by Jeff Inlo
"You can say I'm going to die, but you're sure Ryson will be fine? Am I supposed to believe that?"
"I'm fairly certain in Ryson's success. The realm he will enter is the true home of the nightmare beasts, but he goes to destroy a device that hunts them. The creatures will understand his purpose. They will be more than happy to let him pass, but you… you they will kill the moment they spot you. Of that, I am certain. They will sense what you are, sense the lack of magic within you. You are an aberration. They will view you as something to be destroyed, and they will not hesitate to do so. The magic can not touch you, but claws can still tear you apart."
As Enin's tone had not changed, this time Linda could not reply. The wizard offered consolation to a woman he respected far above most others.
"You saved me, perhaps the entire land, when you allowed me to use you as a shield in my battle with Baannat. It is now my turn to save you. Allow me to do what you did for me."
Linda looked about her and faced the expressions of all those who cared for her. Even though she might have been the only individual who could withstand the power of Enin, she could not disregard his request.
"What can I say? I'll stay out."
"And that's wise, but I'm going in," Sy offered, "and I don't want to hear an argument. I can't move like Ryson or Holli, and I can't cast spells, but you're going to need another pair of eyes. I'm trained for this and all of you know it. I'm a soldier and I understand a soldier's sacrifice."
"I don't want anyone to sacrifice anything," Ryson protested.
"And neither do I, and that's just what I mean."
"You will get no argument from me," Holli offered, as she, too, understood what Sy meant. "Another soldier is a welcome addition."
"Then I guess it's settled," Ryson said, "but if you all don't mind, I'd like a moment alone with Enin."
Enin nodded and then guided the delver to a private room.
"What do you wish to know?"
Ryson came right to the point.
"You once said you can see the destiny in people. Are you seeing that again in me? Is that why you're sending me?"
Enin almost laughed, but he could not hold to any true amusement. The wizard once saw Ryson's destiny very clearly, but that destiny was met, and Enin had to make a confession of his own.
"I have removed myself from that power," Enin admitted. "I decided it was best."
"You mean you just turned it off?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes."
A revelation that definitely surprised the delver. Ryson had come to view Enin as almost omniscient. That was apparently no longer the case and such an admission held other implications.
"So you can't see the destiny in Heteera, either? You can't tell if this was all supposed to happen?"
"Can't be sure of any of that. I no longer want to be sure. As I said, I have cast aside that ability and I have no intention of reclaiming it."
Curiosity quickly gripped the delver. He could not imagine why someone would willingly turn off an ability that would offer information that could not be easily obtained elsewhere. A delver sought answers from all sources and closing one off felt like a sin.
"Can I ask why?"
Enin sighed. "Despite my power, I'm no god. I'm just a man."
"But as you said, you have great power. Shouldn't you use that power?"
"To what end? Should I actually try to intervene in matters that I see as fate? No, that would be unwise. Or perhaps I should start making decisions based solely on these destinies? A very bad idea."
"I'm not sure I would agree," the delver confessed.
"Only because you have not thought it out, experienced the true consequences. Let me illustrate my point. My efforts here in Connel are sometimes delicate. I have dwarves calling at me from one direction, humans calling at me from another. I have to sort out many things. I have had to guide them the best way I know how. When I started to see individual destinies in the people who trusted me, I could not ignore what I saw. I was beginning to judge humans and dwarves alike on their destinies, which they could not control, as opposed to their character, which they could. Is that wise?"
"No."
"Beyond that, if I was going to accept anyone's trust, I couldn't allow myself to peek into their future, especially without their consent."
"I see," but the delver still wasn't sure he agreed. He then considered how Enin's self-induced limitation related to their current dilemma. "So you really don't have any idea of what's going to happen? We could go into the dark realm and not come out?"
Enin realized what he was admitting. With all of his power, he truly could not be sure if Ryson would succeed, if he would even survive. He tempered that truth with his own belief in the delver's ability.
"With absolute certainty? No. In that, I am like any other man, but I do have an understanding of this world and the realm you are about to enter. I have confidence in you. I believe you will be fine."
"Care to expand upon that just a bit? I mean, I've had glimpses into that world. I'm not looking forward to going in there." Ryson prodded.
"I can appreciate that. I have told you once before that you are magic. Do you remember that?"
"I remember. Didn't quite understand it then, and I'm not sure how it helps now."
"It helps because you should realize that magic is a part of you. You don't store it like I do, you don't have to collect it. As a delver, you were born with it as a part of your essence. You bring the magic with you wherever you go. It allows you to be a delver, and as a delver, you are a very powerful individual. That is why I believe you will be fine."
"What about Holli and Sy?"
"You will protect them as they protect you. I'm not sending any of you to some certain death."
"And that's it?"
"I'm afraid so. If you wanted something more, I can't help you."
"Then I guess we should be on our way."
Chapter 7
Taking the most direct route, Ryson led Sy, Holli and a small group of soldiers out of Connel and toward the badlands that served as the perimeter for the LacobianDesert. It meant cutting through the denser sections of Dark Spruce, but he found paths that avoided any danger or delay. He brought them out of the forest and to the spot where the portal fluctuated in and out of existence. When they first arrived, there was no sign of the rift, and so, they prepared quickly for its return.
Only Ryson, Sy, and Holli would enter the dark realm. The soldiers would wait outside the portal, watch over the horses, and guard the area. The delver revealed that there were no current threats in the immediate vicinity, but keeping the grounds surrounding the rift clear remained a priority.
Sy distributed the supplies that the three would carry into the dark realm and then checked his weapons. He knew he would be the most vulnerable and so he couldn't allow for any mishaps. He steadied himself for the mission and then requested any information that might be useful.
"Anything we should know before we go in?" the captain asked of Holli.
"Focus on our goal," Holli responded, "and try to differentiate between true threats and the hostile environment. That will be no easy task. The lands we will enter are beyond foreign, they are intimidating and oppressive. Death is everywhere, but we can not allow that to keep us from our mission."
"Okay, no sightseeing, no problem here."
Holli smiled at the attempt to lessen the tension. She checked the supplies she had been given and continued with her assessment.
"Beyond that, I think we are ready. We have sufficient supplies of food and water. I do not believe we will need this amount, but better to be prepared. Based on Ryson's description, the vessel is not something that can move at great speed. You are the slowest among us… no offense intended."
"None taken.Can't argue with facts."
"But you are not a liability by any stretch of the imagination. I believe you be will be more than able to keep the pace necessary to catch our quarry. Based on what we know, Lie
f intends to protect the magical vessel. He can't lift it himself, but the vessel itself is capable of movement. It is reasonable to assume Lief managed to coax it away from the gateway, but I would not expect they will be far."
"Maybe he can use the magic to move it faster?" Ryson offered.
"If so, I will be able to follow the trail. Enin has taught me how to move through space in the most efficient manner, even through space in the outer dimensions. I can easily offset any advantage Lief might have gained by utilizing magic stored in the vessel, but I doubt that will be the case. If I were Lief, I would keep the profile of the magical signature as low as possible. I do not think he wants attention now."
"Still, he's got a head start on us. Will we be able to track them?" Sy wondered.
"I do not expect problems in that regard, either. Lief is a spirit and will leave no trail, but his creation has distinct physical characteristics. It has multiple limbs and should leave a clear trail. It is also something that dark creatures will naturally avoid, and we can use that to help locate it. I honestly don't think finding it will be difficult."
As if to punctuate Holli's confidence, the rift slowly reappeared. The air rushed by in unnatural gusts, brushing back and forth across them all in varied temperatures. The view of the landscape behind the reemerging portal lightened. A transparent haze formed before them that blurred what they could see in the distance, but then the horizon faded completely out of view as if a cloud suddenly appeared. A swirling mist marked the boundaries of the portal. Initially, it blocked sight into the dark realm, but only for a moment. The mist dissolved leaving a clear view through the break. The portal took hold between dimensions, hovered in the air slightly above the ground and created a bridge between existences.
Each member of the party looked deep inside the rift, prepared to battle anything that might wish to gain entry into their land, but the gateway remained empty. They could see a clear path into the bizarre and twisted world that waited on the other side.
The soldiers, though they would have entered had it been their duty, could not deny a sense of relief that it was not their burden to walk the realm beyond the portal. They did not lack the courage to endure the hardship or the desire to meet a challenge, but they faced life with brutal honesty and deeply held convictions. Entering a land of nightmare is not something any of them would truthfully acknowledge as a welcome adventure.
Ryson had already looked into the tainted realm. The strange lands beyond did not beckon him, did not excite his delver instincts and entice him to explore. If anything, the gateway forged the opposite effect. It repulsed him and burned a deep yearning in his soul to race away with all possible speed. He buried his dread to the best of his ability and stepped up to the portal.
Holli and Sy moved up alongside the delver and braced themselves. In unison, the three comrades who had faced many trials, fought dangerous enemies, and defeated powerful foes, stepped into the opening with monumental determination. For all three, it felt as if they willfully entered an open grave. It was one of the hardest things any of them ever had to do.
Once through the rift, they stood upon rocky ground somewhat similar to the badlands of the world they left behind, but that was where the similarities ended. Although they breached a thin wall of haze with but a single insignificant step, they now walked a plane of existence beyond their complete understanding. This was a land of shadow and terror, a godless underworld, and the dark realm encased their senses.
The delver was struck the hardest and the sickening smell almost drove Ryson to the ground. He fought off the stench only to be assaulted by horrifying screams in the distance. The shrieks rolled in like waves from an ocean, continuous and unyielding, roaring with both ferocity and turmoil. Simply put, there was no peace in this existence. There was only mayhem-constant, terrifying, soul-crushing chaos.
Sy and Holli moved quickly and spread themselves apart so as not to be clustered together. Using Ryson as the third point, they formed a small triangle and gazed across the bleak lands.
Ryson finally gained greater control of his senses and washed the initial sickness from his being. He allowed himself the opportunity to look back into the rift, to gaze back upon a much more welcoming place. Even the harsh landscape of the badlands appeared like heaven from the perspective of this twisted dimension. He wished with all his heart he could turn back, run and find Linda, but he restrained the desire to race back to safety and turned his focus back upon the ground they traveled.
Beyond a sickening warm moisture, he felt nothing upon his skin-not chilled air or a dry, hot wind. Still, something stirred at his core. He felt a cold emptiness, but it chewed at the pit of his stomach, not at his exposed face or hands. He thought he might break into an uncontrollable shiver, but his nerves held and he finally steadied himself.
The sky was dark, but not black as night. It was a dirty gray with no stars. There was enough light to see, but it came not from the heavens, Instead, the land around him glowed from pits of smoldering fire that appeared like trapped lava bubbling up to the surface from an angry core. At times, it appeared as if half-dead trees simply combusted into flames and flashes of bright light burst in the distance.
Yes, there was light, but he found nothing of comfort in this place, and reflexively he pulled the Sword of Decree from its sheath on his back. He hoped the blade might offer some reassuring radiance, but the blade remained dark-not from some magic spell, such as the illusion cast by the swallit, but from the simple truth of the weapon's very nature. The enchantment of his sword reflected the natural light of stars in the sky. It would not augment the diseased illumination of this realm. The delver understood that as he gripped the handle.
In his hand, the sword offered a new enlightenment, as well as growing confusion. The delver suddenly felt as if he was being torn in two. Conflicting messages, powerful and uncontrollable, burst forth in his mind. He saw the danger, but he also understood the mission. There was no doubt in either, but he could not understand how he could avoid one and complete the other. His body convulsed at the divergence and he almost dropped the blade. It took all his willpower to retain a grip on the weapon and remain on his feet.
Both Sy and Holli immediately noticed his anguish.
"Ryson, what's wrong?" Sy asked.
The delver could not speak.
Holli made the connection between the enchanted weapon and the delver's dismay. She did not dare touch the sword with her hand, but she used her bow to guide the blade to the ground. The hilt remained in the delver's hand, but the point of the blade rested upon the dark rock.
Ryson could find no reassurance in making contact with the alien ground, but he felt the divisive pull of the sword diminish, as if the demands placed upon him were now shifted to the ground itself. Eventually, he found the will to speak.
"We shouldn't be here,"
"Tell me something I don't know," Sy stated in another failed effort to break the tension.
"No, I mean the sword made it clear that we shouldn't be in this land," Ryson responded. The conflicting images from the weapon slowly began to retreat, but he held the underlying meanings in his mind.
"Are you saying we need to go back now?" Holli demanded. As an elf, she would not dismiss a message from a sword enchanted by her race. Although it never offered such wisdom until it came into the possession of the delver, the Sword of Decree was forged by the elves during the time of legends. It had become something quite more in the hands of Ryson Acumen, but every living elf understood its power.
"I don't know," Ryson stated honestly.
"The sword should have made it clear," Holli stated as she looked toward Ryson expecting some kind of explanation.
"It did make it clear. We shouldn't be here."
The elf needed no further direction.
"Then we will return to Uton at once."
"We can't," Ryson insisted. "The vessel… we have to destroy that thing. We can't let it grow more powerful."
Holli shook off that concern.
"That's what Enin said, but he did not know of this information. The sword can not be ignored."
"The sword made that clear, too." Ryson explained. "It showed me both… at the same time. We shouldn't be here, but we have to destroy what Heteera's spell created."
"You are certain?" Holli demanded.
"I saw both," the delver replied, "it was clear, but it was strange. It was as if the sword knew that both couldn't be done, like it was fighting itself."
Sy took a quick look around. He saw no threats in the immediate vicinity. It was almost as if this portal had been abandoned by everyone and everything on the dark side. It was hard to find any sense of security in this place of torment, but he believed they were in no immediate danger. He then offered his own assessment.
"What if we split up-maybe not all of us are supposed to be here? Maybe it's you who has to go back. If you give Holli the sword…"
"No," Ryson answered sternly. "It's not just me, or Holli, or you. None of us should be here. It was so clear I would have pulled us all back through the portal without even telling you."
"But you didn't," Sy followed Ryson's point. "So we also really have to destroy that thing."
"Yes, and we can't wait."
"Two divergent paths." Holli added.
"We can't take them both, but it sounds like we're supposed to. That's a problem." Sy acknowledged. He then turned back to Holli. "Any suggestions?"
"Pick the more pressing of the two," the elf stated.
They both then looked to Ryson.
"They both hit me the same. One was as important as the other. It's like we have to do both."
"I don't think we can," Sy admitted.
"As I said, two divergent paths. We must walk both, but they split before us." Holli then gauged the grounds and considered their plight. "Perhaps this is exactly what Lief intended. Maybe somehow as a spirit he is in touch with a greater perception. He created a dilemma that could not be solved."