by Jeff Inlo
"I understand that you no longer cast ebony energy," Dzeb revealed. "If you know anything about cliff behemoths, you would know I do not lie. I have no need to deceive you. It is actually very plain. If you look, you can see it."
The revelation was a surprise, one that struck at many upon the plateau.
"What are you saying, cliff behemoth?" the sorcerer demanded before anyone else could speak.
"You have lost your way."
"Oh, please. Don't tell me you're going to give me some sermon. That's worse than a lecture."
"Not a sermon, just an observation. Your magic is that of emptiness, of the abyss, of a soul turned to its own appreciation. That is not ebony magic. It is the energy of a lie. It is in direct opposition of Godson. That means your power is useless on me. If you do not believe me, then try it."
It was a bold declaration, even from a cliff behemoth, and Enin wondered what would make Dzeb issue such a challenge. The wizard knew cliff behemoths did not boastfully pit their immense physical attributes against others for the sake of pointless bravado. Though they were graced with vast might and near invulnerability to physical attack, the giants steered away from any such tests of strength. Their focus had always been on their faith, and their humility was a blessed example to other inhabitants of the land.
The wizard realized that Dzeb was not trying to provoke Ansas. The titan was attempting to reach the sorcerer, to point out what the cliff behemoth saw as an obvious truth… a truth that started to crystallize before Enin as well.
Enin considered everything that was happening around him and he saw an unmistakable sequence of extraordinary events. While he blinded himself from seeing an individual's destiny, he never lost sight of the larger forces at work, and he always acknowledged the presence of divine influence. It seemed inevitable that the events at the near zenith of the dark realm would direct the fate of many on that day.
Unable to shake a sense of interlocked fortunes and fates, Enin looked deep into the sorcerer. Just as Dzeb had claimed, he could see the magic within the sorcerer, but it was no longer ebony energy. The black magic Ansas once yielded with both instinct and skill had been replaced by a true colorless power. It was not the vast magic of alteration or the ultimate bond that connected the layers of existence. It was the absence of hope and the emptiness of nonexistence.
While Enin began to see a pattern of necessity take shape within the conflict, Ansas reacted to the challenge of the cliff behemoth. The sorcerer eyed the giant suspiciously. He believed his dark magic could easily overcome Dzeb, for the sorcerer considered his abilities a testament to true advancement. The behemoth was nothing more than a clumsy mistake of nature, a powerful entity, but one with limited potential and even less insight. Still, the sorcerer had no intention of casting out his energy unless it advanced his own cause, and Ansas refused to directly assault the giant.
"I have no desire to waste my time. I plan to use my ebony energy against the great Enin, but that is for later. There are others that must be tested. Your side might have won the first battle, but that was an obvious mismatch. The elder wizard is second in power only to Enin, and the elf was a waste. I have three much more capable spell casters waiting their turn."
"That's what you hope to do here?" Jure called out. "To have some kind of contest? Absurd."
"And what of the elf witch? Does she think it is absurd as well? She is a warrior, she understands the challenges of battle. She has grown more powerful in emerald magic. Wouldn't she be slightly interested in knowing if she has grown enough to defeat someone like Neltus?"
Neltus grinned widely.
"Oh, yes," the pudgy spell caster delighted at the offering. He had always wanted to face the elf guard and apprentice of Enin.
Neltus wielded crimson magic and he did so with skill even before he met Ansas. The sorcerer added to his power, and Neltus believed Holli would be no match for his advanced talents.
He knew she cast in emerald magic, but his red power was grounded in the small slice of ebony magic that Ansas placed in his core. He had become even closer to the land and he believed the green energy of the elf witch was vulnerable to his greatest attributes. The land was the foundation for nature's strength. Without crimson energy, emerald magic was anchorless.
"Let's have a real test of wills," Neltus exclaimed. "No more amateurs squandering their energy."
"What do you say, Holli Brances, ex — elf guard?" Ansas questioned. "You are now more a sorceress than a soldier. Care to test how far you have really come?"
Holli disregarded both the sorcerer and his lackey.
"I have nothing to prove… to you or anyone else. I have defeated a draevol, accepted banishment from my camp, helped win a war against a dwarf army, and I am an apprentice to the most powerful wizard I have ever seen, present company included. And yes, I am no longer an official guard to my camp, but I have never forgotten my training. I will always be an elf guard. I direct my service where it is needed. If my memory serves me, it was in that service that I helped to defeat you and an army of dark creatures at Pinesway. You speak often of not wasting time or energy. Why should I waste either on you or your pompous companion?"
"Very well spoken, and with that in mind, it is time I put an end to this," Enin declared. "I don't know what you intended here, Ansas, but unless you're totally blind, you have to realize this is beyond some ridiculous wizard battle."
"And what do you think it is?" Ansas scoffed. "Some struggle between the forces of light and darkness? Don't make me laugh about your concepts of evil."
"No," Enin remarked. "This is not at all what it appears to be on the surface. Jure was right about Scheff and it applies to you as well. He has been misguided, but it wasn't his desire to commit malicious acts. He was just filled with a sense of self importance. I doubt that evil is your intention, either, but your path of self-serving manipulations is no less dangerous to yourself and those that might fall prey to your ambitions."
"Spare me the lecture about good and evil. I understand evil. I always have, but I have no use for some mythical conflict that was created only to limit true potential. Good versus evil… it is nothing more than a game created by those desiring to manipulate one group or another. I serve neither. I serve myself."
"And that is the danger. With all of your power, you should be aware of the travels of the soul."
"Now you'll tell me about some higher plane of existence? Spare me that as well. It is nothing more than a fanciful refuge for those that will not take the step into higher existence themselves."
"Don't you see?" Enin almost pleaded. "That's what Dzeb tried to tell you. You are not headed toward a higher existence. You don't even…"
"Don't try to save me," Ansas interrupted. "I don't need to be saved."
"But you do, we all do. If you put all of your faith in only yourself, you're going to be disappointed."
"And now you wish to teach me about… what?…some ridiculous myth created by people unwilling to see the truth? Save it for the giant. These miniscule people that pray to their small gods, they have no idea. Their pathetic illusions are no match for the infinity of what is inside me. My thoughts can create spectacles beyond the grandest descriptions of their meaningless and so-called divine legends."
"You're being arrogant and ignorant. This may be your last chance. Try to understand before it's too late. I do believe you understand evil in its base form, but you're disregarding the influence of a greater power. It's bad enough that you set this path for yourself, but you have endeavored to bring others with you. You are pulling them away from hope as well, and that is a grave mistake in judgment."
"Wonderful. Another sermon."
"Call it what you wish, but Dzeb is correct. You no longer cast black magic. The energy within you has turned into a lie. It is a deceit that will bring you to a very bad end."
"So says the wizard that understands he can no longer win. I, on the other hand, will see this to its conclusion."
Ansas then looked to all those gathered around Enin, even gave a passing glance to the spell casters that carried his energy within them.
"For those who don't understand what that means, let me be clear. I will make my stand here on this high ground. If any of you think you can change my plans, you are mistaken. The arasaps will remain in the woman immune to magic. I will continue to use her to purify others. She will go mad in time, but that is irrelevant. The purity of magic and the advancement of those that recognize it are far more important. I will replace the pathetic elf that failed my expectations, and I will find new spell casters that are adept in other hues. There should be no mystery about what I intend to do."
As Ansas continued to reveal his purpose, it was his own allies that showed the most interest. They had previously heard his explanations, but all of them-particularly Neltus-held to their suspicions. They did not believe the sorcerer offered up his own energy just to prove a point, and it certainly wasn't out of a desire to be generous and benevolent, a suspicion that Ansas confirmed with his next statement.
"I have not shared power for the sake of simply giving it away. I will use my energy to cross dimensions and gather strength. By bringing others into the folds of my being, I will prove that the purity of a single hue is the path to a higher existence. Those that are gifted with the proper abilities will learn that, through me, they can release the shackles that have been passed down to them. They will grow, and more importantly, I will grow with them. The energy that courses through me will be the common link, and their abilities will expand mine. I will never have to stain the purity of my magic, and yet I will have access to power beyond imagination."
"There are limits you should not… cannot cross," Enin warned.
"Limits? And what limits are those? The ones held by the weak grasping on to their myths and legends? The ones too scared and confused to realize that we control what we can become?"
"Ansas, it is you who is no longer in control. You are spiraling into an abyss. This might be your last chance. The ebony magic…"
"Don't bother with your ridiculous attempts to fool me. I know what power rests within me. It has always been pure and it remains so. I will use it to purify others, just as I will use the human woman."
"I can't allow that to happen," Enin said sadly, realizing Ansas had chosen his path and it was one that would indeed lead to a terrible tragedy.
The sorcerer, however, found only anger in hearing the wizard's tone.
"Allow? What? You think you can snap your fingers and my will no longer matters? You think it's that easy?"
"Easy? It's not a matter of hard or easy. It is a matter of necessity. You must be defeated. I know that, and so does Ryson. I have no intention of humoring you with some kind of wizard's duel. Just as Holli has said, I have nothing to prove, but the delver has several important issues with you."
Just as Jure had done, Enin turned his back on the sorcerer as he looked to his friend. The great wizard began to see everything unfold, and he understood who was meant to battle the sorcerer.
"A person fighting for something they believe in is far stronger than a person fighting for their own glory," Enin reminded the delver. "It is your task to battle the sorcerer."
Ryson was shocked. He had no misgivings about making the sorcerer remove the arasaps from Linda, but he was surprised at the sudden turn of events.
"Are you sure?"
"Trust me on this, you are the one who must do this. Most important, it is within you to save your wife, and you must do so now. Remember what I have said. Do not think so much about defeating Ansas, he is not a threat to you. He can only hurt you if you let him. Think more about saving Linda, there is a difference."
Not needing to hear more, the delver did not hesitate to act. He said nothing further to Enin. He didn't even pause to consider his surroundings or his tactics. His life revolved around speed, and it would be with speed he would assault the sorcerer.
Disregarding all others, Ryson bounded toward Ansas and was upon the sorcerer in an instant. The delver did not draw a weapon… not the two war blades at his hips or the Sword of Decree from the sheath across his back. He struck Ansas with his bare hands and in rapid succession to completely demoralize the sorcerer. Ryson wanted Ansas to realize that he could strike at will and there was nothing that could stop him.
Not wishing to render the sorcerer unconscious, Ryson targeted areas that would cause the most severe and jolting pain. He hit Ansas in the spine, the neck, the ears, every joint, and under the ribs. He used an open hand, struck with the base of his palm, and hit certain spots several times to elevate the level of punishment.
Never giving the sorcerer a chance to react, he continued moving, twisting and turning in random fashion. He ducked, then sprang upwards. He altered his pace, never allowing himself to become a target. He pounded away fiercely, but with just enough control to keep Ansas from passing out.
It was difficult for him to remain focused on his objective. Enin told him to think about saving Linda, and that was paramount, but punishing Ansas and unleashing his own anger quickly crept into his consciousness. Each time he felt his hand crash into Ansas' body, his emotions leapt ever higher. He did not want to believe he took enjoyment out of the attack, but he could not deny the growing stimulation that washed over his being. He wanted to hurt the sorcerer, make him pay for what he did in such a way that Ansas would never consider assaulting Linda again.
Ansas was overwhelmed. He did not expect the sudden battering. He tried to bring a spell to his lips, but with each smashing blow from the delver, a flash of pain burst his concentration. His muscular body and the burning will of his overriding conceit kept him from bowing to the barrage, but there was little else he could do. He remained upright and on his feet. Believing his physical attributes were capable of handling his opponent, he tried to swing at Ryson, but he could not connect against the swift moving delver. He grunted with each stab of pain, but issued no other cry or plea.
The others upon the plateau, all save Linda, watched the mauling in dumbfounded amazement. Ansas' spell casters stood very near to the assault, could even feel the wind from the force of many of the blows, but they remained too stunned to assist in any way. The two figures became a twisted mass of confusion, and even if they could manage to stifle their shock, they wouldn't have had a clear target.
Those across the plateau were startled by Ryson's pure aggression. Most knew Ryson very well, and the viciousness of the attack bristled against their understanding of the delver's nature. In that moment of pure violence, they did not see the individual who cared deeply about life-the delver that would avoid bringing pain and injury even to goblins that wanted to slay him. They saw something very different. They saw the unhinged fury of an individual pushed to the limit of his tolerance. To their astonishment, they saw a ruthless delver using his gifts in a savage attack against a foe who chose to strike at the person Ryson cherished the most.
Even if she knew that Ryson was attacking the sorcerer for her sake, Linda ignored the entire scene. She stared at the lifeless rocks by her feet. She showed not the slightest interest in the conflict that would decide her own fate. She felt nothing inside, her emotions cut off from her consciousness by the arasaps that invaded her body.
As Ryson continued to batter the helpless sorcerer, he allowed himself one glance toward Linda. He saw the emptiness of her expression, and though it only compounded his anger, he finally heeded Enin's initial advice. He placed all of his attention on saving his wife.
The delver stopped striking at Ansas. With the last two flashes of movement, he grabbed hold of the sorcerer's hands just above the wrists and turned them at angles that would create sufficient pain with the proper pressure.
Ansas, though more muscular and stronger than the delver, could not break the hold without risking severe injury. He was, however, finally able to clear his head. He eyed the delver with clear hostility, but with surprising patience, he waited for Ryson to make th
e next move.
Ryson twisted one of the sorcerer's wrists just enough to get his point across.
"You're going to remove the arasaps. Now!"
Ansas let out a heavy gasp, grunted at the pain that continued to remind him of the beating he had taken. He cast a defiant stare into the delver's eyes.
"And if I don't? What? You will break my wrists? Do you somehow believe I will not be able to cast any spells in that condition? You don't understand anything. That might hinder inferior spell casters, but that will not stop me. You could cut off my arms and I could still cast spells. Concentration is all that is required. The movement of the arms simply assists in focus for someone like me."
"It's you who doesn't understand. This is about the pain I can cause you. Breaking your wrists would just be the start."
"I see," Ansas offered and he paused to consider the situation. He inhaled again and flinched at another stab of pain. As if the throbbing aches helped convince him, he capitulated without further argument. "Then I will cast the spell that will remove the arasaps. You don't even have to release my arms."
Ansas looked toward Linda and quickly whispered several words. He never raised his hands, never needed to. A circle of dark magic rotated around his body. As it did, it began to carry him off the ground.
Caught off guard, Ryson tried to gain a better grip of the sorcerer. He released Ansas' hands and tried to throw his arms around the sorcerer's waist. The delver struggled to steady himself, but he lost his balance as his feet were pulled from the ground. Without a firm footing, he could not keep the sorcerer from taking flight.
Unwilling to leave himself vulnerable in the air and unable to restrain Ansas, Ryson released his hold and dropped back to the hard ground of the plateau. He kept his eyes on Ansas as he darted toward the center of the high plain. There was plenty of room to maneuver and few obstacles, but he was stuck on open ground without cover whereas the sorcerer could obviously fly and remain out of reach.
