by Jeff Inlo
"I don't know if Baannat or Reiculf ever had a soul, but Ansas did, and he's part of you. No matter how small it is in comparison to the rest of you, it's still there. It was vulnerable to the fire of my blade and opened you up to the magic I had been holding for you."
"So you caused me momentary pain?" Rul Saattan growled. "What has that gained you, aside from a more excruciating death?"
"It wasn't the burn of your essence that I was targeting." Ryson then pointed to the sky with the sword still in his hand, the blade suddenly glowing with incomparable brilliance.
Rul glanced upward. He found the loss of emptiness distressing. The portion of his being which had been Baannat had grown accustomed to the void of his previous domain. The hollowness of nonexistence formed a unique bond with the slink ghoul and the blankness of the realm etched its own mark within Demonsheol. To Rul's displeasure, the emptiness appeared to have been filled.
The demon lord dismissed the inconsequential alteration as he considered it in relation to past achievements by the delver.
"You have filled empty skies before and it hasn't helped you. You brought stars to the dark realm, a place of desolation. Some believed you brought hope, but the dark realm remains as it ever was. Opening the gray skies to the stars may bring light to your sword, but it will not save you. The demons will still feast on your flesh."
"They're not stars," Ryson revealed with a slight smile.
And with that fact revealed, the tiny dots of lights in the dark sky began to move. More and more appeared as they swirled downward and grew larger. Within moments, the heavens above glistened with light.
Around the edge of the crater, the demons grew quiet. Their gaze moved uncomfortably from the center of the great depression to the lights overhead. They cowered against the growing radiance, slumped low against the desolate ground. Many raced away, unable to face what they recognized as a force they could never defeat, even before Ryson revealed it to the demon lord.
"They're spirits," the delver proclaimed. "You thought by merging Reiculf, Baannat and Ansas into one entity that you would gain power over all existence, gain entry into every realm. You made a mistake. That's the illusion I talked about. When you changed things to allow demons to cross into other realms, it changed the rules for others as well. I can call on angels, and as you said when we arrived, the doors to your domain are now unlocked."
"This is not possible!" Rul hissed.
"Oh, but it is. I told you the magic was for you. Reiculf wanted the ability to reach any realm, any level of existence. He wanted to erase the barriers. And that's exactly what happened. When I sent the magic into you, it was able to call out to every corner of existence. You opened the doors."
"They cannot enter my domain!" Rul insisted, refusing to accept what his own eyes revealed.
"Then by all means, order your demons to attack us. Let's start this war. Pit your demons—at least the ones who haven't already retreated—against this army of angels. Let's see what remains of your realm... what remains of you when the battle is over."
"No! There will be no battle!" Rul vowed. "I will not allow them to destroy what is mine!"
"Then you will release your hold over Sy Fenden's spirit. He will leave with us, as will Neltus and his core."
Rul roared in fury. Unable to contain his anger, he swung viciously at the delver, hoped to crush the irritating pest into the barren rock. He didn't think about the consequences, the beast acted on raw hate. He would have bitten the delver in two if he could have reached Ryson with his teeth, but he couldn't even strike the delver with his fist, let alone reach him with his wide angry mouth.
Ryson stepped aside with ease. He made no move to counter the beast. He kept his sword high but away from Rul's gray hide.
The lights in the sky grew brighter. The dome of light over the barren ground of Demonsheol pressed downward. Even as the heavens remained blanketed in one sheet of magnificent radiance, hundreds upon hundreds of individual lights rushed through the sky in streaks of glowing brilliance. They formed a larger circle around the demons still gathered at the edge of the crater, becoming a single ring of radiance. The gleaming circle pulsed with fury at the congregation of beasts.
The demons stood trapped. They retreated from the light, began to crawl down the slopes of the depression. They moved with fear, unwilling to stand before the entities of light and afraid to tread too near their master.
"Stand your ground!" Rul demanded.
The demons reluctantly ceased their retreat, perhaps more so because the spirits encircling them stopped at the edge of the crater.
"Do you really want a war?" Ryson questioned as he stared up at the monster. "Look at the sky. There are still so many waiting. And what can your demons do against spirits? Can they trap them as you trapped Sy? With what? They can't use Neltus' core the way you did. They have nothing. They'll be decimated."
"These demons are minions to do with as I please," Rul snarled. "If they are decimated, so be it."
"And then what will happen to you?" Ryson demanded. "Do you really think I'm going to let you hold on to Sy? It's not going to happen. I'm going to free him. If you let this continue, you'll be left with nothing... a ruler of an empty world. Maybe that appeals to the part of Baannat that's within you, but it can't make Reiculf or Ansas happy. They always aspired for more."
"You think you can create conflict within me? Is that how you hope to defeat me?"
"You're already defeated, and I'm running out of patience."
"And so you will order these ghosts against me? You speak of arrogance. How arrogant is it to claim control over such entities?"
"I don't control them. I just called them, and you're the one who made that possible. These souls know that. They know exactly what you are. You're a threat to everything, and they won't allow it to continue. You might have removed the barriers of Demonspawn when you created this place, but you didn't destroy the forces which work against someone like you."
"So you expect me to cower and surrender without a fight?"
"Actually, no. I want you to fight. I'm not going to wait for you to make some decision about me, or more importantly, my wife. I'm not going to let you make that choice. I'm going to make it for you."
Ryson lunged forward with the Sword of Decree, but he did not aim for the demon lord. He moved upon the body of Neltus and jabbed the point deep into the crimson wizard's thigh.
When the delver withdrew the sword, Neltus' eyes flashed open. A wave of crimson magic exploded outward and demolished the field of energy which held him in place. The wizard landed heavily upon the ground but remained standing. Another burst of red magic healed the wound on his leg, and Neltus turned to face Rul Saattan with waves of wrath molding his expression.
Rul sneered at the wizard with contempt.
"You dare to stand before me? You are nothing but a sniveling coward."
"I'd be very careful about what you say," Ryson advised. "You're not talking to Neltus. You're talking to Sy."
Before the master of demons could protest, Ryson quickly removed the clump of sod he had placed within his pouch. In one swift movement, he wiped the blood from the tip of his sword into the dirt and then crushed the thick tuft of soil into fine granules. He cast the dirt high into the air and let it scatter across the crater. There was no wind to carry the small particles, but Ryson knew the specs of dirt would invade all of Demonsheol.
"That wasn't just Neltus' blood on that blade," Ryson advised. "Remember, this sword is enchanted. It reaches the very essence of its host. You trapped Sy within Neltus' body. That means a part of Sy's essence was on that blade."
"What do I care?"
"That dirt was from the clearing around Burbon's wall. I mixed Sy's essence into the soil and now it's spread throughout your domain. You once said you would have no chance fighting Sy in his territory. Well, guess what? There's a part of both Burbon and Sy's essence mixed within your realm, and that makes it as much his domain as it is yours."
Rul stared at the delver in disbelief, but his rage was quickly quelled by a tremble felt under his feet. Red power raged within Neltus' body and threatened to tear Demonsheol apart.
Ryson proudly revealed what the demon lord suddenly faced.
"Things just went from bad to worse for you, Rul. Not only are you surrounded by spirits willing and able to destroy your army of demons, but you also face this; Neltus' crimson magic enhanced by the strength of a spirit you know you can't defeat. Do you really want to fight this war now?"
To emphasize the delver's point, the ring of spirits drew in closer. Those still in the sky glowed brighter. Neltus' form also took one small step toward the demon lord with crimson power glowing red hot in his eyes.
Rul could see the spirit of Sy Fenden had taken complete control of the wizard. With the mix of soil from Burbon and the ghost captain's essence spread across Demonsheol, the spirit warrior could bring all of his strength into the demon lord's domain. They might as well have been standing in the middle of Burbon itself.
Ryson could see capitulation in the eyes of the demon master, and he made his demands abundantly clear.
"You will release Sy's spirit from Neltus' core and you will allow us to leave here. And if you ever think about coming after my wife, remember this; Sy Fenden doesn't only protect Burbon, he protects its people. He may not be able to leave the confines of Burbon, but your mistakes have created a haven for him right here in your realm. If we have to, we'll come back for you. Don't make us do that."
Rul Saattan refused to speak. The only acknowledgment he would make of his defeat was to wave his hand toward Neltus. After that, he turned his back upon those gathered around him and waited for them to leave.
The ghostly form of Sy Fenden stepped out of Neltus' body. He nodded to Ryson, but also remained silent. He waited for the delver to lead them.
Neltus fell over, but he had regained consciousness. He was confused at first, clearly frightened, as if waking from a horrible dream. But as he looked up at the towering form of Rul Saattan, he knew it was no nightmare.
"Godson, no..." the crimson wizard's voice cracked barely above a whisper.
Neltus struggled to rise up from the ground and staggered away from the demon lord. He would have run, but when he turned, he saw the ring of demons waiting on the slopes of the crater. He also saw the circle of light further back near the very edge. He had no idea what the light was, but it scared him almost as much as the demons. He had no where to run.
Ryson stepped up to the crimson wizard, barely concealing his rage.
"Listen carefully. Sy is here and he has as much power in this place as he does in Burbon. Fail to follow just one of my orders and I'll ask him to deal with you... harshly."
Neltus turned his gaze from the delver to the spirit. He knew Sy had been inside him, knew the strength of the ghost captain. He did not wish to face it.
"I'll do whatever you say," the wizard stammered.
Ryson looked to Vraya and Jure.
"Can either of you construct a portal to bring us back to Burbon, or do you need more time?"
"I don't have enough magic," Jure revealed. "I gave it all to you."
"I can do it," Vraya claimed. "I can use the ebony magic flowing through this crater. It's very strong here."
"Please do," Ryson requested.
Vraya cast the spell. The portal appeared and Ryson peered into its center. He could see the clearing around Burbon's walls. It would be a relief to return to his home, but before he stepped into the rift, he looked back to the edge of the crater.
The spirits around the rim flickered once as if to acknowledge the delver's actions. They knew they were no longer needed. The individual lights flew back up into the sky, joined momentarily with the all-encompassing glow of the heavens. The mass of illumination began to break up, turned back into specs of individual light, and then withdrew from sight completely.
The light of Ryson's sword grew dim. The gray emptiness returned to the space overhead, but everyone there, including Rul Saattan, knew the door remained opened... knew the spirits would return if called.
Ryson didn't bother to say anything further to the demon lord. Nothing more needed to be said. He directed Jure and Vraya to enter the portal. Sy followed, and Ryson pushed Neltus through. The delver sheathed his sword and leapt through the rift, leaving Demonsheol to its defeated ruler.
Chapter 31
Enin and Captain Klusac had waited at Burbon's northern gate for their friends to return. The sun had not yet risen in the east, and they stood in the clearing with torches along the wall lighting the grounds. After the last pit demon had been removed, the town remained quiet. No other demons appeared, and no dark creatures ventured out from Dark Spruce Forest.
When the portal first appeared, it shimmered with a rich blackness, like ink spilling into the open air. It took greater shape, formed a wide black ring with a faint mist at its center. Both men could see into the center of Demonsheol, and they watched their friends return to Uton.
After Ryson stepped forward from the portal, the two men were relieved to see everyone back safely. Once Vraya closed the rift, they knew no further surprises would arrive on Burbon's doorstep. Neither would admit it, but both had their doubts regarding any possible success, but complete victory seemed apparent.
Before either could ask any questions, Sy looked expectantly to Ryson. Out of respect for what the delver had accomplished, the ghost captain would not act until the delver directed him.
Ryson knew what had to be done.
"Take his core," the delver instructed.
Sy moved swiftly upon the crimson wizard. His ethereal arms speared into Neltus' chest. He removed the magical core roughly with one quick heave. Sy ignored the wizard's pleas, and he pulled away cleanly. As Neltus crumpled to the ground in pain and despair, the apparition bore down upon the ball of energy. Once free of the wizard's body, the crimson core dissolved into Sy's ghostly hands.
With the deed complete, Sy turned once more to the delver.
"Save her!"
Ryson was shocked to hear Sy's voice in his head. He stared at the ghost, almost unwilling to accept what he had clearly heard, but he could not ignore it. He had heard Sy's voice, and he knew beyond question the meaning within the message. The delver nearly exploded with joy, even as a hundred questions erupted in his mind. Despite his overwhelming delight and his boundless curiosity, he would not waste any more time. There was more work to be done.
"I intend to," Ryson acknowledged.
"You heard him?" Klusac asked of the delver, as he had also perceived the message from the ghost captain.
"I did."
Before either could say anything else, the spirit of Sy Fenden disappeared. There was no chance for Ryson to talk further with the apparition, no opportunity to seek confirmation or direction. All the delver could do was hope that sometime in the future he would hear his friend's voice again.
Upon the clearing where Sy's spirit departed, Neltus clawed at the ground, once more feeling hollow inside, a sensation he could not endure. He made no attempt to rise. He only wept into the cold dirt.
"No... no... no! It's gone! It can't be. Not again. I can't live without it."
"Get up Neltus," Ryson commanded with scorn.
The empty wizard refused. He wallowed upon the ground like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum.
"It's not fair! I shouldn't have lost it again. I didn't do anything wrong."
The pathetic whines disturbed the delver to the point where he would not listen to them any longer, and he would not tolerate the lies.
"Nothing wrong? You tried to kill us all! Do you remember what Holli sacrificed? Do you?!"
Neltus would not answer. He just moaned and cried.
Captain Klusac had also reached his limit. He had enough of Neltus' incessant whining. He moved brusquely to the wizard and lifted him up off the ground.
"On your feet!" the soldier ordered.
&n
bsp; The captain stared into Neltus' teary eyes. He kept the tone of his voice low and certain. There was anger to be sure, but it was controlled fury, the kind that offered absolute certainty in purpose. Klusac intended for the moaning wizard to understand the severity of the situation, as well as the captain's conviction.
"It's time for you to leave, and you are never to return. I don't care how much you miss your magic, you will not be allowed within these walls again. Keep in mind, you have been a thorn in this town's side before. Every soldier knows your face. If you're spotted anywhere near Burbon, you'll be killed on sight."
Klusac pulled the sniffling, mewling wizard roughly across the clearing and into the broken and withered corn stalks of the farm field to the north. He threw Neltus deep into the crisp, yellow stalks with one great heave.
"Go where you will, but I meant what I said. From this point on, you will be treated no better than a goblin raiding party."
The captain of the guard turned away with disgust, leaving Neltus to whimper in the dark. He returned to Ryson's side, hoping to gain news of the events in Demonsheol.
Enin had questions as well, but Ryson made it clear they would both have to wait.
"Enin, you have to come with me," the delver commanded. "We're going back to get Holli. Sy told me to save her, and that's exactly what we're going to do. We're not just going to allow her to survive as a tree in the badlands. We're going to bring her back."
Ryson's unyielding attitude surprised the coreless wizard. Enin believed they could keep the tree from dying, but bringing Holli back was a hope and task beyond their capabilities.
"I would do anything to help her, but I can't..."
"Yes, you can... with my help. And as soon as Vraya is ready to teleport us back to the badlands, that's exactly what we're going to do."
"I can take us there now if you want. I have sufficient magic."
"Then please do so, but leave Captain Klusac here to guard Burbon. He's needed here."
The captain agreed and backed away to give the sorceress room. When a black circular shadow burst from the sorceress, he felt a tinge of uncertainty and a slight chill to his spine. He could never quite get used to watching people disappear in a wave of magic. When he witnessed such things, he wondered if anything about time and space mattered anymore.
