Joint Intentions (Book 9) (31 page)

"Perhaps, but it would take a great deal of concentration and energy. I can guide him with the construction of the spell, but it would still require massive amounts of magic, energy he doesn't currently have."

"Then we will have to keep you safe until he is ready."

The delver, however, considered the problem from a different perspective.

"Can't Vraya just alter the demon's interpretation of the order its already been given?" Ryson asked.

"What do you mean?" Jure asked, uncertain of the delver's suggestion.

"Instead of changing the instruction itself, just change how the dathit carries it out. Don't try to convince the demon to ignore Enin, just give it a different perspective about how to guard him. I mean, there has to be a way the demon would be willing to protect Enin without imprisoning him."

Jure marveled at the simplicity of the suggestion.

"That's ingenious," the elder wizard remarked. Jure then turned to Vraya. "You wouldn't have to alter the message, all you'd have to do is change the demons understanding of what guarding Enin means."

Vraya appreciated the cleverness of the idea, but she viewed the actual casting as an obstacle too large to overcome.

"How do I get through to it?" Vraya questioned. "I admit it's an inspired solution, but I have to find a way to reach the demon. I'm not sure how this thing senses anything at all. It's like Enin said, it's not going to hear or see anything. How do I use the magic to penetrate its awareness? If I just try to alter that thing's understanding through waves of magic, I could risk sending it into a rage. Maybe it will think it has to destroy everything in order to keep Enin safe."

"That is a definite problem," Enin agreed. "We can't..."

The discussion ended before he could finish.

"It's moving!" Ryson shouted.

The dathit turned its faceless head slowly to the left and then the right. It took small steps as it seemed uncertain of which direction to head. It raised one massive arm into the cold desert air as it appeared to feel for something it couldn't quite touch.

"Ryson!" Holli commanded. "Just as before, unsheathe your sword and circle the monster as quickly as you can."

The delver did as he was asked. He pulled the Sword of Decree from the sheath on his back and raced across the desert sands. He held the blade up high, kept the tip pointed at the faceless head of the demon. He knew he couldn't blind it, but the sword's point generated a sharp and tight beam of light. He believed the enchantment was at its highest concentration in that ray of bright radiance.

Hoping the magic of his sword would continue to disrupt the demon's perception, he circled the giant at top speed, running up and down sandy slopes and leaping over the tops of the surrounding dunes. All the while, he held the beam of light steady upon the colossal head.

The pit demon displayed even greater uncertainty. It stumbled about the desert with both arms flailing outward. The enchantment of the sword created as much interference to its awareness as the collapsing of the large portal.

As Ryson continued to circle the dathit, he watched how it moved. The delver looked for certain signs which might indicate how the giant detected the glowing blade. It seemed as if the monster moved by more than just what it could feel. Ryson believed the demon was guided by some internal directional force. Like a compass needle that attempts to swing to the north even as it's turned about, the pit demon searched for its own magical guidance.

The delver considered what he had heard from Vraya, Enin, and Jure. He understood very little about magic, but he knew about perception and the power of the senses. As a delver, he could be pulled in several directions at once, but eventually he would hone in on the strongest sensation. He knew the pit demon would eventually be pulled toward Enin and all the distractions of his sword would fail to stop it. He also came up with a possible solution.

Ryson sheathed his sword and rushed back over to Vraya.

His actions surprised the elf guard.

"Ryson, we need more time!"

"Maybe we don't," the delver replied but then turned back to the sorceress. "Can you alter the demon itself?"

"What do you mean?" Vraya questioned. "Change it into something less dangerous? No. That would take unbelievable amounts of magic."

"No, not change it to something else. Slightly alter its abilities... give it ears so that it can hear."

Vraya offered a confused look at the delver, but it vanished behind a quickly growing smile.

"Just like allowing someone to see in the dark or breathe underwater," she concluded. "A simple alteration spell; I can handle that with ease."

"You got it, and when it can hear..." Ryson began.

"...change the message to guard Enin so it has a new meaning," Vraya finished.

"Exactly."

"Brilliant."

"You can do it?"

"Watch."

Vraya raised her arms toward the demon and cast two quick spells in succession. A single ring of ebony magic appeared, but it was quickly followed by a second; each circle representing an independent spell. Both rings of ebony magic rolled off her hands simultaneously as she whispered two small words.

"Hear. Here."

The circles of black energy flew toward the head of the faceless demon. When the first struck, the giant stopped. Its head tilted slightly back, as if it stared into the heavens during some moment of divine influence. As it remained frozen in place, the second ring hit, and the giant turned its head back to the desert floor.

The pit demon followed the threads of magic back to the point from which the two spells were cast. It moved slowly forward and hovered over those standing in the desert. As it reached down, Vraya offered a warning.

"Enin, let it take you."

Holli almost interfered, but Enin's acceptance caused the elf to hold her place.

"I understand," the wizard said with a wink toward the sorceress. "Nicely done."

The pit demon carefully lifted Enin from the desert floor, and once more, stood as still as a statue.

"What is happening?" Holli demanded.

"It's alright," Vraya explained. "I expected it to do that. It still plans to guard Enin, but it's now limited in what it will do. In order for the spell to be successful, it had to be a simple alteration of both the demon's abilities and the last order it received. If I made it any more complicated, it would have failed or I would have run out of magic."

"What did you do?"

"As I said before, I wasn't sure how the demon perceived its orders, but I followed Ryson's suggestion. I gave it the momentary ability to actually hear. It was just for a brief time, but long enough to listen to the message behind the second spell. I altered the giant's interpretation of its orders in a way that would limit the demon's eagerness to guard Enin."

"Then why has the giant taken hold of Enin once more?"

"I couldn't completely change its instructions. That might have confused it, or it might have fought against the spell. I didn't want to create a conflict. Instead, I just made those instructions more defined. The pit demon will guard Enin, but only when Enin is near. Once Enin leaves, it will have no desire to follow. We can leave whenever we want, and the dathit will no longer be a problem."

"It's just going to remain here in the Lacobian, isn't it?" Ryson asked.

"It will," Vraya answered with a smile. "Once we leave, it will remain in this part of the desert, a wasteland where it can do no harm. In fact, it will continue to hold to the order of protecting Enin for as long as it remains in existence, perhaps until the end of time."

"What if Rul Saattan changes the order?" Jure asked. "Wouldn't it would be just as easy for him to send new instructions?"

"If he wishes to attack us with demons, I think we'd have substantially larger problems than a single dathit," Vraya replied. "I'm also not so certain it would be an easy task. The pit demon answers to Baannat, not Rul Saattan."

"I guess that's true." Jure admitted. The elder wizard then decided to question the delver about his idea. "How did you come up with that? I mean, I understand altering a message or sending a new one. I've done it myself, but I've always considered it from the perspective of the one who was sending the message, not the one receiving it."

"Believe it or not," Ryson revealed. "I thought of the contrarian. His influence focused on intentions, but a great deal of intention depends on a point of view. That innkeeper back in Portsans was able to figure out what we wanted based on
our
perspective, not his own. There's a big difference. That's why he was afraid of me."

"I'm not sure I follow you," Jure admitted.

"Holli gave me an order, an order to kill the innkeeper. She viewed it as a way to defeat the contrarian. Based on Holli's intentions, Ott should have been able to defeat us, but then he considered my understanding of the order. I would have never obeyed such a demand. Ott saw that I didn't want to kill anybody, and a reversal of that intention would have been disastrous."

"So you applied the same reasoning to the pit demon?"

"Basically, yes. The demon was ordered to guard Enin, but there are different ways to interpret what that means. You could view it as a way a prison guard watches over a prisoner, or you could think of it like the way a dog protects its master."

"And the idea for it to hear?"

"I just watched it while I was distracting it. It clearly has some kind of awareness, and it looked like there was something inside guiding it. I thought the easiest way to reach it would be to create a more direct path to its perception."

Holli did not wish to discount the delver's contribution, but she remained uncomfortable with their current situation.

"We can discuss this further at a more suitable location," Holli insisted. She then questioned Ryson about possible destinations. "Can we now proceed to Connel, or do you still think it would be dangerous?"

Ryson didn't answer immediately. He looked up at the pit demon and then at Enin. He didn't want to leave the wizard in the hand of the dathit much longer, but he needed to consider their next move.

He could not entirely say why, but he didn't think they would be followed again. His instincts had calmed in that regard. Though he remained uncertain regarding who or what was behind the opening of the portal which allowed the demon to reach the Lacobian, he believed they had finally subdued the dathit.

In that, he also believed they achieved their first real victory in the confusing confrontation. As he considered their most recent trials, he knew where he wanted to go. He acknowledged a level of selfishness in the decision, but he also pointed to certain advantages.

"If it's all the same to you, I think we should go to Burbon."

"You are concerned about Linda," Holli noted.

"Absolutely, but you have to admit she's part of this. Somebody or something wanted to bring her out to the desert. That's basically what allowed Neltus to get his core back. And we still have him to consider. He's got his magic back and that's a problem. We also have to think about Sy. He knew enough to keep Linda from leaving Burbon. If we're going to discuss our next move, we should do it in a place where he has the opportunity to be involved."

"The ghost captain does not speak to us," Holli reminded.

"True, and he might not even appear when we get there, but he can communicate with us if he wants... through Captain Klusac. I think we have to make sure he has the chance."

Holli nodded.

"You are right," the elf agreed. "He is the one who restored Neltus' core... at my request. He may already know what has happened, but we can not simply make that assumption. We will go to Burbon."

"Am I invited this time?" Vraya openly wondered.

"Yes, you are," Holli responded without regret for her previous decisions regarding the sorceress. "You are now a part of this, and though I still have many questions regarding your interests in Ryson, I can not in good conscience disregard your contributions."

"I guess that's better than being told I can't come," Vraya responded with a slight smile.

Holli disregarded the sorceress' minor jab, and looked to Jure for transportation out of the desert.

"Have you sufficient power to return us to Burbon?"

"I do now, but will the pit demon attempt to stop Enin from leaving? I can direct magic toward him again and let him cast his own teleportation spell if it's necessary."

"No," Vraya offered. "that won't be necessary. The guidance I gave the demon will limit how it responds. The giant will allow Enin to leave without interfering, and it will not attempt to follow."

"Then there's no reason to delay any longer," Holli advised. "Ryson is correct. We need to discuss what is to be done about Neltus."

After returning to Burbon, Ryson led his companions directly to his home. The delver found his wife awake, relieved at his return, and hoping for news when he walked through the door. He wished to explain everything to her, but Enin would not give him the chance.

The coreless wizard requested immediate information about every event which had occurred after his capture, from the confrontation with the contrarian to Ryson's meeting with Rul Saattan. Enin questioned them all quickly and gave them little time to offer detailed opinions. At times, he focused on odd descriptions and moved swiftly from one topic to another.

Linda listened intently to everything that was said. After she heard Vraya explain how she watched Ryson by following the Sword of Decree, she wanted to dislike the sorceress, wanted to throw the spell caster out of her home, but she couldn't bring herself to do either.

As she listened to Vraya, Linda sensed a great level of warmth aimed directly at the delver. She heard the sorceress describe the changes Ryson helped bring to the land, and she noted a level of appreciation for his sacrifices within Vraya's words. She thought she might feel jealous of the spell caster, question the sorceress' apparent obsession with her husband, but she didn't.

When she heard Vraya cast with an ebony circle, she recoiled from the sorceress, but only for a short time. She remembered what Ansas' black magic once did to her. Despite her immunity to magic, she felt vulnerable, but for some reason, she knew Vraya was not the enemy. She couldn't explain why, not even to herself.

If there was one thing within the discussion which concerned Linda, it was the fact that Reiculf had joined with Baannat. She feared the slink ghoul more than anything, for it was Baannat who had trapped her in nonexistence and brought great pain to her essence, tortured her spirit.

She wanted to know how much of Baannat's consciousness remained intact within Rul Saattan, but it was difficult to determine. Very little of the discussion centered on Baannat. It was hard enough for Linda to grasp some of the magical concepts, and the seemingly disorganized ramblings of the discussion did little to help her find clarity.

The conversation jumped about at Enin's discretion. He questioned those sitting in Ryson and Linda's home in no particular order. He didn't attempt to keep things in any type of sequence, and he leapt from one topic to another without any apparent reason. When a difficult question arose, he mumbled to himself and then redirected his focus to an issue which seemed irrelevant to the previous topic.

Enin was not trying to keep things in order based on the timing of events. Instead, he hoped to determine a pattern of behavior. He searched for clues regarding the degree of influences which plagued them all.

Enin spent a great deal of time questioning Ryson about his experiences with Rul Saattan in Demonsheol. He asked Jure about the contrarian and Vraya about the spells she cast. He questioned Holli about her time in Burbon; her meeting with Sy Fenden's spirit as well as Neltus' request to regain his core.

After Holli discussed her encounter with the ghost warrior, Linda finally spoke. She recalled what she had heard after Holli and Neltus departed, and she revealed what she had learned.

"Captain Klusac told me things weren't going to work out as you planned," Linda explained. "Sy's spirit couldn't give him details, but the captain knew it wouldn't be safe out in the desert."

"And yet Sy still returned Neltus' core," Enin acknowledged. "Did either Captain Klusac or Sy give you any insight into that decision?"

"No, Klusac seemed more concerned about Holli than Neltus."

"In what way?""

"Sy told him that Holli wouldn't be able to control everything."

"I doubt she believed she ever could. She has been trained as an elf guard. She knows that certain things are beyond her control. She would have never completed her training if she didn't understand that."

"But the captain said she wanted to fix everything on her own."

"I wanted to correct my errors," Holli offered without regret or annoyance.

"That's just it," Linda responded. "He made it sound as though your mistakes had nothing to do with what had happened. You wouldn't be able to fix things no matter how hard you tried. He said some things couldn't be avoided, that they were meant to be, even if they led to a tragic outcome. He said this after you left, so I couldn't warn you."

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."