Delver Magic III: Balance of Fate, Jeff Inlo [most popular ebook readers .txt] 📗

the land that no sane person could have expected. Go back to the last dormant season when we didn’t know about Ingar’s sphere or magic beyond a simple card trick. Try to tell me that anyone could have imagined the dark creatures that now walk the land would actually exist in anything other than a fairy tale. And look at me. I’m a wizard with power on an unimaginable scale. And now look at you, for all of my power, there’s not a spell that I can cast that can harm you.”

Linda did not wish to discuss the magic and refocused on the purpose that brought her here. “I don’t know anything about that, but I know it doesn’t explain why you would help me and you won’t help others.”

Enin appeared to grow more than slightly irritated at this comment. “First of all, I’m more than willing to help others. I’m just not willing to interfere on such a large scale. Second, if you allow me to finish you will understand that it does explain why I went to Tabris for you.”

Linda bit down on her lip and remained quiet as Enin continued.

“I realize that because you can not feel or touch the magic in any way, it is more of a mystery to you than perhaps any other being in this land. Very few have the ability to cast spells of any significance, but even those that are not spell casters can at least sense the magic. Perhaps that’s why there’s not mass chaos. In the backs of their minds, people know that the magic is present and that this explains to them the reason for the enormous changes we face. There really is no other answer. You just can’t take a bunch of goblins, shags, river rogues and Godson knows what else is out there, throw them into the midst of reasonable people and not expect them to wonder about their own sanity. But if they already know something in the very air is different, then they can step back from the chaos and not lose their minds.

“Now, let’s consider someone that can’t sense the magic—someone like you. You are holding onto reason simply because everyone else is much more accepting of the situation. Still, it has to be beyond unnerving to you. You can’t sense the energy because you can’t touch it in anyway, and it can’t touch you. You have no inner connection with the magic. If you did, you would have some insight that the power itself is not inherently evil and that it is not meant to harm us. The rest of us that can touch the magic, even in small ways, understand that this energy can be used for great things. Magic does not cause pain, does not cause hardship. It is corrupt beings that use the power with evil intentions that cause the troubles we face. You, however, can not touch the magic, so it remains an absolute unknown to you.

“When you came to me and explained your worries of Tabris, I understood them far better than you realized. Tabris threatened Ryson and Tabris is a very powerful sorceress. The magic she controls is an aberration to you. It was as if your worst fears were coming to life. Now I knew that Ryson could not be truly hurt by Tabris, but because of your fears, you could not accept that. As I have said before, by warning Tabris I did not interfere in any way in what might come to pass. All I did was assist you in facing something you did not have the ability to face on your own.”

Linda stared at the ground. She did not look up when she asked the question she now very much needed an answer to.

“How do you know that Tabris can’t hurt Ryson? How do you really know that?”

Enin almost cursed. In the end, he decided to reveal what he knew. “The magic allows me to see the destinies of others. I often see what people must face in the future. I am aware that Ryson must face another great challenge. He can not avoid it. It must happen. Because of that, I can predict that nothing will prevent him from facing that challenge. Tabris understood this as well when I told her that. If she indeed had any plans to seek out Ryson, they died at that moment because she knew it would be a waste of her time and effort. Do you see? I didn’t interfere. I didn’t sway anyone’s choice. I simply told her what was obvious to me.”

Linda appeared to accept this at face value, but then asked the obvious question. “What is this challenge Ryson has to face?”

Enin turned stoic, his voice flat with simple determination. “That is something I can not reveal to you, at least not now. I was not against warning Tabris for you for all the reasons I explained, but I can not begin revealing things without considering all the consequences that might follow. Anything I say might change your outlook, or Ryson’s, and that would indeed be interfering. It is not my place to simply divulge these things on a whim, so please do not ask again.”

Linda was certainly not happy with this answer, but for the moment, she did not press that specific issue. There was, however, more she wanted to know. “Do you see destiny in all people?”

“Most people, but not all,” Enin stated plainly enough. “I’m not sure why. That’s just the way it is.”

“Do you see a destiny in me?”

“No, but understand that means very little because of your gift. You are immune to the magic and thus your destiny might simply be guarded from my sight because the energies I interact with can not touch your essence. What I believe, however, is that most people eventually figure out their destiny. They make choices based on who they are, what they have become, how they have lived their lives, but in the end, we all tend to reach a point where we have to face something whether we like it or not. At that point, we face our destiny by dealing with it the best way we know how.”

With this, Enin had finally said something that might not have made complete sense to Linda, but she was able to take hold of it in her own mind. She seized upon it and made her own understanding clear. “You’re talking about knowing what we’re supposed to do,” she stated with renewed confidence. “Sometimes we don’t know what we’re doing or why we’re doing things, but at some point, certain things become very clear to us. I don’t need magic to do that. My destiny is to help Ryson. I know that deep inside.”

Enin smiled. “I won’t argue with you on that.”

#

“I am Ryson Acumen. I am a friend of Jon Folarok and I wish to see him.” With that one statement and the Sword of Decree in his hand, Ryson, Lief and Holli were allowed to pass through the streets of Dunop with a full dwarf escort. He held the weapon low at his hip with the tip pointed to the ground. The blade magnified the light that was reflected into this deep underground city through an elaborate configuration of mirrors.

The dwarfs they passed eyed the elves suspiciously but most bowed their heads slightly in acknowledgement to the delver. There was no clamor of hostility, there were no shouts of rage. Tensions were noticeably reduced since the last time Ryson and Lief walked upon the roads of Dunop.

The delver and two elves remained calm as they traveled the impressive underground tunnels through the city of Dunop. Even though Ryson had seen these vast caves before, he still marveled at the impressive dwarf architecture. The most amazing structure of all was the grand palace that stood at the heart of Dunop. It’s cascading, spiraling towers stretched from the lowest visible bowels to the highest points of the rock ceiling overhead. They stood like mammoth pillars that supported the entire weight of the land that rested above this city of engineering audacity.

As the three visitors were escorted into the palace, Ryson recalled the layout of these halls and realized they were being brought directly to the throne room. He wondered if he would be greeted by Jon Folarok, he wondered if Jon had perhaps recovered from his state of utter withdrawal, but all such speculations ended when he spied a dwarf woman sitting at the head of the room.

The three walked directly up to this woman and briefly bowed their heads in acknowledgement of the woman’s obvious standing of authority, but none of the three recognized her.

Surprisingly, the woman smiled upon them all.

“Welcome my friends,” she said in a deep, thick voice. There was sincerity in her words, that much was clear. The easy stance of her short, stout body gave every indication that she held no animosity to any of those that entered. She sat relaxed and waved her arm toward the delver with open enthusiasm. “A grateful salutation to you, Delver Acumen. You are always free to enter Dunop for its people know you as honorable. I am Therese Folarok, Queen of Dunop.”

Ryson appeared very much bewildered, but tried to speak through his confusion. “Thank you, uhmm, please don’t take this the wrong way, but I didn’t think there was another Folarok to take the throne. When I left, it was just Jon, and he was not in the best of conditions.”

A brief hint of sadness washed across the dwarf queen’s otherwise animated face. “Unfortunately, Jon’s condition has not changed since your last visit. He remains very much within himself. He will not talk to anyone and shows little regard for anything that goes on around him. As for there not being another Folarok, that was true then, but no longer true now. My great grandfather married the niece of a Folarok prince. Although I did not carry the name, I have always carried the blood. In order to bring stability to Dunop, it was conceived that I should marry Jon Folarok to take the name as well. Though Jon is still king and the acknowledged ruler of Dunop, I am accepted as the leader.”

Lief kept his own tone respectful, but he could not refrain from asking the question that burned his own mind. “And do the dwarves of Dunop accept your authority?”

“There is no challenge to my role,” Therese stated as a matter of fact. “Dunop has much to recover from, and the mistakes of Yave and those that wished to destroy the monarchy have received the appropriate blame.”

“That’s good to hear,” Ryson stated with a sense of relief. Then his mind turned over the series of events described by this new queen and a curious question popped into his mind. “I don’t mean to pry into your affairs, but I am confused. Jon wasn’t married when I left and he was in no condition to do much of anything. If he’s still withdrawn from everything, how was it possible for you to marry him?”

Therese showed no sign of holding back, no desire to try and hide the circumstances of her partnering to Jon. “Jon was able to walk with only slight assistance to the sacred alter of Krajkar which is the required setting for royal weddings. While he did not speak, he was able to nod at appropriate times. I believe he understood exactly what was going on and welcomed the situation. Since the ceremony, he has shown very slight signs of recovery. He still has a long way to go, but somehow I think he knows a great burden has been lifted from him.”

“And put on you,” Ryson offered.

“Fah, I was aware of that