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

Mappel’s fateful decision was made. To leave for Burbon or the wilderness meant accepting that Ryson’s appearance in the forest was nothing more than coincidence. It meant that Connel held no significance. Mappel could not accept that.

The mayor, however, maintained a challenging tone. “Does that mean you’re going to explain to me what this new way of life is and what’s causing it?”

Mappel went forward with his decision. He remained, however, cautious in his response.

“You are correct in your assumption Mayor Consprite. The earthquake you felt signified something much more important than a simple shift in the land itself. You may not yet understand the scope of my explanation, but if you consider your own experience I expect you will. Magic is again free in the land.”

The mayor scoffed but kept his attention locked upon the elder elf.

Mappel continued unfailingly. “I do not know your concepts of magic. It must be foreign to you for it has been absent for many of your generations. Your own history, as you understand it, is probably devoid of the true nature of what existed before the humans took command of the land. From what Matthew tells me, only a mere handful even respect the Book of Godson. That in itself tells me that the main body of your race will most likely doubt the truth. They will resist what they will see, but they will not help seeing it.

“And they will see this new age. Whether it is an age of destruction or an age of rebirth is yet to be seen. But none of your people will be able to hide from the truth. The magic is returning. It is the source of all these reports.” Mappel waved his hand over the mayor’s desk.

“Your stories of the undead and of levitation are but the beginning. If you wish to deny the existence of magic, how will you deny the consequences? Spell energy spills over the land. In ways, it can be used, as seen by the boy that discovered the spell of levitation. It has also brought back the creatures of dark wishes, such as the river rogue and the goblins.

“These are but some of the consequences, but know this, the magic returns with the taint of destruction.” The elf’s tone grew with authority as he issued this warning. “It is beyond good, it is beyond evil. It returns with a purpose of obliteration, a purpose it can fulfill. It moves of its own desire. Uncontrolled and mutated energy alters the very fabric of the land. That can be already seen in the appearance of the undead. No current wizard cast a spell to raise the corpse which attacked your people. That is partially the taint of this uncontrolled power. The magic is not pure. Some of the very energies still maintain the direction of spells cast hundreds and hundreds of cycles ago. If allowed unfettered, it will wipe the land free of life, all life. Thus, we return to Connel, return to make yet another stand together to fight the magic just as we did long ago.”

The mayor allowed Mappel’s pause to fill the room with silence for long moments. Finally, he pressed with what he believed to be a major point of interest. “This magic you speak of, it seems you’re saying that this is what’s causing all of the strange occurrences. That may or may not be true. I personally can’t offer any other explanation, but I still have more questions that I would like answered. What has caused the magic to return, where does it come from?”

The mayor thought the elf might hesitate, show weakness, but he did not.

Mappel addressed the mayor with nobility as well as authority. “It comes from the land. It was buried long ago, but it has gained the awareness to free itself.” Mappel saw no advantage to revealing all to the mayor. He was truthful in his response, though not complete. He judged it unwise to reveal the existence of such a powerful talisman as the sphere. “Humans played their part in the Wizard War, and even though most chose to forget this history, it is part of the legends of the land. The alliance of races defeated the magic casters, and the magic was buried in the land to prevent future misuse. The tremor which passed through your town was a signal the magic had been released. That is what is happening to your town. That is what is happening to the entire land. Now, elves, dwarves, algors, delvers and even humans must put aside their mistrust and again work together to end this threat. That is why I am here and why others will soon come.”

At first the mayor said nothing. He unfolded his hands and began lightly tapping his fingers upon his desk. He cast a glance over the papers strewn before him; he then looked up at the pointed ears of the two elves which stood in front of him. He noted the expectant look from the reader, then turned his chair slightly to his left. His gazed up at a portrait of his grandfather that hung proudly upon the wall. The face in the painting stared back blankly.

“Hmmph,” the mayor muttered and shook his head. He paused again, trying to tie the loose ends together. If the story was true, it meant he could do little to return the town back to its previous state of normalcy. No matter what he attempted, panic would most certainly reign. If it were not true, he would be left with no reasonable explanation for the wild events or even the pointed eared people that stood before him.

Only one element offered him any sense of enthusiasm, and that was the existence of such powerful energy. If the bizarre story was true, then this magic was the basis for extraordinary power. That thought enticed him. He almost began salivating. This thought led him to speak.

“I will accept your story, and I will do what I can to help you. I will, however, request that when it comes to dealing with the people of this town, you follow my advice. If you are hesitant about this, I will tell you this as a fact. If we go out and simply announce your story and what is happening, I can guarantee two things. There will be mass panic and they’ll either throw us out of town as a bunch of loons or hang us for being responsible.”

Mappel immediately turned to Matthew for council on this point.

“He’s probably right,” the reader conceded. “People will not simply accept what is happening. They will look right in the face of a monster and still refuse the truth. Very few will take this without causing a riot.”

“Mob rule is an ugly thing,” the mayor added with dramatic accents. “Confused angry citizens can react in ways totally opposite their normal law abiding nature. We ourselves may get ripped apart, torn to pieces by crazed men unwilling to accept what you say.”

“That may be,” Mappel noted, “but the truth can not be hidden from them forever.”

“No it can’t, but we can ease them into it. I ask that you allow me to maintain a low profile on this. Let’s keep things as quiet as possible and avoid raising any immediate hysteria.”

Mappel, while not sensing the true desire of the mayor, still foresaw difficulties. “How can we avoid that? Hopefully, representatives of the algors and the dwarves will be here within a day or two. The humans in your town can not simply ignore their arrival.”

“They don’t have to see their arrival,” Consprite pressed. “You came into town without raising a stir.”

“But we hid our arrival. And our appearance is more or less quite like your own. We simply place a hood upon our head, and any visual difference remains unseen. It is not the case for the others.”

“We can keep them from being seen at all,” Consprite insisted. “I have men working for me that I trust; men that, to a degree, already know of what is happening. I can send them out to meet these guests. They can bring them into town quietly and unobserved.”

“I don’t know.”

Consprite decided to throw one last ace. He played upon the fears he stirred earlier, and again mentioned the high likelihood of outward hostility. “Think of this alternative. One of these strangers walks into town unescorted in plain sight of everyone. Word starts getting out of monsters. What do you think will happen? I’ll tell you. The people will grab clubs and spears and swords and attack the stranger with such viciousness that you will not believe what you see. That is what fear and confusion will do. Will it help your cause if the people you wish to speak to are killed upon entering the streets? Take my word for it; it is the safest way for all involved.”

Again Mappel looked towards Matthew, unable to discern how much truth existed in the words of the mayor. The reader could only whisper that such was possible.

Mappel grudgingly accepted. “There is truth in what you say. It will not help to renew an alliance if any representative is attacked, but I remain wary of leaving the members of your town in the dark about the changes they must all someday face.”

“Let them face it gradually,” Consprite said firmly. “Otherwise they will react violently. That’s what people do when faced with sudden change. Let me deal with it. In the end, it is my responsibility. Would you have someone tell you how to handle the elves? I doubt it. You must allow me the same.”

“Very well,” Mappel said with a heavy sigh. “I will accept you know how to deal with your people as I would expect you to accept my authority regarding the elves.”

“Very good. I will give the order to have guards posted at the outskirts of the towns and on watch for arriving strangers. I will issue them the fastest horses and they will scour the outer farms with diligence. Where should I have your guests brought?”

“To my church,” Matthew replied quickly.

Lief stirred. He had moved away from the mayor, but he had remained observant of all that was said. “How will the elf guards or Ryson Acumen know what the human escorts have in mind? If an elf guard is approached by a human on horseback, it is likely the exchange will not begin pleasantly.”

Mappel took one hand from his staff and placed it upon his chin. “We will have to alert our camp of this,” he said stoically. “Though I am adverse to such, you will have to leave my side to send word to our camp.”

Consprite seized an opportunity to offer a favor to the elves, a favor he hoped to collect upon in the immediate future. “I can have fresh horses prepared for him. If the trip is not far, and goes through nearby towns, I can see to it he’s back quickly.”

Lief refused vehemently. “I will not need a horse when I reach the trees.”

“But you will not have to go far into the trees to do what must be done,” Mappel interrupted. “You need only reach the outskirts of Dark Spruce and call to a perimeter sentry. The elf guard can relay the message back to our camp. You can ride from here to Pinesway and then back. A horse will return you to my side quicker and so it should be done.”

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