by Jeff Inlo
"Who knows," Sy continued, offering some hope to a hopeless situation. "Maybe Enin will realize we're in trouble and show up at the last second."
"Would be nice," the solider agreed.
Sy agreed. "Yup, it would."
He then turned back to the town. He looked over the emptying streets and believed this would be the last time he saw it whole. Even if he survived the attack, there would be nothing left.
He watched the last few soldiers reluctantly entering their shelters. He knew what they were thinking. They wanted to fight. He did, too, but you don't always get what you want. Some days you fight, other days you retreat. It was part of being a soldier.
Believing it was time to retreat, he called back to the tower guard.
"Well, we can't wait for Enin. No sense staying up here and letting them eat us. Let's..."
"Sir, they turned."
Sy instantly twirled about and refocused his attention on the closest caelifera. He stepped up to the tower rail and watched the shifting movement with great interest. There was no doubt about it. The swarm made a definite turn. They were no longer headed east. They were flying north and with apparently greater speed. It was as if Burbon was no longer important to them, but something else mattered quite a deal more.
A reprieve?
It seemed so, but Sy wasn't about to relax.
"Don't signal all clear to the public yet," Sy instructed, "but recall all the guard topside and have them take stations at the gates."
The guard made the appropriate signal and the streets became active with soldiers headed toward the wall. With his signal complete, the tower guard watched with relief as the swarm continued to fly to the north. The distance between the town and the caelifera grew.
"You think we got lucky?" the guard asked.
Sy thought of what might have captured the caelifera's attention, encouraged them to change directions. He considered what he knew was due north of their position. The Colad Mountains came immediately to mind.
He then thought of Linda, one of Baannat's target. She was hiding in the mountains to the north. Was it truly their luck or just her misfortune?
Chapter 26
"I probed the magic," Holli admitted to Jure. She had called him to the abandoned home at the center of Pinesway, and they spoke in private. "I meant no intrusion. At first, I thought Enin was dead. I wanted to know who else might have sensed the loss. That is how I knew you were also aware."
"I understand, but I never believed he was dead," Jure admitted.
"Never?"
Jure shook his head. "Ever since I talked to Enin about Baannat's possible whereabouts, I've been contemplating the situation. I've been trying to focus on the ghoul's location, I can't pinpoint it exactly, but that's understandable because it doesn't really exist."
"Does not exist?"
"I know. Doesn't make much sense, but there's really no way else I can put it."
"How is it you know this when Enin himself had so much difficulty locating the ghoul?"
"I really can't answer that. I'm not the wizard Enin is, but I still sensed the breaks in the magic. He didn't. After Enin left, I stopped looking at the magic that was coming out of the portal and started focusing on those breaks. It's a strange puzzle. The answer isn't in the broken magic. It's in the space between the breaks."
Holli looked beyond the words of the magic caster and used her elf guard training to judge his expression and his tone. Jure's insight exceeded the elf's expectations.
"You know more of what's going on than I do, correct?" she noted, giving Jure credit for his perception.
"I'm not sure what you know, so I don't know how to answer that."
Holli didn't wish to waste time dancing around the issue, and thus, she asked a blunt question.
"Do you know where Enin is?"
Jure frowned. He knew the answer, but explaining it was not a simple task. As he tried to find the words, he looked at a bare wall before him. He noticed a small crack that seized his attention. It wasn't a great break by any stretch of the imagination, but it looked out of place. It probably would have been quickly patched or covered up by a painting, but there was no longer anyone that lived in the home, no one that cared about it. For some strange reason, it made him lonely, made him think of the home he abandoned before heading off into the desert.
Disregarding the wall, he tried to explain what he understood of Enin's true location.
"It kind of depends on your point of view. His body is in the dark realm, but that's not where he really is. The essence of his spirit is trapped in an area that defies existence. That's the only way I can describe it. He's not traveling through dimensions, or even in the spirit world, or even in the veil between life and death. He... well, he's not dead, but he's not really part of the living, either. It's a form of existence that defies explanation."
"There is more to it than that, isn't there?" Holli pressed, recognizing the first sign of hesitancy in the magic caster.
Jure came out with the full truth as he understood it.
"As you can probably guess, he's not alone. Baannat is in there with him, but it's worse than that. Baannat maintains a certain control over magical energy. Enin has no such control. His link with the energy was severed when his soul left his body."
Jure's statements confirmed some of Holli's assumptions... and many of her fears.
"So he is a prisoner?" Holli asked.
"That would be my guess. Actually, it's more than a guess. I don't think Enin can get out. I think he's stuck in a struggle with the slink ghoul and he's about as helpless as he can be."
Holli could not imagine Enin being helpless, but she had to admit to certain facts. She knew what she felt when she utilized Heteera's energy to perceive the dark lands. Enin was alive, but then again, he wasn't. Everything Jure said corresponded with what she already knew. Rather than doubt the magic caster, she searched for alternatives.
"Is there a way to assist him, help him in his fight with Baannat?"
Jure's frown sank into a grimace, and then he revealed his understanding with brutal honesty.
"I don't think so. I mean what could we do? Enin is the most powerful wizard in the land. No one else is even close. But... he made a very bad mistake. He cut himself off from his own magical energy. There's a clear divide between his essence and his power. Any one that joins him in an effort to save him will only make the same mistake."
"But Baannat seems to have power," Holli offered.
"Because Baannat isn't the same as he was, not quite whole," Jure explained. "The ghoul isn't trapped away from his body. Instead, both his body and spirit have somehow come together in a way that defies both life and death. In that state, he has a very loose connection to the magical energies, but a loose connection is better than none."
"You are certain Enin and Baannat remain together even as we speak?"
"Absolutely."
Holli turned over a quick consideration in her mind and spoke of it aloud.
"You said Enin's body is trapped in the dark realm. I have seen it there as well. I believe I know where it is. Do you think we should strive to retrieve it?"
"I wouldn't risk it," Jure admitted. "Fighting through armies of dark creatures would be enough of a problem, but more worrisome would be the effect on Enin. We don't know if taking Enin's body from the dark realm might irreparably harm the chances of restoring his consciousness to his body."
Sound reasoning. The elf nodded, but her alternatives were quickly diminishing.
"So reaching Enin's consciousness remains the true hope. Is there nothing that can be done to either bring Enin back from this... nonexistent realm or to restore his connection to his magical power?"
"Only if we can find a way to make a connection to the new realm without separating ourselves from existence. In truth, I'm working on that idea, but it's complicated. It also involves Heteera."
In Holli's eyes, Heteera was beyond complicated, she was dangerous... to herself
and anyone who miscalculates her power.
"Utilizing Heteera can be treacherous," Holli advised, as she recalled her own experience with the sorceress and the explosion at the portal.
"I know that, but it was her spell that brought Baannat back into this existence, even if it didn't bring him back completely. In some ways, she's still connected to the ghoul, but it is not a full anchor and not at all stable."
"Stability seems to be her problem."
Jure nodded. "That's true, but if it was stable, we might be able to ride her connection into the void to reach Enin. If so, I believe we could feed him enough power to escape. Given time, I might be able to use my control to stabilize Heteera's energy, but I haven't yet come to a suitable way to achieve that end. Links to her power can be opened, as you can attest, but links to her spells as anchors are another matter. Creating stability in such chaos I think is attainable, but not without clear focus. I haven't established that focus yet, but I believe it can be done."
The thought held merit. Holli did not consider Heteera's link to the slink ghoul, and although the sorceress would not wish to admit it, one existed nonetheless. Jure had talent, power, and instinct for the magic—the elf could not deny it, but she had other needs as well.
"Unfortunately, we have other problems."
"I know. The invasion has begun."
"Can you see them?"
"No, but I can sense the upheaval at the portal. It's been tremendous since Enin entered the void."
Holli grew quiet. She considered the full breadth of her situation. Enin was alive, but seemingly trapped. Massive armies of dark creatures were flooding Uton.
"How long would it take you to work with Heteera?"
"I'm nowhere near close to even making an attempt," Jure admitted. "I'm still learning the intricacies of this new realm. It seems to be a reversal of spiritual and physical existence. To some extent, I can understand the resistance to physical properties, but I don't have Enin's insight into spiritual existence. If I could speak with him, he might be able to speed up the process, but in order to reach him, I need to pierce the void. It is a circular problem. I also have to be concerned about alerting Baannat about my intentions. If I stumble, Baannat could strike at Enin and end any attempt before it started. And then of course, there's the control issue with Heteera. All of these factors need consideration."
Not encouraging news for the elf and Holli placed all of the factors in relative importance. She wished to do all that was possible to help the wizard, but she wouldn't risk his safety. Jure needed time and eventual access to Heteera, but Holli could not offer either. She would need Heteera's power to fight the coming battle, and the elf had to focus first on the mission Enin himself had given her. Defending Uton was the main priority.
"I appreciate your honesty and I believe your idea holds promise, but we must first defeat the invading horde," Holli announced, making it a firm commitment she expected Jure to share. She eyed him carefully to gauge any reluctance.
"I don't think we have a choice in that regard," he stated. "I wouldn't even dare probing into the void during an attack."
Holli appreciated Jure's aversion to recklessness, but she also needed his willingness to fight.
"I will need you in the coming battle and for you to concentrate toward that end. You are one of the most powerful here, probably the most powerful, and I will depend heavily on you. I can not have your focus divided. You must leave considerations toward assisting Enin until we reach a point when we have achieved success here first."
"Don't worry about that. I won't be distracted when the time comes to deal with the enemy," Jure replied.
Holli was not certain exactly what that meant. She pressed for a commitment.
"You are aware that Enin has been... neutralized for the moment. Enin placed me in charge of the forces here at Pinesway. I can't hope to match you in magical ability, and so, I have to be certain of your intentions."
In Jure's mind, Enin's predicament changed nothing. He agreed to follow the orders of the elf guard, and so he would.
"My intentions remain focused on succeeding. My loyalties rest with Enin, thus they also rest with you. I will follow your lead."
It was the best Holli could hope for. She then considered the remainder of her forces. She had probed the magic with Heteera's aid. Only Jure seemed aware of Enin's capture, but the elf would not depend solely on what she could learn with the sorceress' power when other sources could confirm the information.
"What of the others here in Pinesway? Do you believe anyone else is aware of the situation?"
"They have no idea as to Enin's condition. It's not a surprise. Enin's power remains viable in his body. He just can't utilize it. No one else here is able to notice the subtleties of the situation. You knew because of your link to the wizard. Heteera knew because of her connection to Baannat. Everyone else is only aware of the upheaval coming from the portal."
"And you think they will stay and fight against that upheaval?"
Before answering, Jure looked at the crack in the wall again. The small imperfection seemed to accentuate his understanding of Pinesway—an abandoned town now guarded by spell casters who cared nothing for the patch of ground it occupied. It was a blank place left to deteriorate. He knew the other magic casters didn't care for the town, but they cared about their own well-being.
"I think they know there really isn't any alternative. If any of us hope to survive, Baannat must be defeated. I believe everyone here understands that."
Finally, some encouraging news. Holli believed she could now depend on all in Pinesway to fight the coming onslaught, and it was time to prepare to that end.
"Very well," Holli nodded, "then I will ask you to..."
Jure looked off to his left, and then closed his eyes. His mind gained an image of the desert, an image that brought desperation to his soul. He was not one to act on impulse, but he understood urgency as well. If something was not done immediately, the algors would be defeated and the desert would fall. The options, however, were greatly limited. Enin had been captured. Heteera remained unstable. Holli lacked the raw power. There was no one else, no one else but him.
"I have to go."
Holli could not believe her ears.
"You just told me..."
Jure would not let her finish.
"Trust me. I respect your authority, but if I don't go now, whatever we do here won't matter. I'll return as soon as possible."
"Tell me what is..."
"No time."
He held his hands over his head and an extremely pale circle with only the smallest hint of blue appeared over his head. It dropped down and encircled him, and then he was gone.
Holli stared at the empty air before her. Just moments ago, she believed she could rely on Jure, and in but an instant, she believed she was wrong.
Chapter 27
"How in Godson's name did that get across? How big is that portal?"
The ground had literally shattered just as the sand giants eliminated the last of the shags. Ryson blinked several times as if hoping to clear his vision, but no benevolent hand reached down to wipe away the horrific image before him. He stood alone, so his questions went unanswered. All that he could hear was the smattering cracks and pops that rang out from pellets of debris that rained down around him. There would be no lucid explanation as to how the new threat could cross over from the dark realm, only fearful speculation and dread toward what might come next.
The rocks and sand unearthed by the arising of the colossus slowly settled, but a cloud of dust rolled about the creature's lower form, enhancing the grim vision of its appearance. It looked like a demon spawned from the depths of a nightmare surrounded by the haze of restless sleep.
Ryson had never seen a thrastil before. He didn't want to. He had been lucky to that point, but his luck had run out. He read the descriptions from the lore, and thus, the identity of the monstrosity was unmistakable. The distinguishing characteristics of a cr
ocodile's head on the body of a scorpion destroyed any lingering doubt as to what they faced, and yet, the delver found the situation incomprehensible.
Even as he stared into the face of the horror, he almost dismissed it as some wizard's illusion. It was not that he doubted the legends. The lore spoke of many wild and fantastic beasts. Some such beasts had already passed through from the dark realm and entered reality with absolute certainty. Twisted birds of prey, giant stalking beasts, conniving snakes of opportunity, enormous flesh eating insects—all of these were considered almost common in the land and he could not doubt their existence.
That, however, did not lend credence to the reality of all monsters described in the legends. Many of the deadliest beasts, especially the most bizarre, remained elusive and did not make their presence known in the land of Uton. Ryson believed these fantastic creatures were simply poetic devices used to add emphasis to the passages describing netherworlds or prophetic calamities. He could accept a horde of goblins, a flock of spin vultures, even an army of charging shags, but how could he have ever expected his reality to include the kind of monstrosity that just entered the battle with such incredible force?
He could not, however, dismiss the sight before him. The angry head took on the clear shape of a carnivorous reptile. Bulging eyes rested near a large flat forehead and looked down a long and slightly angled snout. Its wide mouth formed a sinister smile, and rows of sharp jagged teeth were clearly visible when the monster snapped at the ground. The massive size of the scale covered head was enough to induce pure panic, but it was amplified a hundredfold by the body from which it extended.
A long hard shell sat mounted on eight spindly and angled legs with high joints. The shell narrowed at the end into a long curled tail with a glistening spike at the tip that hung over its back. At the forward end, cascading over the enormous jaws, two massive and hairy claws reached outward upon nimble appendages. They swung about like wrecking balls that could both crush and snap—truly a deadly combination.
