by Blink, Bob
“You’re going back?” she asked in surprise. No one had told her about the discovery of the staff’s unique abilities.
“We don’t know if it will come to much just yet,” Rigo informed her. “The staff overcomes the inability to create a Bypass, but the range is limited. We don’t yet know how limited. If it only extends the short distances we found in the caves, then we may not be able to go far enough before we are once again stopped. But if we can pass through the dead zone, or find another oasis deeper into the desert, then we can leap frog from zone to zone.”
“Who is going with you?” Jeen asked. “Are Burke and Tara willing to try again?”
Rigo shook his head. His two former traveling companions had Bound to one another less than a year after their return from the oasis. They now had three children, and while he had approached Burke, mostly so his friend wouldn’t feel he was being overlooked, Rigo hadn’t been surprised when he was told they couldn’t take such a risk because of their duties to their family.
“Not many have any interest in going out there any more than they already have to,” Rigo said. “Most also believe that it wouldn’t come to much. They believe we will either be stopped again very soon, or will find ourselves in even more trouble than we were the last time.”
“It remains dangerous, doesn’t it?” Jeen asked.
“Our current situation is dangerous, and is becoming more so every day. Even fighting the Hoplani that breach the barrier costs us lives. We have lost over a dozen wizards already this year. The potential gains offset the risks.”
Jeen couldn’t help but note that Rigo seemed more like his former self than she had seen him since Inge had been killed. She almost wished their old group could be brought together for this search, but her own responsibilities forbade her from going, just as the others had lives with commitments as well.
“You didn’t say who was willing to go,” she reminded him gently. “You can’t be considering going alone?”
“No, that would be foolish. Nycoh and I have agreed that we need to send three of us as before. Three is the minimum number that can reliably deal with a Morvane. More would be useful in a battle, but would drain resources badly needed here. Also, there is the matter of the staffs. We only have two of them, so one of those who goes will be without. It is unfortunate we lack the knowledge and ability that Daim had. I wish he were still with me. If so, we might be able to build more of them.”
“You are taking both of the staffs, then?”
“That’s one of the issues we struggled with. By taking both, we have eliminated any possibility of someone coming after us. If we get into trouble too far from an oasis, no one will be able to help. That is one of the risks. On the other hand, having two staffs for the expedition increases our chances of success, and reduces the possibility of getting into a situation we can’t deal with. With two staffs, two of us will be able to use combat magic, or create Bypass portals. That isn’t enough for a Morvane, but hopefully the entire area won’t be a dead zone.”
“The risks seem great,” Jeen observed.
“It is hard to quantify,” Rigo replied, “but both Lorl and Orna understand that.”
“They are the ones who have chosen to travel with you?” Jeen asked. She knew both of them. They had been a part of the wizard community from the first, participating in the erection of the existing barrier when Rigo tapped the complete resources of the Outpost to restart the long dead defensive shield. Orna was an accomplished wizard, a handful of years older than Rigo. She had an inquiring mind, and was strong with combat magics much like Rigo. Dark, with jet-black hair that was cut short and curled tightly, she was from eastern Lopal and had been raised where the Hoplani had made it into the kingdom before the barrier was in place. Her family was killed by the beasts, and she had an intense hatred for them.
Lorl was a different matter. Of the same age as Rigo, he was also a competent fighter, but was somewhat less dependable in Jeen’s mind. He liked to go places and attempt tasks as much to be able to brag about what he had done and seen rather than pursuing tasks because they were important. He had seen more of the three kingdoms than anyone she knew because of his drive in this regard.
“I have taken both of them to the oasis and we have traveled a day into the Ruins from there so they could experience the harshness of the place. Neither was discouraged. I think we will make an adequate team.”
“Last time you had others who carried word of your journey,” Jeen said, thinking of Koess. “I sense you are not planning to do the same.”
“Not this time,” Rigo admitted. “There are too few people to spare. It has been decided we will camp at the oasis at the end of each day’s journey, returning from where we have reached. There is water and shade, and we can leave supplies there. From the oasis we can also create a Bypass to send back messages of what was accomplished that day, as well as request additional supplies we might need. If something urgent or really important develops, we can come back to the Outpost at any time from the oasis.”
“When do you depart?” Jeen asked finally.
“The day after tomorrow,” Rigo replied with barely concealed eagerness.
“Then I might not see you again before you go. I am to take the King and Queen to Kellmore tomorrow.”
“Will you see Kaler and Daria?” Rigo asked.
“I hadn’t planned to, but I could easily enough. Why?”
“Tell them where I have gone. I won’t have a chance to visit them before I leave.”
“It would only take a moment. Is there some reason that you don’t want to go yourself?”
Rigo nodded. “I am afraid they might interpret my visit as a subtle request for them to join me. They have no ability with magic, and there is little they could do. I would not want them to risk themselves, but I am certain they would go willingly if they felt they were needed.”
Jeen agreed to take a brief side trip. Then she hugged Rigo before hurrying off to take care of her business.
“I want to go along,” Ash’urn said the next morning when he got Rigo alone in his quarters.
“Impossible,” Rigo replied, surprised at the older man’s request. “The Ruins is not the place for someone without magical ability.”
“I know more spoken spells than you can imagine,” Ash’urn countered. “I am not completely without ability, despite not having the gift.”
“All of those spells will be useless in the dead zones,” Rigo countered.
“No more than your own magic. Whoever holds the staff can function almost normally. Don’t forget who discovered the references in Daim’s journals and who contacted Nycoh to make the tests. I know my magic will work with the staff because I’ve already tried it.”
“We don’t have enough staffs for everyone,” Rigo reminded him. “There are only the two, and Lorl and Orna will have to share as it is.”
“So I’ll use a staff only in a rare situation, or perhaps not at all. The point is, I have some ability. I’m not like most others. Besides, I have skills that none of you bring.”
Rigo looked at Ash’urn as the man made his case. “What skills are those?” he asked.
“I can read and write many of the ancient languages. Who on your team can do so? I can also speak some of the forgotten language because of my spoken magic, and am capable with nearly every dialect of spoken language in the Three Kingdoms. That knowledge might come in handy.”
“If the need for such knowledge arise, we can always return and get you,” Rigo said.
Ash’urn scoffed. “In many cases you might pass by something of importance rather than be distracted by the need to come back here. Besides, we have traveled together and we both know such journeys are unpredictable. You may not be able to return easily when the need arises.”
“You believe we might become trapped out there again, and still you wish to come?”
“You have already encountered another people out there,” Ash’urn said, referring to the nomads. Rigo k
new that Ash’urn believed they existed even though many others had doubts. “Even had you been awake and aware, you would have had no idea how to bridge the language gap. I sense there is more of great importance out there waiting to be found. This is the last chance, and perhaps the last opportunity for me. I am getting older if you hadn’t noticed. I have spent my life in search of magic and the unknown. This is perhaps the culmination of my wanderings.”
Rigo looked at Ash’urn. Age was indeed a factor. Ash’urn had been getting along in years when he’d first met the man a long time before. Now he was perhaps too old for a harsh journey, although he’d always showed himself to be more resilient than one would expect. Of course, he’d spent the last ten years in scholarly pursuits rather than on the trail as he’d been doing when they first met.
“I know what you are thinking,” Ash’urn said. “I won’t be a burden. If it turns out that way, you realize it won’t be that hard to dump me back here.” Ash’urn glared at Rigo defiantly.
“What does Nycoh think of this request? Does she even know of it?” Rigo asked playing a last chance to derail the request. He had always enjoyed traveling with the scholar, but was fearful at what the Ruins offered this time.
“She said I had to convince you. If I could do that, then she would not attempt to prevent my going.”
Rigo considered the situation. He had little to guide him. Much to his surprise, Jeen had returned late yesterday. She had spoken to Queen Mos’pera about the trip, but unlike the last time, the seer had nothing to offer about the proposed journey. She had no visions of what might come from it, but warned that she was certain the failure of the barrier was not too distant. She’d had another of her visions in that regard not too long ago.
Looking at Ash’urn’s eager face as he waited for a decision, Rigo couldn’t help but relate his own desire to see what was out there to that of the aging scholar. Ash’urn was correct that he brought wisdom and knowledge to their team, just as he had in the past. If the journey proved too hard, they could always bring him back. It would cost them at most a day to do so.
“All right,” Rigo said slowly. “We’ll give it a try. We will be departing for the oasis at first light tomorrow.”
The broad smile that crossed Ash’urn’s face was more than enough to tell Rigo he’d decided correctly. If the truth be known, he looked forward to traveling with his old friend again. He actually wished that the rest of the old crew was coming along, even as he knew it wouldn’t make sense.
Chapter 18
They could have handled the first day back in the Ruins differently. Over the years a number of wizards had ventured a day or a bit more in many directions from the small oasis hoping to find something that would be of interest. Those memories could have been tapped to make a quick jump away from their starting point, but Rigo elected to use the first day as a shake-out, seeing how the team traveled together. It also served to allow the group to get comfortable with the harshness of the place while they were still close to a safe zone. As expected, Ash’urn traveled better than a man of his years should rightly be expected to do. Lorl was a bit of a complainer, and Orna very stoic about the discomforts they would be enduring. Both had been in the Ruins many times, both when the barrier was being erected as well as in recent months as the constant war with the Hoplani progressed.
“Which way?” Lorl asked when they shouldered their packs and prepared to walk away from the little oasis where they had left a large supply of food and clothing. They would use a Bypass to return here for the night. They could have returned all the way back to the Outpost, but Rigo wanted to get them used to the idea of staying in the Ruins this trip.
Rigo looked out into the orange colored sands. The upgraded version of Ash’urn’s pointing device showed him the way back toward the chasm. They knew not to go that way. With nothing suggesting any difference, he was about to point due east, continuing the basic direction deeper into the Ruins when the squawking of a pair of the large birds caught his attention. The pair had lifted off from the trees on the far side of the oasis and were now headed off into the desert sands.
“That way,” Rigo said suddenly, pointing after the receding birds. It had worked for him long ago. Lorl shrugged, and as a group they headed onto the sands, traveling in an east-northeast direction following along the track suggested by the now distant birds. They had to be headed somewhere, Rigo mused. Maybe they knew something important. They had seemed at home in this oasis, so maybe they knew where another was located.
Rigo carried his old staff, and Orna carried the second one. She and Lorl would share it as the need arose, but she had volunteered to be the one who had the extra load. Rigo didn’t know if that was because she wanted to have ready access to her magic, something Rigo could appreciate, or whether she walked better with a walking stick. She certainly employed it that way now as they started out. Of the two wizards, she was clearly the stronger, so Rigo felt the arrangement was the best.
All but Ash’urn carried one of the Kellmore Serangs on their back, the special scabbard sewn into their packs, which were also heavily loaded with water as they started out. Ash’urn had declined the sword explaining he had never been much with weapons, and rather than lug the useless weight, he had opted instead to bring along a pair of his ever present journals. Rigo couldn’t have said what he expected to find that would warrant recording, but knew the old scholar had a way of discovering things that turned out to be important later.
The morning went smoothly enough, and when they stopped for a break and a small bite to eat for their noonday meal, each of them attempted to make a Bypass back to the oasis. It was no surprise that they could do so with the staffs at hand. Others had been this far. The afternoon led them into another of the fields of pointed crystal, and Rigo took great satisfaction in using Brightfire to blast a path through the deadly stuff, spreading his fan of magical energy to destroy more of the sharp points than would have been absolutely necessary.
“Whatever that stuff really is, it is aware of us and would close in if possible. It is slow, but persistent,” he told the others.
Ash’urn surprised him by not taking out his journal and sketching the crystals, but then he had been in this area before with Nycoh, and Rigo reasoned he probably had even taken samples that would be back at the Outpost.
They made good time over the slowly rolling hills the rest of the day, and when nightfall approached, they carefully noted their position, and Rigo opened a Bypass back to the oasis. Ash’urn walked directly over to the pond and filled his hat with water, which he poured unceremoniously over his head. Rigo started a small fire while the others washed up. Then they prepared dinner, ate, and climbed into their sleeping blankets after sending a brief note back to the Outpost as agreed. There was little to report, but they had agreed to send a note back each day, and a failure to do so would indicate a problem.
“Today we extend our range to see if we are going to be limited,” Orna said eager to be off the next morning. They had already opened the portal that would take them back to where they had stopped the previous evening. Rigo had watched for the pair of birds, but they had not returned the previous evening, which suggested they had to travel a very long distance, or they had a nest elsewhere.
“Lead the way,” Rigo offered, and Orna was the first through the Bypass. Lorl followed, with Rigo and Ash’urn bringing up the rear.
The next four days varied little. The Ruins were much the same as Rigo had come to expect when he’d hiked through them so many years ago. The dead zone indeed extended without interruption, and without the offsetting ability of the staffs, they would never have been able to reach this far. Fortunately, they could return each night to the small oasis to relax in the comfortable and welcome green surroundings. On the sixth day, that changed.
“I can’t make a Bypass,” Orna said when they stopped for their noon break.
“Let me try,” Lorl insisted, but he was also unable to do so.
Rigo
tried as well, but he knew what would happen. Making a Bypass was not a skill of strength, and if one couldn’t, it was unlikely another could. He’d only wondered if his years of closeness to his staff might have given him more linkage to the device and thereby afforded him more ability.
“Now we know the range of the thing,” he said unhappily.
“It doesn’t matter,” Lorl said. “We can daisy chain our way back.”
Rigo knew what he wanted to do. He intended to open a Bypass to one of the points where they had stopped on previous days as they made their way here. They could jump to that point, then open a second Bypass to return to the oasis.
“I’d rather that be a last resort,” Ash’urn spoke up. “You are thinking of making a Bypass that both begins and ends in the dead zone. We hoped to avoid that. Up to now, all of the Bypass portals we have used had one end anchored in a normal zone. I’m not certain, but the risk of a corrupted Bypass is likely to be far greater for one like that.”
“Corrupted how?” Lorl asked frowning.
“Remember Koess? He was lost when a portal bridged a normal zone to a dead zone. The staff has mitigated the problem for that combination, but asking it to offset any dangers from a Bypass with both ends in the dead zone is increasing the risk of something similar happening again. Perhaps something even worse. We simply have too little knowledge.”
Lorl looked at Ash’urn and shuddered a bit.
“What do we do now?” Orna asked. “We can’t go much farther and still be able to walk back to a spot from which we can get back tonight.”
“We have a radius of this distance from the oasis we can travel,” Ash’urn said. “We should explore other directions before we attempt anything else.”
“We have a couple of glass before it starts getting dark,” Rigo pointed out. “Let’s head due south for a glass. That will take us into new territory, while slowly reducing our distance from the oasis. If we don’t find anything, or we don’t get back into range, we can then head directly back.”
