Delver Magic I: Sanctum's Breach by Jeff Inlo (read novels website .TXT) 📕

Shayed took compassion upon the delver. Her hazy eyes warmed with a loving glow. “An unfortunate result of the corruption caused by the sphere. I sense the confusion within you. I can give no remedy for that. The strain bears upon you because of what you are. You are delver, that I am sure.”

“Yes, I’m a delver. I’m Ryson Acumen. But right now that’s about all I know. I wonder now if even that’s true.”

The spirit laughed lightly, an open-hearted laugh. “That will always remain true. You will always seek answers, even if they might change. View this as an opportunity, Ryson Acumen. See this as a chance to relearn all that you believed you knew. Could a true delver ask for more?”

“I guess not,” Ryson admitted. His tensions eased, but only slightly. He still faced the seemingly impossible. He attempted to face it with the delver spirit she strove to bring out of him. “Does your appearance mean that other ghosts, or spirits, or whatever, will start appearing all over the place?”

“Spirits will not simply return to this land at will. They are either summoned and controlled by dark magic, or they must have some higher purpose.”

Ryson quickly caught the underlying possibilities of such a reply. “Since I assume you are not controlled by dark magic, I guess you have some higher purpose?”

“I do. It is a purpose of the highest order. Do not, however, misinterpret me. I am not a savior, not a heroine who comes with the power to end the threat which exists. I play the mere role of messenger. My ability to alter the current course may only be negligible, but it is a purpose which allows for my presence here. It is your presence upon Sanctum which is of greater importance. I am limited to this spot. I would not be able to travel to find you. Your presence here signifies greater powers at work.”

Ryson cast a doubtful look upon the sorceress apparition. “That’s the second time I’ve heard that, and I’m not sure I accept it. You talk as if some force is guiding me along. I don’t think so. I was just doing a job and things just happened. It’s hard to imagine that something else might be responsible for me being here.”

Shayed cast aside his doubts. She turned the attention to Ryson’s motionless associate. “I assume it was your speechless companion that spoke of it first.”

Ryson suddenly remembered that Lief was at his side. He turned to see the flustered elf still and quiet. The delver placed a hand on the elf’s shoulder as Lief’s eyes stared unblinkingly at Shayed.

“Hey, Lief.” Ryson shook him lightly. “Are you alright?”

Lief regained his voice, but his skin remained gray. “It is Shayed!”

“I know.” Ryson could not help but chuckle at Lief’s disposition. The stunned expression and the gray pallor of his companion lightened the delver’s mood considerably. For the first time since they met, it was Lief who showed greater surprise at the stirring events which had passed over them.

“Do not make light of this,” the elf clamored. His rising emotions finally chased away the gray pallor and restored a flush red to his cheeks.

“I’m not making light of this,” Ryson said trying to bite back his smile. “But you should see your face. It’s getting red now, but before it was almost as white as hers.”

Lief clenched his teeth but said nothing further.

Shayed beckoned for their attention once more.

“Both of your reactions are quite understandable,” she said calmly. “I assure you, I am glad to see both a representative of the delvers and the elves.” She looked squarely at Lief as if trying to recall his face. “What is your name?”

“I am Lief Woodson.” The elf bowed slightly.

“I am pleased to meet you.” Her voice lost some of its inherent warmth as she pressed the elf for his knowledge. “Do you know what is happening here?”

“I know much less than I would like. We have found a breach in the wall of Sanctum. It must break to the hollow for I can feel the magic flowing through the rift. That also tells me that the sphere remains in Sanctum. As for why the breach exists or as to who might have caused it, I can not say.”

“No one is responsible for the breach,” Shayed stated firmly. “The sphere itself has broken through.”

“That can not be!” the elf blurted out, but he caught his tongue quickly. “Forgive me, I meant no disrespect. I just could not believe that that was possible. But if you say so, then so it must be.”

“You need not apologize, Lief Woodson. I understand your surprise, but rest assured it is true. The sphere has used the power within it to break from its prison. It created the quake to shift the mountain. At the same time, it discharged a powerful blast of energy which created the opening in Sanctum.”

“That would explain what I saw in the crevice,” Ryson acknowledged. He placed a hand to his chin as he recalled the sight of the cavern. As delver’s are capable of doing, a clear image came into his mind and he could see the inside of the tunnel with great detail. “It wasn’t man-made and the force came from within.”

“Your senses are keen, delver,” the apparition said with an even warmer expression. “They will be needed, that is why I believe there are greater powers at work here.”

“You talked about a higher purpose before,” Ryson responded. His voice revealed his skepticism about these greater powers, but for the moment, he turned upon his curiosities of Shayed’s appearance. “Before you start talking about how I’m needed, can you tell me why you’re here?”

Shayed answered without hesitancy. Her words held the conviction that made it clear to Ryson of how she was able to lead the alliance of different races long ago. She spoke with neither pride nor arrogance over her own importance. “I was responsible for encasing the sphere within this mountain. I have come to understand that my decision was neither right nor wrong. It simply delayed the inevitable. Perhaps, it allowed for a time where the participants were better prepared for what they must face. Only time can judge that matter.

“Regardless, the time has come. The sphere can no longer be entombed. There is nothing which might hold it. With each day it becomes more aware of its surroundings. It is slow to think, slower to react. That is why it took so many cycles of the seasons to break free. It will not take as long if the same approach is taken. There is but one thing that must be done. The sphere must be destroyed.”

The mere mention of the destruction of the sphere extracted an animated response from Lief. His own mind raced over the legends of elflore and how Shayed herself gave her very life to prevent the wizards from doing what she now suggested. “Are you sure?” Lief questioned with eyes nearly bulging. “I mean not to question you, but the Wizard War? Was it not fought to prevent that very thing? What of the elves? Will they be safe if the tainted magic is freed?”

“They are not safe now,” Shayed replied with the first hint of sadness. The mention of the war brought a flood of memories, of decisions long ago, actions when she was of mortal body. She continued. “Nor is anyone safe. If it reassures you, it is my belief, no, my acceptance that the destruction of the sphere will not mean the end of the elves. It is the sphere which corrupts the magic, the sphere which creates the poison. If the sphere is destroyed, so will be the poison.”

“Your word is more than enough for me,” Lief stated firmly. Any shred of doubt evaporated with the conviction of Shayed’s words. Lief now stood boldly willing to take up the weight of any endeavor at the simple command of the spirit sorceress. “If you command the sphere to be destroyed, then so it will.”

“Now, wait a minute!” Ryson passed a glance at Lief. The issue of the sphere, the momentary debate, and the final decision all seemed to pass him by. It was his own question of Shayed’s higher purpose that led to each, yet he remained as ill-informed as a newborn. Sentence was past, and he remained uncertain of the very issue at hand. He became almost as demanding in tone as Lief had displayed during their journey to Sanctum. “Maybe all you need is the word of a spirit and you’re off, but I still need to know more about what in the name of Godson is going on here.”

Shayed spoke patiently to the delver. “Your service is needed delver. The services of all races, in fact. The sphere can no longer be held within this mountain or any other mountain. It has gained enough awareness to realize it wishes to break free. There is danger for everyone and everything. The sphere holds the power to destroy all life, to decimate all races and end the eternal conflict.”

“What conflict?” The delver grew frustrated. With every explanation, Shayed created only more questions.

“The conflict between right and wrong, good and evil, happiness and sorrow; that is the conflict I speak of. You must understand that the sphere works for neither side. In effect, it has chosen the only other alternative between these struggles; oblivion. It works for but one purpose, annihilation of everything.”

“The sphere? In this mountain, the sphere wants to destroy everything?” Ryson’s disbelief was obvious.

“I understand your doubt.” Her words rang with sincerity for such a thing seemed almost unthinkable. “What is happening was never foreseen or foretold. Even more disheartening, its final outcome remains unknown. Being of spirit form, I have had the privilege to speak with powers that in different means have passed the prophesies to earth. They all agree upon one thing, the sphere resists the influences of both sides. In truth, there is nothing which will indicate how any of this may turn out. This one event may yet be that which decides whether the struggle between good and evil continues or if oblivion will take both sides.”

“You aren’t making this any clearer to me.”

Shayed spread her transparent arms to her sides. “Think of this land as the great playing field where good and evil compete. It is an ongoing struggle. The prophecies talk of these struggles and their ultimate outcome. Now, however, this land faces something which might intervene, something which might end the struggle in the worst way. Oblivion threatens to run over this land. It threatens to end the struggle with neither side winning. It would mean the end of good, the end of evil, the end of everything. An endless void, no life, no struggle. An option that is unacceptable.”

“Can this be possible?” the delver questioned.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Shayed emphasized. “It has been made possible by the awareness which was created within the sphere. It is something I overlooked when I first probed the energies. The sphere is neither the pawn of evil nor of good. It serves its own purposes, and that is of oblivion. For some unknown reason, it wishes to end the struggle.”

“Let’s say I understand everything you’re saying. What are we supposed to do? I know you said we had to destroy the sphere, but do you have any idea of just how we might do that? I just got through inspecting the tunnel. It’s blocked. There’s a barrier that’s protecting the opening to the inside of this mountain. I don’t think we’re going to be able to break through it.”

“You could not break through it,” Shayed acknowledged. “The sphere absorbed powerful energies during the