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

more of the blade became revealed, it glistened with greater brilliance. It soon magnified the candlelight surrounding it. Tun and Jon squinted only for a moment, but even their dwarf eyes soon grew accustomed to the silvery illumination. Ryson carefully gripped the blade at its center and extended the handle toward Tun.

At first, the dwarf remained frozen in place, his arms folded across his chest. Finally, he extended one hand and took hold of the handle. As he did, the gleaming light of the blade appeared mirrored in his face. The defiant expression softened, and he looked about the room as if seeing all for the first time.

“We must destroy the sphere,” he said calmly.

Jon looked at his brother with both confusion and concern. “Are you sure, Tun?”

Tun released his grip on the handle as he let Ryson take hold of the blade once more. As the delver sheathed the sword, Tun’s understanding remained.

“We have no choice. If we do not, we will all be destroyed.”

“And what of the magic?” the younger dwarf pressed.

“We must learn to live with it. We have no choice.”

“Then we also have the miracle we have been looking for,” Mappel announced with renewed hope and excitement.

“Do not confuse miracles with enlightenment,” Dzeb counseled. “We have been but shown the way. There is much yet to be done.”

“Then let us be started,” Mappel replied quickly. “Let us take advantage of what has happened here. Let us remember this moment as we set out to accomplish what we must do.”

Heads nodded and turned about from one to another. Murmurs of conversation broke from nearly every direction. The chatter brimmed with hope as yet another difficulty was overcome by the apparent means of providence.

It was Ryson who called for attention and brought the focus of the meeting back upon those difficulties which yet remained.

“I don’t mean to bring everyone down, but let’s not forget what we still have to do. We still have to enter Sanctum. There are still the mysteries of the tiers, and there is still one we don’t know. There is no one here that knows what the delvers placed in the mountain. It may take time to uncover that secret.”

“I am afraid, young delver, that will not be possible,” Dzeb said kindly yet firmly. “While the angels which spoke said it would be the decision of those here as to who would go, they made it clear when we must go. We must leave for Sanctum today, before the sun passes overhead.”

The hush held. Sanctum now! No further delay. It was like a death sentence.

Mappel broke the silence with a steady voice. “Listen all of you. We have been led through these most important times so far and have accomplished much. We have done so without the help of ancient prophecies. In every case, we have accepted the circumstances dictated to us. We must continue to do so, and we must do so without hesitancy. If those that enter Sanctum must face a tier without knowing of the danger, we must hope that some way, some how, they will overcome the obstacle as other obstacles have been overcome. It will be enough to reveal those secrets we do know. We have four of the five parts. Let us tell them now. I will begin and state what the elves have …”

Stephen Clarin cut him off abruptly. His voice was full of force.

“No!” The sharp, near angry retort caught the elder elf unprepared, but Stephen continued to speak with forceful determination. “This isn’t the time! I have told you before that we will know when the time has come. The only way it would make sense to reveal them now would be if they could all be revealed together. We are missing the one secret for a reason. The secrets should remain just that. They should only be revealed in Sanctum, to those who face the danger.”

“That is an unnecessary risk,” Mappel argued.

“But it is a risk we must take. You have put faith in my visions. If that is to remain, you must accept everything I see. We can’t pick and choose. We can not say I accept this, but not that. I know that it would be a grave mistake to announce the secrets now. If we leave on this day, we leave without revealing what we know. Otherwise, you might as well refute everything I’ve told you. There is only one way we can proceed at this point. Everyone that must enter Sanctum must know their portion and must be prepared. I know what the humans have placed in Sanctum. I will keep that knowledge to myself. When the ten, of which I am included, face the human tier, I will direct them as to how to proceed. The same will remain true for the dwarves, the algors, and the elves.”

“I agree,” Tun replied sharply. “I will feel safer if I do not know of these secrets until absolutely necessary.”

Mappel could not accept the arrangement. If something had happened to the party of ten, there would be no way to regain the information. If the secrets were brought into Sanctum, they could be easily lost, perhaps forever. How much time would be forfeited in finding the other human with the proper knowledge, or finding algors willing for another siege upon the legendary monument? He spoke of such fears to press his point.

“And what if a mishap falls upon one of the party and the secret becomes buried in an untimely death. I loath to speak of such things, but you are entering Sanctum. If something should happen to you, Stephen Clarin, how would we continue our struggle? The risk is high. We must do whatever is necessary to reduce the risk. Remember, you yourself can not foretell the success or failure of this mission. Should you fail, the rest of us will still strive to destroy the sphere. If we speak of the secrets now, openly, we allow for hope in such a case.”

The interpreter made no indication of backing away from his proposal. It was part of his vision, and thus part of the word of Godson. “If such a thing may happen, and Godson willing it won’t, we will face the unknown tier as we will face the delver tier, prepared for the worst but determined to overcome what might await.”

“He is right,” Lauren added as she looked toward the staircase with renewed distress. “There are other considerations as well. This is no longer the place to discuss such secrets. There are now ears above us, waiting for answers.” Her anguish grew, her alarm more evident than ever. Her mouth hung open, ever so slightly. She stared beyond the ceiling, beyond the walls of the church. She saw into the streets. Her own vision, magical sight, spread like a falcon taking wing. After moments of silent staring, she blinked repetitively. Her voice wavered as she stood with near consuming trepidation. “There is also danger growing outside. We must decide quickly!”

The algors finally spoke up, and as was their norm, the ten spoke in unison.

“We agree with the interpreter. We will hold our secret, but there is one more thing to be determined. In order to match the vision of the interpreter, there is only to be two of us which must go. The rest will stay here. The delver will choose which will go and which will stay.”

“Again?” Ryson heaved a heavy sigh. “You can’t keep asking me to make these decisions. Let Stephen decide which of you best match his vision.”

“I can not distinguish between them,” the interpreter said sadly. “I only know that two should go. I don’t know which two. Which of them knows what is hidden in Sanctum?”

“We all know,” the algors responded in chorus.

Suddenly the algors began speaking separately, one after another, sometimes at the same time.

“We are a community of individuals, but none knows more than another.”

“You can not ask us to pick among ourselves.”

“We all wish to go.”

“We all understand if we have to stay.”

“There is none of here which will assume to make such a decision.”

“If you say that only two may go, then you must tell us which two.”

“The delver has picked wisely before, let him pick again.”

The cacophony of opinions continued until Lauren made a distressed plea. “We don’t have time for this. I feel as if these walls might soon become our prison.”

“Very well, very well,” Mappel urged. “Ryson make your choice. Do not dwell upon it and do not torture yourself. Simply choose and let us be off.”

Ryson closed his eyes as his body became filled with tension. “I don’t like this,” he mumbled to himself. “I have no idea of knowing.” With shoulders slouched, he opened his eyes and pointed to two, hoping to be as random as possible.

“It is done,” Mappel stated as if punctuating the selection. “I do not believe, however, the remaining algors should stay here. If danger is closing as Lauren sees it, we must all leave together. Those algors not chosen may remain with myself and Matthew outside Sanctum as the others make their journey into its midst, unless of course there is an objection.”

At first Mappel looked toward Tun, wondering how he would respond to the accompaniment of algors that would far outnumber any other race. He said nothing, his face still softened from his experience with the Sword of Decree.

He looked next to the algors. They also remained silent.

“Please let us go!” Lauren cried, near begging.

“Get the algors their cloaks,” Mappel instructed both Lief and Holli. “It is mid-morning with many around. I dislike leaving at such a time. We must at least make an attempt to avoid attention.”

Holli and Lief moved with swiftness.

The dwarves kept coats by their sides and gathered them around their shoulders. If they kept their hoods up and hid their beards, they would appear as nothing more than powerful youths, not yet done growing.

“What about Dzeb?” Ryson asked. “How are we going to hide him?”

“You can’t hide him,” Lauren stated, still beseeching the others to move quickly. “Many saw him enter the town. They know he’s here. That’s what brought so much attention on us in the first place.”

“Then I will leave as I entered,” Dzeb said firmly.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Matthew stated with a hint of sadness. “Many humans will hate you simply based on how you look. With what is going on in the land, they might attack based on nothing more.”

“I will trust in Godson to protect me.”

“We couldn’t hide him if we wanted to,” Mappel said with finality. “His height and size would make any attempt foolish.”

Lief and Holli had returned and the algors were quickly fastening their cloaks. The party gathered together near the stairs, but Mappel stopped them for one last moment.

“Alone we face uncertainty, but together you can overcome the mysteries of Sanctum and the threat that burdens the land. Forget now of what you don’t know, and bring to mind that what you do. I ask of each of you that will enter Sanctum to consider what you know of what lies ahead and if you have the means to deal with it. Keeping our secrets does not mean denying the ability of the party to overcome the obstacles. I will tell you now that although what awaits you in the elfin tier will not be easily passed, it can be done with what you now possess. What of the rest of you?”

Tun answered first. “The dwarf tier is first. My brother and I are prepared with the proper knowledge. If those that follow us will