Spirit Past (Book 8) (7 page)

"You were already talking about Reiculf before I got here, weren't you?" the crimson casting wizard asked, sensing a growing unease. "The delver knows something, or the cliff behemoth does. One of them, or maybe both. That's why they're here. That's what you meant when you said this was the second time you heard of Reiculf."

"Their affairs are not your concern," Enin sternly declared.

Neltus no longer believed that.

"So
you
say, but not me. Reiculf is after me, but maybe he's after them as well. Am I right?"

No one spoke, but the disheveled wizard saw confirmation in their eyes.

"That's it. That's why you weren't surprised. You already knew!"

Enin decided to refocus on Neltus' claims.

"We believe Reiculf may, in fact, have found a way to reach into Uton," Enin allowed, "but that doesn't validate
your
story."

"You can't be serious! Of course it does! I've probably given you more information th
an you had before."

Enin frowned, but he could not discount the truth. He had learned a great deal from Neltus, but only if his claims proved true. He was not ready to accept everything Neltus revealed, there remained too many questions. One of which had to do with the appearance of the delver, his wife, and the cliff behemoth.

"How did you know about Reiculf?" Enin finally questioned the delver.

"Dzeb came to us with the news," Ryson admitted. "That's all we know."

All eyes fell upon the cliff behemoth.

"It was Godson's will," Dzeb responded simply.

Enin nodded and then turned a questioning glare back upon the wizard of crimson energy. Neltus, however, found the giant's explanation lacking.

"That's it?" Neltus questioned harshly. "That clears it all up for you?"

Ryson didn't wish to take sides with Neltus, but he actually agreed. His delver curiosity would not allow such a simple response to stand on its own.

"I have to admit. I'd like it cleared up a bit myself."

"Some things can never be as clear as we want," Enin cautioned. "I know Dzeb would not lie. His understanding of Godson may be beyond my comprehension, but I don't doubt his sincerity. He has told me why he sought you out, and I believe him. Neltus on the other hand..."

"You still think I'm lying?" Neltus questioned with obvious anger.

"I don't know what to make of you."

Enin then looked to Holli for her assessment of the situation.

"His fear is genuine. Of that, I am sure," the elf replied, understanding her mentor's concerns before he even spoke.

"His fear is not enough, but there is a way to confirm at least part of his story."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to teleport us all to the dark realm, to the house where Ansas left his notes. We have been there before. If the notes are gone, that will be the first indication his story has merit. We may also be able to locate magical trails of teleportation or echoes of portals. If any of these lead to Demonspawn, we have even more proof."

Before Enin cast the spell, he turned his attention to Linda.

"Before we go, I would like to take one precaution. Your total immunity to magic will make you stand out in the dark realm. It is a very dangerous place for you. Though I can protect you, I am uncertain of exactly what we might find. Dealing with Reiculf is not like dealing with shags or razor crows. If it's alright with you, I'd like to cast an aura of magic around you. This will make it appear as if the magic affects you as it does anyone else."

Linda was not against the idea, but it left her confused.

"If I'm immune to magic, how will you be able to cast the spell on me?"

"I'm not casting it directly on you. I'm casting it on the space you occupy. It's very difficult to do, but I can handle it. It's what I do every time I teleport you. The magic would fail to move you, but I can teleport the space you occupy. Do you understand?"

"Not really, but if you think it's best, go ahead."

Enin then cast two spells in succession. The first he directed solely upon Linda, but then he teleported them all into a portal that led to the dark realm. They appeared just outside the house that Ansas built out of his own ebony magic and diseased wood from the dark lands.

Instinctively, Holli pulled the bow from her shoulder and an arrow from her quiver. She turned about, constantly peering in all directions. The threat of immeasurable peril exploded through her magical essence. She could sense the existence of dark creatures when they were in close proximity, and she felt many in the area, far more than she ever would have expected.

Ryson also felt a wave of danger rush through him as his senses were overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, and scents of beasts and monsters. Such was the assault that he wanted to slam his eyes shut, cover his ears with his hands, and stop all breathing, but to do so would be beyond foolish. They stood upon the diseased grounds of a hostile land where shrieks of torment were as common as dust specks. He crouched low and began to move with controlled speed. He circled the group incessantly as he watched for signs of an impending attack.

"This isn't good," the delver warned.

"He is right," Holli agreed. "There are numerous creatures surrounding the house. There are none inside—at least none that I can sense—and there is a large buffer around the exterior of the structure. They are trying to stay out of sight, using distance and cover, but I have already spotted dozens. Beyond that, there are more than I can possibly isolate... hundreds... thousands."

Enin heard the warning, but he noticed something else, something deep within the magic. When Ansas created the structure, his ebony magic formed a barrier that served to keep the creatures of the dark realm from invading his sanctuary. That
warning
still existed and Enin could feel it repelling the beasts in the distance, but there was a new sensation, something that did not exist the last time he entered the building.

In pure opposition to the pulses that discouraged trespassers, a subtle portion of the magic beckoned those attuned to the energy. It felt almost like a call for help.

"The creatures will not come any closer," Enin announced, "but there is something going on here."

Before stepping closer to the structure, Enin turned a wary eye toward Neltus.

"What do you sense out here?" Enin asked.

"Ansas' magic!" Neltus replied. "I had it inside me once. I won't forget it."

"And what is it telling you?"

"Telling me?"

"There is a message in the energy."

"There's no message! There's just raw power, power that doesn't wish to be disturbed!"

"Look deeper. These creatures around us can sense it... I can sense it, too. That's why they're here."

"I don't want to look deeper! My connection to Ansas' magic is the reason Reiculf wants me!"

Neltus' plea caused Enin to reconsider what he felt. As he took greater care to analyze the energy, he remained certain of what he sensed. The magic vibrated with a message, an apparent  request for aid. The appeal resonated through the air, very much like the distress call of a wounded animal. It was no wonder so many dark creatures were drawn to the area, but they feared to come any nearer. Enin considered the basis for such a message. He knew Reiculf would not call for assistance, but the daokiln might use such a tactic as a trap.

Enin finally revealed what he sensed to the others.

"The magic is calling out for aid. That call is coming from the inside of the house, but I can't determine its origin. We need to go inside."

"Not all of us," Holli advised. "We need eyes out here. I will stay and guard the perimeter."

"The creatures will not come any closer," Enin advised.

"The beasts in the distance may not be the only threat. Until we know more, we must not make any assumptions of the dangers we face."

"I will stay with her," Dzeb offered. "The house is a bit small for me. I would prefer the open space."

"Very well, but call if you need us."

Enin led Ryson, Linda, and Neltus through the front door. He moved quickly to the back study and noted the empty shelves.

"See?" Neltus exclaimed. "They're gone. Ansas notes... they took them. That's what Gnafil told me."

"
Someone
has taken them," Enin agreed, but he remained somewhat skeptical of Neltus' story. He turned to the delver in order to gain greater insight. "Ryson, what do you sense in here?"

Ryson took a few moments to inspect the floor and the empty shelves. He smelled the air and looked back down the hall. He then confirmed certain facts.

"There was a serp and an infern in here not too long ago. I'm pretty sure it was Macheve. Their scent is still in the air and there are prints in the dust on the floor and on the shelves. They took the notes and walked back out the front door."

"Please follow their trail."

Ryson did as he was asked. He moved back down the hall and out the door. He took several steps to his left before the wizard called for him to stop.

"That's far enough. I can sense it here. There was a portal created. Not a normal gateway... but a passage to Demonspawn."

"You see?" Neltus exclaimed, feeling vindicated but also recalling what brought him to Enin in the first place. "They left with the notes to Demonspawn. That means they went to see Reiculf."

"We should not jump to conclusions," Enin advised.

"What other conclusions can we make? Gnafil is half-demon! Why would he go to Demonspawn? It would be certain death. And the serp... you sent her there as punishment. If she was able to somehow escape, do you think she'd go back on her own? The only reason they'd go to Demonspawn willingly is because Reiculf ordered them!"

Enin could not argue with the logic of Neltus' claims.

"It does seem as if Reiculf has extended his influence over creatures in this realm. That is not something to be happy about."

"I'm not happy about
that
. I just want you to believe me!"

Believing Neltus was not an easy task, and Enin strived for more information.

"Ryson, what do you think of all of this?"

"I don't know what to think," the delver admitted. "They took the notes. They disappeared from here. I mean, that's what I see and smell. There are scents and tracks... it's not an illusion, is it?"

"No, it's not," Enin confirmed with a grimace.

"I don't know what else to tell you," Ryson confessed. "Whatever is going on can't be good."

"Now can we get out of here?" Neltus pleaded. "Everything I told you was true."

"No," Enin replied.

"No?" the crimson casting wizard questioned in absolute disbelief.

"We do not understand everything that is happening here yet," Enin explained. "I may be ready to believe your story, but there is something else we must consider. The call for help should not be ignored."

"But there's no one inside the house. There's no one to help! We need to get out of here!"

Though difficult for him to admit, Ryson had to agree with Neltus yet again.

"He's right, Enin. There was no one else here. Just the serp and the infern. And they left. We
know
where they went. It's not a good idea for us to hang around here. Holli was right, too. There are thousands of creatures surrounding this place."

"They are here because of something calling out from the magic."

With that said, Enin considered exactly what it meant. He looked back to the small house and considered its origin. Ansas had built the unassuming structure to serve as a quiet sanctuary in a chaotic land. The sorcerer had placed his pure ebony magic inside the wood to ensure privacy. That magic kept the monsters at bay, but a new pulse of energy offered an opposing message and it called out with almost the same potency.

Enin was not as adept as the wizard Jure at sensing the flow of magic, but his connection and control over the energy was unmatched in all of Uton. For him, the magic served as a source of both enlightenment and strength. It expanded his consciousness across the varied realms and fueled his ability to grasp concepts beyond a physical existence.

It was impossible for him to discount discrepancies in the magic or ignore obvious inconsistencies. The energy radiating from the small house, however, seemed flush with opposing functions. He needed to consider the anomaly before him, and he began to mutter his thoughts as he lost himself in consideration of magical contradictions.

"Spells can become warped," the wizard said to himself, "that is not necessarily a surprise, but that happens over long periods of time. The energy can lose direction. The purpose within it can become diluted. But this is not just an odd twist of a decaying spell. There is no spell, at least none that I can recognize. The message is clear. It would have to be, or the creatures would ignore it."

Enin shook his head as he began to pace, walking past the others as if they did not exist. He continued to contemplate the puzzle of the message.