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

Lief, Holli and Ryson kept their focus on the first visible step. They were the first to see the huge gray foot which broke the plane of the doorway. It dropped down and landed upon the top step with a dull thud. Immediately, a second foot of equally mammoth size moved into the light of the cellar lamps and fell upon the next step down.

Ryson’s eyes grew as wide as their sockets as he witnessed ankles and shins roughly the size of huge tree trunks. Step by step, more of the visitor became revealed to all those that watched in awe. It barely fit through the arch of the staircase. Had the clearing for the steps been the span of a hand narrower, the passage would not have allowed entry. Even now, the mammoth visitor was forced to bend and twist to pass through the tight fit. When the newcomer finally moved beyond the last step and fully into the basement chamber, he continued to slouch so as not to scrape the top of his head upon the ceiling.

Ryson’s mouth hung open ever so slightly. He blinked once, then again, but the sight remained before him. When having to describe the cliff behemoth to others in the future, he would simply ask the listener to imagine what a giant boulder would look like if it grew arms, legs and a head. Put a green and brown tunic over it, and you would have what Ryson now witnessed.

The skin of this giant looked as rough as sand paper and as hard as rock. The head, held lofty in the air upon a short powerful neck, was round but flat on the top. Deep rounded sockets held innocent blue eyes. A deep short slit under a round pudgy nose formed the mouth. There was no hair anywhere to be seen. None of its muscle structure appeared under the thick hide, and thus, it appeared as one solid, rather inflexible mass as opposed to a composition of bone, muscle and skin.

Both Lief and Holli lowered their bows as the giant stood motionless before them. Ryson’s dagger dangled in his hand, but astonishment precluded any decision of using it.

Lauren spoke first. “He means us no harm.” Her voice held a certainty as if this was a common fact.

“Of course he doesn’t,” Mappel echoed in a voice filled with relief. His eyes, however, darted back and forth from the cliff behemoth to the ceiling overhead. His expression revealed his misgiving over what was occurring beyond the basement chamber. Voices of panic still cried out both in the church as well as in the streets beyond the door.

“I am afraid my entrance has upset many, but the will of Godson is clear. Nothing must stand in the way.” The cliff behemoth’s voice carried as if a feather blown by the wind. It was soft and gentle, but it flowed to the furthest corners of the room. Its soft melody was a stark contrast to the newcomer’s physical appearance.

Mappel’s eyes fixed upon the cliff behemoth. He now ignored the clamor over his head. Stephen Clarin also looked on in increased interest, but it was the elf that asked the question that burned both their minds.

“Why has Godson’s will brought you here?”

The behemoth spoke in the same soft tone. “It is our task to deal with the sphere. It is the will of Godson.”

Stephen Clarin stood and he blurted out his own revelation with both excitement and amazement. “You are the last of the group! It is all clear to me now! You are the tenth!”

The interpreter’s outburst ripped Mappel’s attention from the cliff behemoth. The elder elf took a hand from his staff and rubbed his forehead in weary confusion.

“This is all happening much too fast,” he admitted.

“No, it’s true,” Stephen insisted. “I could not see him because I could not understand what I saw. I thought it was a shape that still had not taken form. But it had! And it was that form!”

“I do not understand everything he says, but most is very clear and I do know the will of Godson,” the cliff behemoth spoke to all in the room. “I am to accompany you to the mountain you call Sanctum. There we must deal with the sphere and end the threat to all Godson’s followers.”

Matthew moved from his place and stepped forward to meet the giant. “I am Matthew. I am the reader for this church, it is a Church of Godson. I do my best to follow the ways. I have read about cliff behemoths, how they devote their lives to the word and the ways. It is an honor to meet you.”

“I am indeed a cliff behemoth. My name is Dzeb. And it is a pleasure to meet a human who has not forgotten the word.”

Matthew could not help but smile broadly. The appearance of a cliff behemoth did as much to strengthen his faith as all the revelations of the interpreter. “Thank you, thank you. All of the followers of this church do their best to remain faithful, though we would never boast of matching the faith of your kind.”

Dzeb nodded in appreciation of the benevolent words, but this friendly meeting was quickly interrupted by Mappel who appeared to regain his composure.

“Come forward Dzeb. It is true what you say. We are preparing to deal with the sphere, but there is much I need to ask you. Much that may help us on our way.”

Dzeb walked further into the room as Lief, Holli, and Ryson followed behind. A bench would not hold his weight so he continued to stand, although in a hunched position. Everyone else in the room now also stood in respect for the cliff behemoth’s difficulties.

“There is little to discuss,” Dzeb said with the same comforting voice. There was no hostility in these words, no sense of defiance or challenge. He spoke as if everyone was already in agreement. “The angels of Godson have brought the message, a message received by all cliff behemoths. I knew of your presence here before I entered this building. I am to accompany you to Sanctum where we must deal with the sphere. It is very simple. This man knows that.” He nodded to Stephen Clarin. He then turned to another. “This one knows as well, although the knowledge is not yet clear to him. It will come as time passes.”

“You mean me?” Ryson could not control his surprise.

“Yes. You are the delver?”

“Yes, but …”

Dzeb did not let Ryson finish. “Give yourself time delver. You will understand much in the time to come. What is your name?”

“Ryson Acumen.”

Mappel took the opportunity to introduce all to the cliff behemoth. When he was finished, he pressed for greater details of the giant’s knowledge of the sphere.

“I do not wish to insult you, Dzeb,” Mappel spoke guardedly, “but I must know why the cliff behemoths feel they must participate in this matter. You must tell me more than it is Godson’s will.”

“Should that not be enough?” Dzeb questioned.

“To your people it would undoubtedly be enough. To many in this room, it would be enough as well. But there are those that see things differently than the cliff behemoth. You must at least acknowledge that.”

“Yes, that is true.” Sadness did not show on the giant’s face, but it was now evident in his voice. “It seems as time moves on, more move away from the word and the way.”

Mappel quickly took the reins of the conversation as he endeavored to direct it toward gaining the knowledge he so direly needed. “I do not wish to dishearten you and by no means do I question your intentions. The help of a cliff behemoth is a benefit I would have never dared hope, but cliff behemoths were not present during the Wizard War. Your kind was not concerned with the sphere during its entombment. Why now?”

“The sphere has changed,” Dzeb answered simply. “The Wizard War was a conflict of individuals, those that wanted the magic free and those that wanted the magic removed from the land. Such matters are not the concern of Godson, thus they are not the concern of cliff behemoths.”

“But what of the taint?” Mappel persisted. “The taint was a threat to all.”

“True, but the war was not about the poison in the air. Had it been, we might have joined. At first, the battle was about stopping Ingar. We watched closely at that point. The outcome would impact the land, but Ingar was defeated. After that, it became a battle over what to do with the sphere, individuals arguing over what should be done, arguing over a choice. We kept our distance.”

“We argue over that now,” Mappel said with an edge, and he glanced over his shoulder at Tun. “We are trying to decide what to do about the sphere and this threat.”

“Has this one not told you what must be done?” Dzeb pointed to Stephen, his large finger cut the air like a giant spear.

“He has, but others still need to be convinced.”

Dzeb merely shook his head as he dropped the accusing finger.

“Tell me what you believe is going on with the sphere now?” Mappel urged. “That may be what some need to hear in order to convince them of what we must do.”

“It is challenging the will of Godson.” For the first time Dzeb’s words sounded almost harsh, but they soon returned to the soft tone which was their norm. “This can not be allowed.”

“It is true then,” Stephen blurted out with a half gasp. “How can this be possible?”

“All living things have the freedom of choice,” Dzeb announced kindly. “That too is the will of Godson and perhaps the most important ingredient of life in this land. We all choose what path to follow, whether it is in the light of Godson or in the dark paths. The sphere has become conscious, and therefore it has the ability to choose. Usually the choice of one has little impact on the land. In rare cases, a choice of an individual can affect thousands of creatures. In this case, considering the power of the sphere, its choice affects us all.”

“Then the sphere is alive?” Matthew asked, nearly dumbfounded by the possibility.

“I would say no.” Dzeb spoke almost cautiously now. “It is my belief that only Godson can grant life. Awareness and consciousness is another matter. Dark forces have been known to grant such powers, but they can not create a soul. I know this is very confusing, but it is the best I can do to explain. It is told that such things will be made clear to us when we all finally meet Godson. The important matter is that the sphere is now conscious and aware of its surroundings. It wishes to destroy the land. For what reason, I do not know. It is our honor to stop this. I will accompany those you send to Sanctum and we shall deal with the sphere.”

Mappel still struggled for greater detail from the cliff behemoth. “You keep saying that, but I don’t understand what you mean. How do we deal with the sphere?”

“It must be destroyed.”

Tun quickly raised a challenging voice. Even though Dzeb stood much more than twice his height, the dwarf looked at the giant with unrelenting defiance. “Of that I have still not been convinced.”

Dzeb calmly eyed the antagonistic Tun for but a moment. “Now I understand.” He slowly turned his head toward Ryson. “Give him your sword,” the giant requested. “Let him hold the handle with the blade free of its sheath.”

Ryson shrugged, but did not hesitate in obeying. He carefully guided the sword from its scabbard. As