Spirit Past (Book 8) (32 page)

The first voice to speak out was that of one who understood sacrifice. Trained as an elf guard, Holli had vowed to offer her life for the security of others. Though she had to relinquish her role as a protector of the elf camp, she never discarded the ideals that went with it. Honor and principle remained paramount, but she also believed that courage and sacrifice earned respect.

"He is right," Holli stated. "If it were me,  I would expect you to take advantage of every opportunity to defeat Reiculf. I would not wish to die in vain, to temporarily save some only to have the daokiln ultimately destroy all. It would be a disservice to what Scheff has done here today."

Shantree considered the thought. The elf elder realized the weight of the decision ultimately fell upon her. She had called for the removal of the animation spell, and she could sense the others deferring to her discretion.

"And is it also a disservice to use Scheff's body in such a deviant way?"

"How we use his body is not as important as honoring his spirit," Holli replied. "Allowing for failure would diminish Scheff's sacrifice, and that is a far greater disservice."
Hoping to gain the insight of another elf magic caster, Shantree looked to Haven.

"Do you agree?"

Haven found the animation of Scheff's body repulsive. She could see the light of the spirit in every living thing, but there was no spark of Scheff in the standing corpse. It was Ansas' ebony energy that brought movement to the remains, and the dead elf appeared to her like some twisted puppet.

"The body is broken from the spirit," the elf sorceress explained, "but the connections of memories still linger. Just as with the remnants of magic, you cannot simply wipe away the history of the individual from the body. Certain respect is required."

"And you believe this is disrespectful?"

"I believe it is unnatural."

"I do not think anyone would argue that point, but do you feel we are neglecting our obligations to Scheff?"

"Scheff is no longer truly with us," Haven acknowledged, "but we can
not dismiss the importance of his memory. We should not wipe what he was, or what he did for us, from our minds as we treat his body like some object, but that is how this appears. How we act now is as much a testament to our virtue as it is to his sacrifice."

"Then we should show great care in how we treat him," Shantree allowed.

She then turned to Enin.

"And you, Enin? What are your thoughts?"

"The magic that remains within Scheff's body has great potential. Not only does it create a pathway to Demonspawn, but there are ways it can be used to reach Reiculf... even isolate Macheve. In that respect, there is no deception in Ansas' claims."

"Jure?" Shantree questioned as she directed her attention to the elder wizard.

"Don't ask me. I admit it. I don't trust him."

"Your opinion is still invaluable to me."

Jure wished to remain quiet, but he could not avoid the probing gaze of the elf leader. In regards to Ansas, the overwhelming truth of the circumstances angered him beyond measure. He didn't wish to admit the obvious, but in the end, he bent to the elder's wishes and voiced the truth that almost sickened him.

"We don't have much of a choice. We can't just sit around and wait for Reiculf. He could take you at any moment. How could you lead the elves under those circumstances? You couldn't. Just as bad, what would we do with Neltus? We couldn't watch him every moment. And could we depend on him to remain careful? Perhaps for a while, but he would be reckless. Before long, we would lose him to Reiculf, and we would have lost any advantage we've gained here."

"He has a firm grasp of the situation," Ansas remarked.

Jure glared at Ansas, considered holding his tongue, but then decided to offer testimony toward the sorcerer's virtues.

"We may not have a choice, but we still can't trust you. That is a concern that has to be weighed against what we decide. However we use the magic within Scheff's body, we still have to depend on you. I'm not sure that's any better than waiting for Reiculf to make the next move. You're responsible for everything that's happened here, and I won't forget that."

"Your memories are not my concern," Ansas replied. "As for trusting me, I let my actions speak for themselves."

Shantree did not wish to waste precious time arguing over the sorcerer's reliability. She moved toward the cliff behemoth.

"And you Dzeb? What is your opinion of this?"

"The animation of the unliving is an abomination to Godson, but the significance of sacrifice is appreciated by all who follow the word. The act is always balanced against the intention, with one just as important as the other."

Finally, Ryson took hold of something he could understand. The giant's few words offered more than the comparison between actions and intentions. The delver saw beyond their current dilemma and into the reality of their circumstances.

"Just animating Scheff isn't the only issue. What are we going to do? How are we going to use him? That has to do with both our intentions and our actions. Doesn't that have to be part of the discussion?"

Realizing the importance of Ryson's question, Jure joined with the delver.

"Absolutely. We need to hear how Ansas is going to use this to our advantage."

"Isn't it obvious?" Ansas asked without masking his surprise at their apparent ignorance.

"No, it's not," Ryson responded with impatience.

"We will enter Demonspawn and remove the serp from Reiculf's protection," Ansas stated. "This will leave the daokiln without any means to reach into Uton."

The scheme may have seemed obvious to the sorcerer, but it was not without immediate detractors.

"And that may be the folly of your plan," Enin offered. "Once you enter Demonspawn, you open yourself to the full power of Reiculf's wrath. He would not have to reach through Macheve to attack. He would be able to use the full force of his magic against any who enter Demonspawn."

"Only if we fully immerse ourselves in the realm," Ansas countered. "You know that it is possible to utilize an anchor and limit the exposure to Reiculf's magic. The magic within Scheff's body would allow us to send that anchor into the edges of Demonspawn and allow any number of us to reach into Reiculf's realm much the same way he reaches into Uton."

"If you send Scheff into the daokiln's sanctuary, Reiculf will simply destroy the body and end the threat. The anchor would be lost."

"Scheff's body will not be the anchor. We will use the one who is immune to magic... the delver's wife." 

Rather than upset the people of Burbon with the sight of elves and a cliff behemoth materializing abruptly at the center of town, Enin teleported the entire party to the edge of Dark Spruce. He bid the others to wait in the forest while he and Ryson ventured forward to speak with Linda.

As they passed through the town gate, Enin remained quiet. He knew the delver needed time to collect himself. He had seen Ryson explode with passion when the sorcerer announced his intention to use Linda in an assault against Reiculf. Even after Ryson regained his composure, the wizard could sense the fear and anger in every word his friend used to argue against the idea. When the delver finally relented and agreed to speak with his wife, Enin knew the road ahead offered little comfort.

Ryson appreciated the silence as he remained lost in personal conflict. He knew they would find his wife at the Borderline Inn, but after that, he would be forging a path based on instinct alone. He wasn't sure what he would say. How could he possibly ask Linda to enter Demonspawn?

He knew what he wanted her answer to be; at least he believed he did. He didn't want her anywhere near Demonspawn... or Reiculf.  Exposing her to a place of such malice and a creature of such evil wasn't simply a matter of putting Linda at risk. There would be consequences regardless of what happened. The memories of such horrors could never be erased. When he considered the lasting effects, it created a pain within him that could only be described as spilling acid on his heart.

And yet, he could not deny the enemy they faced. Reiculf would bring torment and hopelessness, not just to Linda, but to all living creatures. No one would be safe while the daokiln could reach beyond his wicked sanctuary.

Ansas had made all of that painfully clear. If Reiculf was not stopped, all of reality would eventually become as Demonspawn. Linda would not be spared no matter which direction they took.

The sorcerer attempted to reassure the delver, told him his wife would be safer than anyone else who might venture near the daokiln's domain. With Linda's immunity to magic, Reiculf's vast energy would be useless against her, but that did little to stifle Ryson's fears.

Everything seemed so dependent on magic, and he found little solace whenever dealing with the seemingly volatile energy. Though the magic was within him, it always remained out of his reach. He did not have to cast spells to move as a delver, did not have to call on the energy to use his powerful senses. He did so naturally, and for him, the magic remained beyond his direct control.

He imagined it was much worse for Linda. If magic was a source of uncertainty for him, it was an absolute mystery to her. It could not enter her essence, and direct spells had no effect on her body. Ansas once abused that trait to purify magic, and it left Linda in emotional distress. Ryson had to live through the turmoil of that anguish, and he had no desire to see his wife suffer again.

Unfortunately, such convictions were shattered with one simple question.

Shouldn't you let Linda decide?

That was the argument Ansas used against him, and it continued to haunt him as he neared the Borderline Inn.  It was as if the sorcerer could read Ryson's deepest fears. The delver wanted to protect his wife, but he couldn't take control over her life.

Ansas had reminded Ryson of the uniqueness of Linda's gift. There was no one else in all of Uton who was so totally immune to magic. To be sure, there were others with strong resistance. Some humans were even more naturally resilient than dwarves. In all of Ansas' searches, however, he had never come across another being with such a complete immunity to the powerful energy.

That made the delver's wife more than special. It made her profoundly unique, and such distinctiveness was a sign which could not be ignored. Ansas made it quite clear that only Linda should determine how she should use her gift, especially under such dire circumstances.

It was an argument with which the delver could not fight, but as he neared the establishment where his wife worked, his fears became more prevalent.

"I don't like this," Ryson finally revealed to Enin, and then he stopped to face the wizard. "We're going in there and asking her to face something horrible. At the same time, we're asking her to help save us all."

"She has faced difficult situations in the past," Enin reminded his friend. "She has managed quite well against enormous pressures. Have some faith in her."

"I have faith in her, but I don't want to just throw this at her. It's not fair."

"I'm afraid there's very little else we can do."

"Will you at least let me go in first? I should be able to talk to her alone. She's my wife."

"I agree with you completely," Enin responded.

"How much time will you give me?"

"As much as you need."

"Thanks, I appreciate that."

Enin raised a hand to keep Ryson from moving past.

"Before you thank me, you still have to listen to one piece of advice. It's obvious you don't want her to do this, and I understand why. I also understand why we're here. You don't want to speak for her. I give you enormous credit for that. You're trapped between two noble ideas, protecting Linda and allowing her to make her own choices. I don't need to read minds to see that it's ripping you up inside."

"You're right about that," Ryson admitted. "I guess it's obvious. Ansas sure used it against me."

"Yes he did, and that's why I need to say this. Ansas wants Linda's assistance very badly, and he pressured you, far more than he should have."

"It's not like he cares about anyone else," Ryson offered. "I never expected him to be considerate."

"That's only part of it. It became apparent to me that he was using your weaknesses against you."

"You felt that way back in Connel?"

"Yes, I did."
Ryson became somewhat annoyed by the admission.

"You could have said something," the delver nearly growled. "You could have helped defend me."

"No, I couldn't. If I did, you would have taken hold of my aid and used it as an excuse. I would have, in essence, made the decision for you."

"Supporting me is not the same as making my decisions."

"That is exactly my point. It may not seem so, but I
was
supporting you by remaining silent. You have to consider the circumstances. You already mistrust Ansas and you question his tactics—not as vocally as Jure, but your dislike for the sorcerer is obvious. You already had enough reasons to discard Ansas' plan without even considering Linda. If I intervened in any way, we would not be here."

"Maybe we shouldn't."

"Do you really believe that? I don't think you do. Do you really want to go back and tell Ansas to find another way to enter Demonspawn without saying one word to your wife? And would you keep that decision from her forever or would you admit what you did?"

It was a question with no acceptable answer, and it was why Ryson was ready to enter the tavern as opposed to telling the sorcerer to go to Demonspawn on his own.

"Alright, I understand why you didn't say anything, but why are you telling me this now?"

"Because I don't want you to act the same way as Ansas. Once you step through that door and see her, very little else is going to matter to you. You're not going to want her to go, and you'll do everything short of making the decision for her to convince her she should stay out of this. You're going to act like Ansas, and you can't do that. You have to let the decision be hers and hers alone."

Ryson's irritation turned to outright anger.

"That's not right, and it's exactly what I'm afraid of! I just told you I didn't want to put her on the spot, making this all fall on her shoulders. I'm not going to tell her she has to save everyone from Reiculf."

"That's not what I said," Enin protested as gently as possible.

"Maybe not in words, but that's what it all comes down to."

"No, it's not. We all had our say. Each of us could have changed the direction in which we are now headed. Just because Linda is the last to speak doesn't mean she's responsible for what happens. If anything, I'm responsible. I've allowed Ansas to lead us from the start. I could have sent him back to Baannat at any time."

"Alright, so we've all had our say, but you have to admit the final word is hers, at least that's what we're doing to her."

"Not at all. If Linda agrees, we move forward, and we all have to do our part. If she declines, we will have to discover another way to defeat Reiculf."

"Then why can't I give her my opinion?"

"You can, but there is a difference between giving an opinion and using undue influence. I see nothing wrong with offering her guidance, but you can't assume you know better than she does or that you know what's best for her. That's the trap you must avoid. If you try to influence her to do what
you
want, you will be no better than a serp... no better than Ansas. You won't be able to live with yourself if you allow that to happen."

Ryson felt as if he was swimming in a lake of confusion.

"I can advise her, but I can't influence her?" Ryson asked, trying to make sense out of the wizard's words. "How can I draw that line?"

"Trust your instincts. You'll know."

"I'm not sure you made this any easier for me."

"It wasn't going to be easy no matter what I said. I just wanted you to be prepared."

Ryson grunted as he turned away from Enin and reached out for the tavern door. His world just became substantially more complicated, and he wasn't sure how that was possible. He had nothing more to say to the wizard. It was time to turn his attention toward his wife.

When he stepped inside and saw Linda, Enin's words instantly made sense. Realizing the significance of what he was about to do, Ryson felt a jolt of fear. He had experienced moments of concern over facing his wife before—when he had to inform her he was leaving on some long scout—but their normal roles had suddenly been reversed. He may not have appreciated Enin's warning, but he finally understood it. Just looking at her, he knew he didn't want her to agree to anything, that he wanted her to reject the idea as ludicrous.

He also realized that the fear was his own, not hers. Sending her to Demonspawn would be too much for
him
to handle, and he was trying to protect himself as much as he wanted to protect her. If Enin had said nothing to him, he would have never given her a chance to decide. He would have explained it all as the ravings of a mad sorcerer, a plan that had no chance to succeed and would only serve to trap them all in a place too horrible to describe.

It was going to be monumentally difficult, but he would have to keep his emotions in check.

Linda noticed Ryson, realized something was wrong, and moved quickly to meet him. When he explained he needed to speak with her, she nervously guided them to a private room. She listened carefully as her husband explained not only what had happened but what they intended to do as well.

"Demonspawn? Is it like the dark realm?" she finally asked.

"It's worse. Enin described it as a layer within the dark realm. Goblins, shags, river rogues; they all infest the dark lands, but they can't get into Demonspawn. I don't think they'd want to. Demons exist there, breed there, and they're much worse than anything from the dark realm."

"I didn't think anything could be worse than what we saw in the dark lands... except for maybe Baannat's realm. That was worse. Is it like that?"

Ryson spoke with an even tone. He was being honest, and he had yet to give an opinion regarding the plan. If all he had to do was answer Linda's questions in such regard, he could avoid influencing her in the direction he hoped she would take.

"I'm not sure, but I don't think so. Baannat is caught in emptiness. From what I've been told, this isn't empty."

"Won't the demons attack me?" Linda questioned, realizing what would be waiting for her.

"Probably... almost definitely. That's why you won't be going alone. I honestly don't know how much danger you would be in. Everyone else will be fighting to keep you safe."

"You'll be there?"

Ryson dreaded the question. He knew it would move the balance of the scales, but he couldn't avoid it.

"Yes, I wouldn't let you go alone," he finally admitted. "There will be others as well. Ansas says protecting you would be the primary goal... that and freeing the serp from Reiculf's control."

Linda hesitated as she considered everything she was told. When she spoke again, she asked another question Ryson hoped he would not hear.

"What do you think I should do?"

He had walked a thin line. He offered details but revealed no bias. He had remained out of the difficult currents where he might make a turn to influence his wife, but she was pulling him into rougher waters.

"Please don't ask me that," he blurted out.

"Don't ask you? How can I not ask you?"

"Because I don't
want
you to go," Ryson revealed without a thought to how it might affect Linda's decision.