Delver Magic II: Throne of Vengeance, Jeff Inlo [graded readers .TXT] 📗

With the second peak now completely in sight, he stopped to make a quick appraisal. He would find Dzeb in the higher portion, but which side? He could not guess. He would have to search further as he climbed.

His legs pumping like pistons, his hands pulling him over ledges, Ryson ascended the bottom half of this mountain in a blur. Tall pines which covered the base served as much as ladders as they did as obstacles. Once above the tree line, he relied upon the jagged ledges of the mountain side. Loose rocks remained a danger, but so perfect was his balance that even when a handhold gave way, he remained in control of his climb.

As he closed upon the peak, he slowed his pace. He began searching the rocks. He spied many cavities and large boulders, all of which could have hid the cliff behemoth from his sight, or even several of the gentle giants.

“I wonder how many are up here on this one,” he wondered aloud.

Again, he could not guess. He began to alter his path. Instead of taking a direct ascension, he began to cut a diagonal course over the mountainside. He peered into many a rock formation, but found nothing. Frustration loomed. He felt the pressure of time once more. He called for the cliff behemoth.

“Dzeb! Dzeb, it’s Ryson, Ryson Acumen!”

No reply.

“Can you hear me?! I need to talk to you.”

He heard only the echo of his voice. He grunted with dissatisfaction. He looked to the peak. He could reach it quickly. Upon that ridge, he would be able to look down and perhaps spot his objective from a new perspective. As he reached the precipice, his search came to an end.

The cliff behemoth known as Dzeb stood stoically with eyes searching the skies. He made no acknowledgment to the delver. It was a question as to whether or not he even knew Ryson was there. His back remained to the delver and he made no attempt to turn. If not for the green tunic, Dzeb appeared just like another rock, a statue carved in the image of a simple giant.

Ryson’s excitement jumped. He ran to the behemoth, rounded his side to face him. His smile grew as he felt Dzeb’s warm eyes wash over him.

“It is good to see you, Ryson Acumen,” Dzeb welcomed.

“It’s good to see you,” Ryson admitted. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“And so you have found me.”

Ryson did not want to appear assertive, and he voiced his reservations. “I hope I’m not disturbing you. It’s just that I have an important need.”

“You are always welcome here,” Dzeb replied with such innocence. “Godson still smiles upon you. His blessing warms the very space you fill.”

The statement humbled the delver. It was difficult for him to respond. The cliff behemoth was the most spiritual creature he had ever met. He could never consider himself an equal in such regard. Still, his need was great. If a perceived blessing would help him, he would not ignore the opportunity. “I can’t say if this is the will of Godson or not, but I know it is important. Will you listen to a request?”

“Only the foolish would disregard the thoughts of one who stands in such light. What is your request?”

Ryson began with Yave’s actions as he understood them. He described the attacks of the dwarves on the algors, the elves and the humans. He noted the sadness in Dzeb’s expression as he detailed the losses. The sadness only grew when he spoke of the elves intentions to unleash the shadow trees. The anguish appeared to turn to abhorrence as Ryson announced the algors plan to use sand giants to counter-attack. He hoped such signs of emotion were but a precursor to Dzeb’s acceptance to help.

“I just can’t let this go on like this,” Ryson continued. “I can’t imagine how many will die if this madness isn’t stopped. And it is madness. You were there. You know what’s true. The algors weren’t responsible for Tun’s death. Yave is allowing her grief to spread. That’s wrong. When I look back at what we did at Sanctum, I’m proud. We stood together. Yave is killing that. This war is destroying what we accomplished. I think its destroying what was meant to be.”

For the second time that day, a cliff behemoth corrected Ryson on his interpretations. “No one of this land can destroy what Godson dictates. The land was saved, the sphere was destroyed. That was Godson’s wish. This war you describe can not change that.”

Ryson was slightly taken aback. “But it can. I mean, it can’t bring the sphere back. I’m not worried about that, but it can destroy the land, or at least part of it. This war could get out of hand. An entire race can perish. That’s not what happened at Sanctum. We were all brought together to save the land. I’m sure you would say that Godson brought us together. I won’t argue that. But now, now it’s all falling apart and the very events at Sanctum are at the core of this. I can’t believe that’s what Godson wants.”

“We are not always blessed with knowledge of Godson’s intentions. It is not ours to question.”

“I’m sure it’s not, but we still have to act within our own conscience. We have a chance to stop this war. That’s why I’m here. I want you to come back with me. I want you to go with me to the dwarf city of Dunop. Yave can dispute me, but she can’t dispute the word of a cliff behemoth.”

Dzeb looked away. There was sorrow on his face.

The cliff behemoth’s hesitancy hit Ryson like a falling anvil. He never expected even a chance of Dzeb declining. He expected immediate acceptance. It was not there.

“I don’t really think it’s dangerous,” Ryson spouted. He did not really think this was the cause for Dzeb’s initial reaction, but he was at a loss for any other explanation. “I doubt the dwarves would even threaten you with any harm.”

“I do not fear the dwarves,” Dzeb replied simply, but his voice now carried the same reluctance which remained in his vacant stare.

Ryson scrambled for an understanding of Dzeb’s position. “Does that mean you’ll help me?”

“I don’t know what kind of assistance I can offer you.”

Ryson swept his hand over the top of his head and down to the back of his neck. He kneaded his own tightening muscles as his anxiety began to balloon. “All I want you to do is tell the truth. Everyone knows that cliff behemoth’s can do nothing else. Tell the dwarves that the algors were not responsible for Tun’s death. Tell Yave that what she’s doing is wrong. That should be enough to stop this thing.”

“What if it wasn’t meant to be stopped?”

Ryson’s eyes nearly bulged with bewilderment. “Excuse me?”

Dzeb spoke with simple reason, with no inflection of emotion. “You are asking me to interfere in the workings of the land. I am not so sure that interference is justified.”

“How can it not be?” Ryson blurted.

“As I said before, it is not ours to question the will of Godson.”

“So you’re saying Godson may want this war? You can’t really mean that?”

“No, I don’t. Godson does not want war, but He does sometimes leave the workings of the land to itself.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying. Is it that you don’t want to help me?”

“I would like to help you. As I said, it would be foolish to disregard the thoughts of someone like yourself, but what you ask has the potential for great impact. You wish me to get involved with the decisions and the actions of others. If you would have your way, you would have me dictate to others what they can and what they can not do. That is not my place. It is only Godson that may make such a decision.”

Confusion continued to haunt the delver. He was not prepared to debate Dzeb. He thought his only difficulty would be in finding the cliff behemoth. His astonishment spewed forth in his words. “Do I understand you right? You don’t want to help because you think it would be like interfering in other people’s business? Well, so what if it is? We’re talking about a lot of innocent lives. We’re talking about stopping a war. You can’t possibly be against that.”

“I am against clashing with the will of Godson,” Dzeb answered simply.

Ryson surged with confusion. “You know, you’re talking in circles. You said Godson wouldn’t want a war. That’s what I’m trying to stop. If you follow the word of Godson, you should want to do the same thing.”

Dzeb shook his head. “It is not my right to question Godson’s will. If he wishes it to be stopped, he will stop it.”

“Maybe Godson wants us to stop it. Maybe that’s why I’m here, talking to you now. Isn’t that possible?”

“If He did want this war stopped, I would not be able to refuse Him.”

“Maybe you are right now.”

“I could not.”

Ryson heaved a heavy breath of frustration.

“Look, we’re not getting anywhere and what’s worse, I don’t understand why. As far as I can tell, you admit that Godson wouldn’t want a war. At the same time, you say you won’t do anything to stop it. Explain that to me.”

Most of the time, faith can not be explained. Questioning a cliff behemoth about Godson was like questioning why water was wet. At this moment, however, Dzeb made the attempt to clarify his meaning. Perhaps, he was simply justifying his position for his own conscience, or perhaps he simply felt the need to explain himself to the delver.

“Godson does not impose his will on everything, on every creature that walks this land. It is ours to decide whether to accept his guidance or not. I have accepted the word of Godson. I do not question His intentions. I also do not force my opinions on others. It would be prideful to make such an attempt. I am simply a follower of the word. It is not my place to force my interpretations on others. If Yave refuses the peaceful word of Godson, her actions will speak of such. It is her right. It is also her responsibility. I can not take that away from her. She must choose her path. It is how she will be judged.”

The words stung at the delver. He could not accept this explanation. He wasn’t trying to stop Yave from choosing a path of religion, he was trying to stop a war. Why couldn’t Dzeb see that? “So if Yave chooses a direction which would endanger the lives of hundreds, or even hundreds of thousands, we’re all supposed to just accept that?”

“Yave must be free to choose her own way,” Dzeb repeated. “I must not intervene, I must not try to force my beliefs upon her. That is not the way of Godson.”

Ryson gave up on his first course of logic. He turned, instead, upon the peaceful beliefs of the cliff behemoths.

“Wait, wait. Just hold on. You’re talking about how we have the freedom to make our own decisions. Well, that’s what you’re facing right now. I need your help, but you seem to be saying that it’s alright if we just do nothing. Let’s forget about Yave for a moment. Let’s just talk about you. I’m asking you to stop a war. You have the power to do that. Are you refusing?”

“I am not refusing to stop a war. I am allowing others to determine their own way.”

Ryson exploded. “Wrong! You are refusing. You’re making a conscious decision not to help. That’s not something