by Jeff Inlo
Ryson could not accept Lief would be so malicious.
"But why would he do that?"
"I cannot answer that."
Sy decided they were getting nowhere and took command. "Look, we have to do something. The sword wants us to leave and wants us to complete our mission. We can't do both, but failing on both accounts would be the worst decision. Standing here isn't accomplishing anything."
"What do you recommend?" Holli asked, wanting the assessment of a solider she would trust with her life.
"This is how I see it: we find that thing as quickly as possible, destroy it any way we can, and then we get out of here. That's as close to completing both as we can come. Any argument?"
"The strategy appears sound to me," Holli replied quickly.
Ryson was not so quick to agree.
"You have to know this. It's not about getting out of here as quickly as possible. We shouldn't be here now… at this moment. It's a mistake for us to be here at all. That's what I know… for certain."
"I understand that, but you also told us we have to finish what we came here to do."
"I know, and we do. We have to find the vessel and destroy it… immediately."
"Then we can really only pick one or the other." Sy concluded. "I say we destroy that thing and then get out of here."
"It may be a mistake to stay here," Ryson warned.
Sy saw the conflict in the delver. It was not fear of this strange land that pressed Ryson to leave. It was, in fact, something he learned from the sword. Still, a decision had to be made.
"I don't want to force you, Ry," the guard captain admitted, "but unless you have an alternative plan, it's the best we've got."
"I know, but you don't know what I saw. I don't think we can win no matter what we do."
"Well, I'm not for just giving up. Are you?"
Ryson shook his head.
"Well, let's see if we can find some trace of Lief."
The three turned their attention to that end, but somehow Ryson understood that something else was in play. The sword had not lied to him. They had to do everything it decreed, but there was no way to achieve both ends. A despair gripped him and it was more than misery surging from the surrounding lands of death. He felt a crushing doom begin to suffocate his spirit.
Chapter 8
Sy looked upon the strange ground. He found markings in the chalky dust, a clear trail of uneven steps by a multi-limbed creature.
"Over here," he called out, as he pointed to the dirt beneath his feet. "I think this is it. Looks like prints made by a very large and drunken spider."
Ryson brought the image of Lief's creation to mind. He recalled how it appeared and how it moved. Sy's description of a large, inebriated arachnid was accurate. He looked over the trail that Sy had discovered and with his eyes followed the path over the treacherous, broken ground.
"That's it. Strange, though."
"What's strange?" Sy asked.
"I would have thought Lief would have covered up the trail."
"Maybe he didn't think there was a need. He might have guessed no one would have been foolish enough to come in here. To tell you the truth, I'm surprised we're standing here now."
Ryson shook his head. He remembered Lief's last words before the elf stepped back through the portal. By bringing the vessel back to the dark realm, Lief plainly intended on keeping Enin at bay, but the elf spirit had to know Ryson would be back. Lief made that clear when he said it would be a struggle between the two of them.
"I think he knew I was coming back," Ryson announced. "He almost said as much."
This caught Sy's attention, and he found it more than a bit disturbing. It sounded almost as if they had been invited. And if Lief did expect to be followed, why would he leave a trail so easy to follow? Sy examined the peculiar tracks once more. He kicked at the dust around the markings and found it would have been fairly easy to cover the tracks, at least in that area.
"I don't like it," he admitted.
"Perhaps we are just fortunate," Holli offered. "Remember, Lief is a spirit, no longer a physical being. He might have lacked the ability to kick dust over tracks. And the device itself sounded as if it lacked the coordination to hide its own trail."
"One problem with that," Sy stated. "If he was going to leave such a clear trail to follow, then why take off in the first place? If he knew Ryson was going to follow him, then leaving wouldn't have done any good. You can't hide if you leave a path like this.
It's like hiding in an open field next to a bon fire."
"Maybe he just wanted to get away from the portal, find a more defensible position. That would be explanation enough."
"Perhaps."
"Also," Holli continued. "I wonder what prolonged exposure to this place might have done to Lief. When you further consider he is actually a spirit called back to this place by a sorceress with great power and little control, the situation becomes difficult to assess. We can not expect him to act based on rational thought."
"You're saying he might be deranged?" Sy asked.
"I am saying it would be difficult, and perhaps foolish, to interpret his actions."
"Wonderful. That means we can't go into this with any expectations at all. I was kind of hoping we might be able to reason with Lief. I thought that might give us some kind of edge. Now, I have to treat him like an enemy."
Ryson found those words almost painful. His relationship with Lief Woodson had been tumultuous at times, but Lief was not, and would never be, an enemy. He simply could not accept that. His loyalty ran too deep.
"Don't give up on him," Ryson finally said.
Sy nodded, but held to his concerns. He would not argue the point with the delver, but he would not walk blindly into a trap, either.
"So what's the plan when we find this thing?" Sy asked before he allowed them to follow the trail.
"According to Enin, the Sword of Decree can shred the device, destroy it," Holli stated. "That is our main objective. I would suggest a low profile as we utilize our abilities to minimize our risk."
"Fair enough, so we track this thing, pinpoint its location, move to position and let Ryson's speed handle the rest."
"A simple plan, but sometimes simplicity is best," Holli acknowledged.
"That's true, but only if we don't face any other obstacles. The thing I'm worried about is Lief. He doesn't want us to destroy his little creation. We have to assume that much. Maybe he won't want to hurt us, but maybe, as you said, he won't be rational. The question I have is, can he stop us? I mean, he's a ghost, right? But just what can he do? What are his limitations, if any? I heard about what Ingar did on the top of SanctumMountain. He was just a spirit, but he had a great deal of power."
"Ingar was a wizard in life, and held a power over magic. Lief never possessed that kind of skill. As a spiritual essence, he might possess new awareness over certain energies, but I honestly doubt his magical prowess will exceed my own. According to Heteera, he couldn't cast the spell required to create the vessel. He needed the sorceress to feed him with magic. Still, we should remain careful and prepared for anything."
"What do we do about Lief when it's all over?" Ryson interjected, not wishing to discount that his friend should also be considered a victim. "I mean, we can't just leave him here."
"Let us hope when the vessel is destroyed, he can move on and rest. It was the spell of Heteera that summoned him. It was her desire to close off the dimension that led to this. With that desire gone, he should be freed. In the end, I believe it will be ultimately up to him. I, for one, will hope he realizes this."
"Optimism," Sy offered. "I can live with some of that right now. Well, let's find this thing quick and get out of here."
Once more, Sy assessed the alien ground to the best of his abilities. He eyed the uneven, faltering trail of the vessel until it sloped down around a break in the horizon and out of sight. He believed he could follow the path. He then considered the strengths of his companions. He need
ed to utilize all their assets to their best advantage. It was his natural ability to lead, to take command, but he did not view the delver or the elf as subordinates. As he offered a strategy he considered sound, he did so in a manner that revealed more of a request than an order.
"Let me follow the trail. If I need help, I'll ask, but for now, I'd feel better if the two of you keep an eye out for anything that might be a threat. I have no idea what might leap out in this place, so you both have to keep watch."
The captain then waved his arm about the rugged landscape. It was treacherous to be sure, but not to the surefooted movements of a purebred delver.
"Ryson, I think you should continually circle around us, not by more than thirty paces, but enough so I know there's a secure buffer all around. If you perceive anything with those delver senses of yours, call out. Keep moving, use your speed."
Sy then turned to the elf.
"Holli, even with Ryson circling us, I'd like you to concentrate on our rear. I'm going to be focused on our path forward, so if we're vulnerable, it will be at our backs. Also, can you cast some kind of shielding spell around us in case something surprises us? I don't want anything that's going to encumber us or slow down Ryson, but a barrier that might ward off any sudden attack, say from a goblin crossbow, would be helpful."
Holli agreed with the tactic and concentrated on a spell. A green octagon appeared at her fingertips. She flicked her hands quickly but deliberately and the emerald energy flew off her fingers into the air. The magical shape grew into a large churning mass, but then broke into three separate sections. The individual pieces broke ranks and each found a place over delver, human, and elf. The magical energy swirled over their heads and then dropped down about them like sparkling rain.
"The spell is not tremendously powerful," she admitted, "but it is enough of a shield to stop any surprise attack of modest means. If we faced anything powerful enough to shatter the barrier, we would probably know about it before we were attacked."
"Excellent," Sy responded, and then called out to the delver. "Ryson, check your movements with the shield in place. See if there are any restrictions."
Ryson cast aside the continuing sense of foreboding the sword had imposed upon his consciousness. He knew they should not remain in this terror-filled realm, but the need to destroy the vessel urged him on with equal tenacity. He kept the Sword of Decree at the ready as he began to circle about their position.
Running, leaping, and climbing, he moved about the perilous land with controlled speed and adequate caution. The shield about him did not constrain him in any way, but somehow he could feel its magical presence. It was like a blanket of security had been draped over his shoulders, and though he certainly did not feel any sense of invulnerability, he knew his person remained guarded, at least to some extent, by a silent and constant protector.
Opening his senses proved more difficult than patrolling their surroundings. He attempted to define the sounds and scents all around him, but the viciousness of each continued to assault his consciousness. The screams of agony and scent of death lingered so heavily in the distance that the entire area felt ensnared in peril. He refocused his senses on their immediate vicinity and found the threat greatly diminished.
He called out his findings for both Sy and Holli to consider.
"Things are bad in the far distance… things I can't even begin to describe, but I don't sense anything near to us at the moment. It's almost like there's been a clearing of dangerous creatures."
"That would make sense," Holli offered. "The creatures of this world would stay clear of the vessel."
The delver then cast his gaze down the path Sy intended to travel.
"That's probably true, because I also don't sense anything in our path. I can't be sure, but it just seems like nothing is close to us at the moment, and we don't seem to be headed toward anything overwhelming. I think it's pretty clear."
"That's good news," Sy responded, almost cheerfully, but cheer was not a sensation allowed for long. The captain then looked to Holli. "What about you? Do you sense anything?"
"A strong source of magical power… in the direction of the trail. It must be the vessel, and it is not far."
Sy gave a last look to the portal. He noted its position in relation to other landmarks.
"If it's not far, then we should be able to find our way back without too much difficulty. As far as I know, that portal's the only way home. Let's all try to remember that and make it back."
Without further word, the guard captain moved carefully along the trail of their quarry. He trusted his two companions and put his full focus on following the path. He moved faster than he expected, but he still had to contend with a hostile environment.
Thankfully, there were no monumental obstructions in view-no bogs impossible to cross or mountain ranges too high to climb. He could see no dense forests filled with thorny brush or vast lake beds filled with smoldering acid. Even more importantly, there was no army of vicious creatures waiting to tear them apart. There was only the desolate land of a dark and despairing realm.
The ground was uneven and inconsistent, hard and rough in some places, loose and spongy in others. Rocks lay strewn about, some solid and heavy, others brittle and light, easily scattered by a humid breeze.
A light wind finally appeared, but it held not pleasure. Instead, it felt like the hot breath belched out of a diseased volcano. It bore into their exposed skin and left them all sweaty and uncomfortable. Truly, there was no comfort in this nightmare.
There was, however, life in this place to be sure-life beyond the screams of unknown creatures in the distance, but not life easily understood. Trees dotted the landscape, scattered about as if they staked out their territory and did not allow invaders near. They did not stand tall and proud, covered fully with green leaves or pine needles, serving as homes for birds and squirrels. Instead, they grew in twisted, bent curves with gaping holes and half-dead branches. The dying branches seemed to thrive. Upon limbs with apparent life, the leaves that clung to gnarled branches appeared sickly yellow. No animals danced in the higher branches, but strange insects burrowed deep into open slits in the trunks and boughs.
Sy dismissed the bleak scene and kept moving toward their goal. Before long, they came to a descending slope that dropped into a ravine. Sy didn't like it, but that's where the trail led. The path was now too narrow for Ryson to circle.
"Ryson, climb up to the top. I don't want us walking into an ambush. If we stay down here and something hits us from above, we've had it."
"Good idea," the delver agreed and bounded back up the rocky walls of the ravine. He dashed forward and scouted the area ahead in mere moments. When he returned, he remained topside but called out below. "It's clear. I'll follow you from up here and make sure it stays that way."
Sy just nodded and turned his attention back to the trail. After about fifty paces, the trail turned and marked a path into a sizeable cave entrance in the cliff wall. This did not encourage the captain.
"What do you think?" Sy asked of Holli.
Holli gazed into the opening. Her elf eyes could make out a faint glow in the far reaches of the cave. Even more, she sensed a collection of powerful magic.
"It is in there."
"Blast." Sy responded with a flat, discouraged tone. "We can't all go in there. That would be beyond careless. It would be suicide."
Holli looked upon the captain. She knew the answer, but apparently so did he.
"Looks like I have to stay here and guard the opening," he stated as he examined the edges of the rock. "Ryson has the sword and you have the magic. You both have to go on."
He did not like the idea of staying behind, but he had not choice. The opening in the ravine wall was their only path of escape and it could not be left unguarded.
"How deep do you think they are in there? If I yelled a warning from here, could you hear it?"
"Without a doubt."
"I guess that's it then." Sy t
hen called out to the delver. "Ryson!Anything up there?"
"Nothing at all."
"Give it a good look, as far as you can see."
"It's clear."
"Good, because you're going to have to come down here now."
The delver glided down the rocks as if they were a simple staircase. When he reached the floor and found the cave entrance, he understood what they faced.
Leaving Sy at the entrance, Ryson took the lead. Just like Holli, he could see the light in the distance and he made that his objective. Moving much quicker than before, he bounded through the narrow tunnels of the cave. When the light ahead became substantially brighter, he paused to consult Holli.
"It's just up ahead and around that bend. What do you suggest?"
"I sincerely doubt that stealth will be of any value beyond this point. It is your speed we must rely on now. I can feel the magic growing in intensity. I believe the vessel is near. If it is in your hands to destroy it, do so now, without hesitation."
"Alright, cover my back. I'm going in."
Just as Ryson took tighter hold of his sword, once more the overwhelming sense to leave that realm hit him with unquestionable certainty. He knew they should not be there. It was clearly a mistake. The consequences of their actions were not yet known, and thus could not be communicated to him through the sword, but he understood that misfortune would certainly follow in some form.
Unfortunately, at that exact same instant, the sword decreed the device had to be destroyed without delay. He knew the vessel had grown in power, had successfully hunted many creatures in the realm, and continued to crave the magic twisted by unspeakable acts and held within grotesque monsters. Without question, he knew the danger of this device, what horrors rested within it. He also knew with absolute certainty that the sword was capable of destroying the object, and he was now close enough to succeed toward that end. His path was clear and necessary, and just as there would be consequences for remaining in the dark realm, there would be dire results if Ryson did not act.
The divisive forces that pulled him in distinctly opposite directions were so powerful, he almost fell over. Had it not been for his delver grace and speed, he probably would have tumbled to the ground.