spells by slightly destabilizing the space within the dome. Portals can't be opened, and space for teleportation can't be condensed because of the unstable conditions. A clean path can't be created."

  "But can you break through?" the elf pressed.

  "I think so."

  "We have tried," the elf guard captain revealed. Birk explained the attempts made to destroy the wall and how they failed.

  Jure considered everything he was told but did not lose faith in his ability to conquer the barrier. He didn't wish to seem boastful, but his power and his circumstances allowed for a different approach. He quickly described his intentions.

  "You were limited on what you could do because you were trapped on the inside," Jure noted. "I'm not. The instability of the space inside the dome in relation to the stability of the barrier itself is the key. I can't teleport us in or anyone out, but I can cast a teleportation spell on the exterior of the wall itself. That should create enough disturbance to shatter it."

  "You're going to try to teleport the barrier?" Ryson asked, curious about the technique. "Where are you going to send it?"

  "I'm not really going to send it anywhere. I just want to compress the space that the barrier itself occupies. In essence, I will teleport the outer shell back upon itself. When I do, the instability within the barrier should shift and press against the wall. If that happens, I believe the whole thing will collapse."

  "There will be no need for that," a firm voice announced. "That would take too much of your magic, and I don't want you blaming your defeat on any loss of energy. I want you to know that I bested you when you were at full power."

  Ansas walked up to the group following the same trail Ryson had used to reach the edge of the barrier. The sorcerer revealed no emotion as he faced the elf guard and the wizard who had once defeated him and forced him into exile.

  "I give you credit, though," the sorcerer continued. "Your idea was sound. It would have worked, but as you will see, it's not necessary."

  For but a moment, he disregarded them all and concentrated on the barrier he created. Ansas showed no concern for his safety, even as he stood before those he viewed as enemies. With a wave of his hand, the barrier dissolved.

  "The elves are free to leave as they wish. They may construct a portal back to their forest at their leisure. I won't stop them…" he paused and refocused his attention upon Holli and Jure, "…that is as long as you two don't try to escape with them."

  Despite the presence of an elf elder and the captain of the elf guard, Holli took command. She was no longer an official member of the camp, and thus, she held to no traditional role as a subordinate.

  "Begin evacuating immediately," she stated to Birk Grund.

  "He still has several members of our camp," the gu
ard captain noted. "I will not leave without them."

  "I have no intention of holding them against their will," Ansas responded. "You see? They travel behind me. They can go as they please."

  Ansas glared over his shoulder at the column of elves cautiously making their way back toward the other elves. As they passed, the sorcerer eyed Scheff, but only for a brief moment. He had not yet received an answer regarding the elf's intentions, but such a matter was trivial at best. The sorcerer was far more interested in the inevitable confrontation he would initiate with Holli and Jure.

  Scheff noticed the sorcerer's gaze. He didn't avoid it, but he said nothing. He still considered what he would ultimately choose. As he moved away from the sorcerer and toward the gathering of elves, he could not dismiss a feeling of regret. He wondered if refusing the sorcerer's offer might be the biggest mistake of his life. He trudged forward with the other elves, struggling with a decision that would determine his future.

  Once the elves passed back into the fold of the others, Holli questioned the elf captain.

  "Is that all of them?"

  Birk nodded.

  "Get everyone out. Do not leave anyone behind… even elf guards. We shall handle this ourselves."

  "Very well."

  Birk guided Shantree Wispon back toward the center of the lowland clearing. A portal was quickly opened and the elves began to cross back to their home.

  An uneasy silence gripped the four individuals that stood apart from the elves waiting to escape. Ansas watched the three companions with marginal interest. He disregarded the delver, but he took sweeping glances at the wizard and the elf. After a few moments, it sounded as if he chuckled to himself.

  Jure stood stone still with his arms to his side. He kept his gaze locked upon the sorcerer and he prepared several spells in his mind. If Ansas so much as gestured, Jure would bring the full force of his own magic against him.