by Jeff Inlo
"Just a trick," the delver allowed, with a slight chuckle.
Then, the swallit grunted.
"Be careful not to dismiss such magic as simple deception. Illusions can be the greatest of powers because they can hide the truth, all truth. Yes, it can deceive you into believing lies, make you imagine peril when no such threat exists, but it also can disguise danger. It can make hazardous ground appear safe, camouflage pitfalls and traps. Think about that the next time you pursue a spell caster who utilizes illusion."
"I will," Ryson conceded.
"As for my second point, if you are determined to seek out what I hope to avoid, do not be surprised if you find nothing on this night. Yes, you are a delver, but the threat is not a danger to you or your kind. Even with your great delver senses, I doubt you will locate the menace I know exists. It does not seek you, even if you seek it. That's all I will say."
The swallit's words did little to diminish the delver's curiosity.
"Good luck to you, Ryson Acumen. If our path's cross again, I do not believe it will be as foes. You have my respect, as I hope I have earned some of yours."
The creature said nothing more. It dropped back down to all fours and bounded off to the east.
Ryson was left with a deeper mystery. The peril that made a swallit flee would elude him, or so the swallit said. These were not words that a delver could simply accept. Even though he did not doubt the swallit, he would not give up so easily.
With the monster on its way, Ryson turned to the opposite direction. He traced the beast's path further back into the forest. He followed it carefully. He kept vigilant for any sign of danger, hoping to gain some new insight to the mystery and the questions in his mind, but he found nothing within the trees.
The swallit's path led further out toward the badlands that separated Dark Spruce from the Lacobian, but Ryson stopped before leaving the forest. It was not for lack of desire, for he very much wanted to solve the mystery. He stood for long moments watching and listening—feeling the winds from the west. He had thought it odd when he earlier sensed a strange desire to flee. He felt it again—along with an emptiness—as if many creatures had already acted on that desire.
Had it been just up to him, he would have ventured onward, would have followed the sensation to its origin, but he was no longer just a delver on a hunt for answers. His obligation as a scout for Burbon outweighed his delver curiosity and he felt it necessary to turn back. In the end, he could do nothing more than return to Burbon and alert the guard to what he had seen and heard.
Chapter 2
The magic could not touch Linda, and so, she felt neither aversion nor attraction to the energy. She did, however, have a sense of people. She had it all her life, a natural ability to assess character and perceive intentions. Working in a tavern nourished that gift. She dealt with people from all walks of life and her openness with others often invited them to be more open with her. As she came to discover her initial impression of people usually proved accurate, Linda learned to trust her instincts and her judgment, and although the magic was completely foreign to her, she knew it ran strong in the woman before her.
The young woman was a stranger to the inn, to the entire town of Burbon for that matter. She said she wanted to see Linda, but that wasn't her ultimate goal. Linda could tell that almost immediately. The stranger was happy Linda agreed to speak with her, but it was clear it was only a first step. It was very much like a thirsty soldier waiting at a table. He was pleased when the barmaid approached, but it was whiskey or ale he truly desired.
Linda wanted privacy for this conversation, though she didn't know why—another instinct—but she also didn't want to risk being alone with the stranger. She summoned the woman to the far corner where they could be seen, but not so easily heard over the clamor of the crowd.
"I don't know you," Linda stated as more of a warning than an admission. She wanted the young woman to understand immediately that her trust was not given so freely to strangers, especially to this stranger.
"No, you don't," the woman replied, as if it didn't matter. "I am Heteera."
Linda immediately corrected her.
"That's your assumed name. You're a sorceress."
"I do not hide it."
"You might want to around here."
"Here? In the town of the wizard? The home of Enin?"
"We know Enin. We don't know you."
And that was true. Burbon was not a large city. It was a small town, a town that sat very near Dark Spruce Forest, and it thrived on order and control. That's one of the reasons why the people of Burbon survived the return of magic while towns like Pinesway decayed into the mere skeletal remains of abandoned homes and ransacked shops.
"My given name at birth is Heather," the woman admitted, "but I wish to protect the friends and family of my previous life. They shouldn't suffer for my choices, so I would prefer it if you call me Heteera."
"Maybe you shouldn't put them in danger in the first place."
It came out as more of a rebuke than Linda intended, but she did not withdraw the remark.
"It is not my intention," Heteera replied with a solemn tone that indicated she might not have been totally successful in that desire. Regardless, she would not relinquish her aim. "In fact, I've hoped to do the opposite."
Linda didn't sense any true malevolence within the sorceress, but the stranger carried more than danger with her, she carried a sense of concern that clearly weighed upon her request.
"Very well, Heteera, I don't think you're here for a drink or a room for the night. What is it you want from me?"
"You are married to Ryson Acumen. I was hoping you could arrange it so that I might speak to him."
It was not a secret that Linda was the wife of the delver. Others had asked about being married to an individual whose name was becoming part of the legends. Over time, she learned to deal with it.
Still, Linda recoiled at this particular request. The sorceress was not here to offer good news, that much was clear. That fact left Linda more than cautious, it made her unsympathetic.
"It seems many people want to talk to Ryson, but he's rather busy. If you have some kind of concern, you should go talk to the guard. I can direct you to the closest post, or I can even summon them. I can have a handful of soldiers here in a moment."
"Guards and soldiers are of no use to me."
"That may be, but they may have some questions for you. A sorceress comes to town and starts asking to see Ryson. They're going to want to know why."
It was not such a veiled threat. Linda was growing more suspicious, and Heteera noted the animosity.
"Are you always so hostile to strangers?"
"No, but you asked about Ryson, and I know you're a sorceress. That has me concerned. I won't deny it and I won't apologize for it."
"I understand," Heteera nodded. "And I also know you don't fear me. The magic can't touch you, and even if it did, you are under the protection of two legends—your husband and the wizard. It would be foolish to try and harm you in any way."
"I'm not worried about myself, I'm worried about why you want to see Ryson."
Heteera paused, as if to internally debate her next response. When she finally replied, her words suddenly seemed painted with a desire for mercy.
"I need to speak with the wizard Enin. It is... important."
"Then go see him. He spends more of his time in Connel for their rebuilding than he does here."
The sorceress let out a heavy breath, as if to acknowledge a truth she already accepted before even entering the tavern. She revealed that truth without apparent embarrassment.
"I'm afraid."
That's not a statement most people will make, and Linda was impressed by the honesty behind it.
"Afraid of what?"
"Afraid of what he will sense, or of what the elf guard will sense."
"You know about Holli?" Linda asked. The sorceress seemed to know quite a bit, and that was also surprising co
nsidering she was a stranger to Burbon.
"She is the wizard's protector and he has trained her. It shouldn't be that much of a surprise for you. Anyone who touches the magic can in someway sense the wizard."
"Well, I can't touch the magic, and I still don't know what this all has to do with Ryson."
"The delver and the wizard are beyond friends. There is a trust between them. If Ryson Acumen will listen to me, he will understand and can relay my message to the wizard."
"Ryson isn't a messenger. Go speak to the wizard yourself."
"Believe me, I would if I could, but..."
Linda sighed with growing frustration. "But you're worried what he might sense about you, or that Holli might prevent you from seeing him. I know you said that, but it doesn't make sense. Enin speaks to spell casters all the time. Why should he avoid you?"
Here, the sorceress was not as quick to make an admission. She paused, as if calculating how to speak of her concern.
"I have made a misstep... a miscalculation."
Linda was not as impressed by this statement. The stranger's hesitation seemed almost to mute the confession.
"You're not helping your cause with me."
"I realize that, but to reach Enin, I first must convince the delver, and to convince the delver, I first have to reach you."
"Why?"
"Because you are immune to the magic. If you understand, then Ryson will know that my cause is true, that I am not manipulating the truth."
"So you want me to trust you?"
"In essence, yes."
"Well, you have a problem there."
"I know."
Linda was baffled and she made it clear. "Look, all I know is that you asked to see me and now you want to speak with my husband. You obviously know more about me than I do about you. What is it you really want from me?"
"Take me to your husband and listen to what I have to say to him."
It was a simple request, but not one without potential risks. Linda was not ready to simply guide a puzzling sorceress to her husband—to the delver who had proven to be a bane to many dark creatures that infested the land. Still, it seemed such a small request in light of the woman's mysterious nature.
"That's it?"
"That's it for now."
And so, alarm bells rang within Linda's core. Just like this meeting, it was all just a first step. The sorceress wanted something from Ryson, wanted something from Enin, and whatever the request ultimately became, it was not going to be simple.
"So there's going to be more?"
"I told you, it is not Ryson Acumen I ultimately seek. I need to get Enin to understand what I've done, so I will need your husband's assistance in that, yours as well."
"And how do I know you don't mean to harm Ryson?"
Heteera looked Linda dead in the eye.
"I cast white magic. Most people who know Enin understand what that means. I have equal power over the entire spectrum of magic. And I do have power, but I don't have the control of the wizard. I cannot cast in one circle, let alone two. Still, I have ability enough to cause damage to this town while Enin is away... if that were my goal. But it isn't. As I've already said, I don't want to harm anyone."
At that moment, Linda saw something in Heteera, something she sees often when people come into a tavern for all the wrong reasons. She saw guilt.
"You're afraid you've already done harm, aren't you?"
"I'm afraid of what it might turn into, yes."
"Can Enin stop it?"
"I believe so, if he listens."
Linda bit down slightly on her bottom lip and made her decision.
"Ryson is out on patrol. He'll meet me here at closing to walk me home. The best thing for us to do is wait for him to come to us."
"Thank you," the sorceress replied, grateful for the opportunity, but her appreciation was muted by the fact that her mission was just beginning.
Chapter 3
Ryson met Heteera and Linda in a back storage room. He looked over the sorceress and then turned his attention to his wife.
"Are you alright?'
"I'm a little worried about what's going on here, but beyond that, I'm fine."
The delver could not deny his curiosity. He turned back upon the stranger.
"And you are?"
"Heteera," she replied.
"You're a stranger here," Ryson stated.
"Yes, and we've never met."
"And you're a sorceress."
"You are as perceptive as your wife."
Linda decided to add information she felt was quite important.
"She says she casts white magic. I don't think she's lying."
Ryson gave the sorceress another look.
"That would be a stupid lie, especially around here."
Heteera agreed without hesitation. "Yes, it would be, but I can cast in white magic. My control is somewhat limited, but my access to all energies is quite exceptional."
"So you're a powerful sorceress, and you're here to talk to me. What is it you want?"
"I have already told your wife this, I need to warn the wizard Enin."
"He's in..."
"Connel, I know. I can't approach him."
"Why not?"
"He will sense a presence upon me. Actually, I believe even the elf guard will sense it and she might kill me before I say a word."
Making his suspicions clear, Ryson considered the statement more revealing of Heteera's character than Holli's. Ryson held nothing but respect for the elf guard. He knew that Holli would not endanger anyone without reason.
"Holli wouldn't kill you unless you were a threat. Are you a threat?"
"No, but I'm afraid I've created one, one that has to be dealt with before it's too late."
"What kind of threat?"
"One that uses the magic for malevolence."
"That's not being very specific."
"That's because it isn't a specific threat, not yet anyway."
Ryson had obtained nothing from the woman, no information that could assist him in any way. It was much like his encounter with the swallit. Yes, he was curious, but he was also growing frustrated.
"Why don't you start with what you can tell me?"
Heteera almost blurted out her fears, but she took hold of them—wrapped them up and swallowed them, as if a bitter herb.
"I'd rather show you than try to explain it."
Ryson and Linda shared a glance, revealing their surprise. Surely, the sorceress couldn't expect Ryson to simply let a stranger lead him off into the unknown without some kind of explanation. The request defied reason.
"So you just want me to follow you?"
"I believe it's the only way."
"I'm not sure I accept that."
Linda added her own clear viewpoint of the matter.
"I know I can't accept that." She then turned to her husband. "You can't just go off with her without more of an explanation. She thinks Holli might kill her on sight. She admitted that herself."
"She's right," Ryson nodded to Heteera. "If you want my help, you have to tell me what's going on. You have to give me something."
At this point, the sorceress appeared prepared for such a response, even from a curious delver. She spoke with a newfound confidence, as if she could make her reluctance understandable.
"Believe me, I would if I could, but my request is not so simple. I do not wish to lie to you because if I do, I can't obtain your help. I can't risk that. And while I have to remain honest with you, at the same time I have to remain credible."
"You're saying I'm not going to believe you?"
"That's part of it."
Ryson found the explanation feeble, if not totally inaccurate. Bizarre creatures and events were common throughout Uton. He accepted them just as he accepted the legitimacy of the legends. No one could accuse him of being so shortsighted as to disregard possible threats, no matter how fantastic.
"I've seen some things..."
Heteera c
ut him off.
"I can imagine what you have seen, and I understand the power of the magical energies. Events beyond sanity have already taken place in this land, and you have been much in the center of it. I imagine there is very little that would truly surprise you, but even the curiosity of the most open-minded delver has limits." She looked upon both Ryson and Linda and could see they remained skeptical. "Let me ask you this: If I told you a colossal giant with three heads—taller than a dozen houses stacked one upon the other—stepped out of the western seas and took prisoners of port cities, would you believe me?"
Ryson didn't answer.
"You've seen incredible things since the return of the magic," Heteera continued, "but that sounds a bit much, doesn't it?"
"A monster like that wouldn't be able to hide. Stories of it would fly across the land. I haven't heard anything about..."
"What if I was simply the first to make it through from the coast, the first to tell the story? Maybe news of the encounter just hasn't reached you."
"But it would eventually."
"And you wouldn't have to take my word for it, correct?"
"Well, it doesn't hurt to confirm things."
"And if I wait for you to get some confirmation of the danger I'm talking about, it will be too late."
"Are you saying that there is such a monster?"
"No, I'm not. I'm using it as an example. I'm trying to explain that some things are difficult to explain. Sometimes just words of a problem aren't enough, especially in this case. There are certain topics, certain descriptions, that would, by their very nature, invite reservation. And that is only half of my dilemma. Part of the threat that is coming has not taken any form. I'd like to be specific about the danger, but at this point, I can't be sure. That's the other part of my problem in explaining it to you. Without form, I cannot give you an honest appraisal of the threat."
Ryson acknowledged there was some merit to the sorceress' concern. If she, in fact, did not want to lie or embellish her concerns about an unknown threat just to get the delver's compliance, then perhaps it would be difficult for her to be more accommodating. He searched for other answers that might be easier to obtain.
