by Jeff Inlo
"Who else is here?" Scheff asked.
"Shantree, Enin, Holli Brances, Jure, Neltus, Ansas, and me," Haven revealed. In describing what Scheff should have been able to see for himself, her guilt expanded. "I am sorry for what I did."
Scheff could hear the pain in her voice. Pain was something he felt in great detail since Reiculf's influence had entered his soul. He was finally free of that, and perhaps his sight was a small price to pay for such freedom. He did not wish to transfer his pain to the elf sorceress, did not wish her to swim in blame he was unable to accept himself.
"You did what you had to. I am grateful." Scheff then considered the things he saw while under Reiculf's control, and he also admitted another truth. "There are things I wish I never had to see, things I never wish to see again. Now I do not have to."
A momentary silence hung over the group until the leader of the elf camp posed her own question to the sorcerer.
"Is the danger passed?" Shantree demanded.
Ansas looked at the elf as if she had just removed her own head and rolled it across the ground.
"Of course not," the sorcerer mocked. "Do you think Reiculf will just give up because of this? He will make every attempt to take you and regain control of Scheff. It's just a matter of time."
"I mean now... at this moment!" the elf elder responded with growing anger. "Is the camp still in danger?"
"For now, you are all relatively safe. There is still a draevol lurking about in the woods, but it is no real threat. As far as Reiculf is concerned, the demon lord will be forced to reconsider his plans. He is down to only two servants. Only Gnafil and Macheve are left to bring his magic out of Demonspawn, and they have squandered their opportunities in Burbon and Connel."
"How can you be so sure they failed in Burbon... or even in Connel?" Jure questioned.
"Because all of Reiculf's objectives are right here. He was after Enin, Shantree, and Neltus. They stand before you now. That's how I can be sure."
Shantree turned the focus back to the elves who remained prone upon the ground all about the camp. Many were struck by the plague, but even more had been made to appear that way by Ansas' magic.
"If the danger to the camp is over—even if it is just for now—I want you to remove your spell. Revive the elves of my camp. There is no reason to keep them helpless as if they had succumbed to the plague."
"Actually, I prefer the quiet."
"I do not!" Shantree seethed. "And when you are done with that, I want every elf cured of the disease that spread through my camp."
"It was not my spell that brought the plague upon you. What would you have me do?"
"Help them!"
"Fine. As I said, the draevol is still in the forest. Holli has the power to sense dark creatures. Send her to the northwest to locate it, and then have Enin and Jure deal with the plague mage. It must know it has been abandoned, and it will not be able to deal with two wizards casting white magic. Surely it will make a compromise. Offer to send it to the dark realm in exchange for lifting the plague."
"And your spell?" the elf elder asked impatiently. "Are you going to remove it?"
"Very well."
Ansas lifted his arms and allowed a circle of black power to roll around his body. He took a few steps about the camp, and the ebony ring retrieved the magic that placed so many of the elves into a suspended state. As they rose from the ground, Ansas looked to the camp leader.
"Satisfied?"
Shantree did not answer. She placed her attention upon helping those elves struggling to stand.
"What of Burbon?" Holli asked before seeking out the draevol.
"What of it?" Ansas responded, clearly not concerned with the small town.
"Neltus revealed the town was about to be attacked by an animated thrastil. Should we not send them help?"
"As I said to you before, Burbon does not require our aid, but if you wish proof, we can go there... after you find the draevol, of course."
Chapter 18
After briefly speaking with Captain Klusac about Sy's appearance, Ryson spotted Dzeb standing atop a nearby hill. He ran effortlessly up the slope, hoping that Dzeb fared as well as the town. The behemoth did not appear to be hurt, but Ryson wanted to ensure the giant suffered no lingering injuries.
"Are you alright?" the delver asked.
"By the grace of Godson, I am well," the cliff behemoth replied.
"I would have checked on you sooner, but..."
"I understand," Dzeb answered with a comforting smile and nod. "Confrontation between an undead thrastil and a guardian spirit cannot simply be ignored... especially for a delver."
Reassured that the behemoth had not been harmed, Ryson's thoughts returned to the incident at Burbon's wall. His emotions remained a jumbled mess. He could not deny the near complete elation in knowing that Sy Fenden had not passed from Uton completely, but confusion over his friend's return and what it meant to his concept of reality continued to trouble him.
"Did you see what happened?" the delver asked.
"I did. Yet more grace. It appears your town is blessed by Godson."
Blessed?
Ryson found the assertion questionable. Putting aside his own bewilderment, he focused on the contradiction of the giant's words. Burbon had just been attacked; first by a legion of undead monsters and then by an animated thrastil. Yes, it seemed as if the spirit of Sy Fenden returned to save the town—that in itself might be considered a blessing, even a miracle—but calling the town blessed seemed inappropriate at best, and at worst, painfully ignorant. It was as if Dzeb only looked at the end of the equation and wished to ignore the factors that led up to Sy's appearance.
Even if the giant only considered the ultimate results, Dzeb's conclusion remained inappropriate in the delver's opinion. Ryson did not see the hand of some benevolent force. He saw the return of a man who swore to protect his town, and with that reflection, Ryson could not accept what the cliff behemoth professed.
"That wasn't Godson. That was Sy... his spirit."
Dzeb would not be so easily swayed that Sy alone saved Burbon.
"And you think Godson played no part in that?"
Ryson shrugged, turned, and considered ending the discussion without further debate. He had enough to consider in Sy's return. Debating the role of Godson wasn't going to offer the answers he sought, and he did not wish to argue with the giant.
On previous occasions, he engaged in several conversations with the cliff behemoth about faith and the word of Godson. All of them seemed hinged solely upon Dzeb's beliefs, which were just beyond Ryson's grasp. He saw no benefit in having another such discussion, so he almost gave up. He took one step back down the hill, but then stopped.
As he looked down upon the town and the soldiers who were already working on removing the corpses piled outside Burbon's wall, he thought again of how they were attacked. One simple word came to his lips.
"No."
Questioning the behemoth's beliefs wouldn't answer his questions about Sy, but Ryson couldn't just turn away from another question. He was avoiding too many, and it was time to start being a delver again, time to start searching for answers.
"No, I don't think Godson played any part in this," Ryson claimed, as he turned his attention back to the giant. "At least, I don't see it. I don't know how or why Sy came back, but I don't see the work of some benevolent force, some divine power."
Ryson did not wish to be defiant, but he could no longer walk away from seemingly deficient explanations. Inconsistencies battered his understanding of reality, and he was tired of the growing confusion.
"You want to believe this was the work of Godson?" Ryson continued. "Okay, what about the dead corpses that were pounding on our wall?"
"That was an affront to Godson."
"So you said before, but I want to know the difference."
"I do not understand," Dzeb answered with complete honesty.
"Tell me the difference between Sy coming back from the
dead and all those creature's rising up from their graves."
"Those bodies were soulless. They were without life. Misdirected ambitions and the will of evil animated those corpses, not Godson."
"What about the power that could make those corpses walk? What kind of power was that?"
"As I said, it was misdirected energy."
"But energy from where?"
"From some pawn of Reiculf."
"Exactly, and that's my point."
"And I still do not understand," Dzeb answered. The giant wished to help the delver, but he could not follow Ryson's path of reasoning.
Ryson saw the anguish growing in the face of the cliff behemoth. He didn't want to challenge the giant, but far too many mysteries plagued him, far too many questions erupted in his mind. He ached for answers. He pressed forward, not with the hope of destroying Dzeb's beliefs, but with a longing to understand how they could fit with what he witnessed... all of it.
"I can't leave it at that," Ryson explained, "not this time. Sy Fenden's spirit just returned to Burbon. He saved us all, saved the town. I can't just thank Godson and walk away. I need to know what happened. I need to know why all of this is happening."
"And how can I help you in this regard?"
"It sounds like you think you understand it. I'm not saying you're wrong, but I want you to explain it."
"I know the curiosity that stirs you," Dzeb stated, suddenly gaining insight into what the delver desired. "Questions burn within you, but not all of your questions can be answered."
"Maybe they can't, but I can still ask. I'm thrilled Sy came back, but he couldn't talk, wouldn't answer my questions. You can."
"I am not sure I can offer any additional clarity on the return of Sy Fenden," Dzeb offered. "I never claimed to understand all the mysteries of Godson."
"I don't want to hear about the mysteries. I want to hear about those things you can explain. In a way, you're acting like my sword, and right now, I need something more. I admit we've had these talks before, but you've only given me little hints here and there. I can't always follow you. Like I said, it's a lot like my sword. It only gives me direction when it wants to. There's no explanation, no clear line to the truth. It's not enough. I want more... I want to understand it."
"Godson fulfils the need not the want."
"I'm not talking about Godson. I'm talking about you. Are you trying to avoid the answers?"
"I do not avoid the truth."
"Then I'm asking you to try to explain it. Maybe you won't succeed, but will you at least try?"
Dzeb nodded.
"Okay," Ryson continued, "I think Sy saved us. I'm not sure how or why, or even what it means for the future, but everything points to Sy's spirit returning to save Burbon. I'm wondering if the magic has something to do with this, but you said it was the work of Godson. I assume that means you think Godson sent Sy's spirit to help us. Is that true?"
"The soul is the ultimate gift and Godson gives freedom to the soul, but to answer your question... yes, I believe Godson sent Sy's spirit to help us."
And with those words spoken, Ryson finally began to see the contradictions that troubled his own spirit. Just as with Sy's spiritual return, the delver could not help but see inconsistencies in Dzeb's explanation.
"Then why was it even necessary? If Godson is all powerful, then why did we need to be saved? Why were we even attacked... and not only attacked, but attacked by such a force? I'm talking about the dead rising. That's not some insignificant event. What kind of creature would raise the dead to attack an innocent town?"
"A creature such as Reiculf."
"And how is it Reiculf came to such power? Why is he allowed to do such things?"
"You are asking why there is evil in this land," Dzeb offered.
"Absolutely. You said Burbon is blessed. I don't see it that way. If anything, I'm wondering if it's cursed. I see a town that has had to fight countless battles."
"And Burbon continues to survive."
"We can get to that later. Let's stick with my question. Why have we had to face so much? And I'm not talking about facing challenges. Life is a challenge, it isn't fair. I get that, but like you said, I'm asking about the existence of evil. It's like when you first showed up to warn us that Reiculf was free. Linda had the right question. She wanted to know why Godson would even allow a creature like a daokiln to exist. Now I want to know the same thing."
Ryson realized such a question was large in scope and perhaps too difficult to answer. Unfortunately, he knew it was the question that plagued him, and he couldn't allow Dzeb to ignore it while holding to some belief which Ryson couldn't quite grasp.
To the delver's surprise, Dzeb answered honestly and without hesitation, though the response only led to more questions.
"Reiculf is the embodiment of evil. I do not deny that. He exists because evil exists."
"Then why did Godson create evil?"
"Godson didn't create evil, we did."
"We created evil?"
"Is that so difficult to believe?" Dzeb asked. "We corrupt many things of our own accord."
"You're basically saying that we created Reiculf?"
"Now you understand."
"I don't understand any of it," Ryson revealed, controlling his frustration, but making his confusion clear.
Dzeb, however, saw it differently.
"I believe you understand far more than you will admit. Acceptance, however, has always been what separates us from grace. We separate ourselves from Him because we choose not to accept Him. The distance grows further and further and ultimately we need a place to go. What could be further from Godson than a place of pure hate? It is the constant conflict of right versus wrong, good versus evil."
"But if we were blessed, like you said, wouldn't Godson direct us away from evil?"
"Do you want Godson to direct everything, guide all your choices, take away your will?"
"No, but a little help wouldn't hurt."
"So you want help some of the time, but not all of the time. Is that it? How does one develop faith if we demand Godson save us from ourselves? Godson gave us the power to direct our own lives. He also gave us the ability to shape our own existence. Within that existence, we decide where to place our beliefs. He doesn't expect you to be perfect, not at all, but Godson does expect you to have faith."
"That may be just as impossible," Ryson admitted.
Dzeb actually laughed.
"You always know how to make me smile, Ryson Acumen," the behemoth revealed. "You place so many restrictions on yourself. You make it sound as if you could never believe in anything at all, and yet your beliefs have allowed you to do remarkable things. After all you've experienced, you still want life to be simple. If it were, Godson wouldn't expect you to have any faith at all."
Before Ryson could question the giant further, several individuals appeared at the edge of the clearing around the wall. He recognized them all, including Neltus, whom he wanted to pummel for abandoning Burbon. Ryson would control his anger, but not his curiosity.
"We're not done with this," Ryson stated firmly.
"We are never done discussing Godson," Dzeb replied with a broad smile.
"But we can't continue it now," the delver explained. "We need to find out what's happening."
Both Ryson and Dzeb descended the hill and met with the group that appeared out of thin air. The delver directed his question to Enin.
"What's happening?"
"A great many things," Enin advised, "but mostly, we were worried about you."
They exchanged stories, which led to questions on both sides. Once all the answers were given, Ryson surprisingly turned to Ansas.
"I owe you an apology. You were right. You've weakened Reiculf and managed to keep everyone else safe."
"I care little for your apologies," Ansas replied coldly, "but I expect you all will listen to me with less reluctance in the future."
"Still charming, I see."
"I'm
not here to charm you."
While Ryson might have been willing to acknowledge Ansas' accomplishments, Jure was ready to point out his failings.
"Just because some of your plan worked doesn't mean I'm ready to simply follow your instructions... whether you're charming or not."
"Some?" Ansas asked. "Exactly which part of my plan failed?"
"Scheff is blind, or did you forget that little detail?"
"I have forgotten nothing. It was my intention to blind him."
"That's nothing to be proud of."
"You are being naive... and foolish. It was a major triumph. Reiculf has lost a slave."
"And anyway that's accomplished is fine with you?" Jure challenged.
"Was there another way? I'd love to hear it."
"How about if you hadn't placed your magical core in Scheff in the first place?"
"Are we back to that?" the sorcerer scoffed. "Your pigheadedness tires me."
"That's too bad, because every time you want to take credit for something, I'm going to remind you that you're the reason we're here."
"Then perhaps I should leave and let you figure out what to do next," Ansas threatened.
Ryson didn't wish to enter the argument, but he felt as if the next step was obvious.
"Shouldn't we all just stay here?" the delver revealed.
Klusac, who had walked over to greet the newcomers, did not hesitate in following up on the offer.
"You are all welcome to stay as long as necessary. If Burbon and its guard can offer you protection, we'd be happy to help."
Ryson could see that the captain was sincere in his offer, and he recalled what Klusac had told him about his encounter with Sy's spirit. As long as the town guard remained strong, Burbon would never fall. By offering sanctuary to those who needed it, Klusac was simply reaffirming his vow to keep the guard both vigilant and principled.
"I think we can all be safe here," Ryson explained to the others. "I don't think Sy's going to let even Reiculf take Burbon."
"An interesting proposal," Ansas acknowledged, "but out of the question."
"You think Reiculf could reach us here?"
"No. In that regard, you are probably right. We could stay here indefinitely and Reiculf might never find a way to get past the guardian spirit, but will Enin allow Connel to be destroyed while all of you simply sit here in relative safety?"
