Spirit Past (Book 8) (35 page)

"Defeat me? If I take you, I will have your power... and your capacity for magic. Imagine what I can do through you. Nothing can stop me, not even a ghost!"

Enin decided to turn the tables on the demon master and reveal what was very apparent.

"And just as you can see my guilt, I can see your fear. Despite your claims, you are afraid of the spirit."

"I do not deny it," the daokiln snickered again. "Fear is a part of me as much as hate and anger. The latter, however, always wins. I will not run. Speaking of which, by facing me, you're putting this town in danger. If you really wished to protect Burbon, shouldn't you have left?"

"No, that would be running away. That's not something Sy would excuse. It would also enable you to escape him, which is something I will not allow."

"So what do you expect me to do at this point?" the beast wondered aloud. "Hurl destructive spells in every direction? Threaten to kill the innocent humans of this city? I assume you think this will bring out the protective nature of the spirit, and he might come to your aid. Or maybe you intend to cast defensive spells of your own to save the town and win back the loyalty of the dead captain. Unfortunately for you, I am not that careless. I have no intention of doing any damage or causing any pain, except of course to you. If the ghost was going to protect you, he'd be here by now."

"Maybe," Enin allowed, "or maybe he wants to see what I'll do. You may rule over my past mistakes, but I can still use them for my own benefit as well."

Neltus shook his head in disgust.

"And will you now give me some pathetic lecture about learning from your errors? Spare me."

Enin was indeed prepared to spare the demon master of any further remarks and allow the battle to take shape. He was very aware, however, of Sy's presence. There was a power in the air beyond magic. It was an overwhelming sensation, and it brought him the conflicting emotions of both hope and guilt. He needed to reveal his view of the conflict, needed Sy to understand why he chose to remain in Burbon.

"No," Enin stated forcefully, "I will spare you from nothing. You will face this moment just as I must... with a clear understanding of why I have to face you here and now.

"This isn't just about past errors and bad judgment. I'm talking about honesty. I can look at my entire past—not just my mistakes—and hold myself to the same standards I have placed upon others. It has always been my intention to avoid interference, to let each individual forge his or her own path.

"Even in this conflict, I have allowed for a great degree of personal latitude. I let Ansas take charge because I hoped he would learn to work with others. I also wanted Jure and Ryson to let go of their anger towards him.

"It's always been like that for me. I've stood back and allowed others to face their demons, even when I had the power to save them. Now it's my turn to face a greater power, to see if I can rise to the occasion or if I'll fall to fear.

"Sy is going to want to see that, too. He died facing overwhelming odds. He knows I could have saved him. I know it as well, but I had to let certain events transpire, even when the results were disastrous.

"As for overwhelming odds, I've never had to face that... until now. I've always been powerful enough to defeat any foe. With the magic within me, I was always superior. That's not the case here."

Enin exhaled heavily as he considered everything he had professed. He didn't think about the words. They just flowed from his mouth, but he knew he believed in them.

"So this is not about me saving Burbon or even sacrificing myself," Enin concluded. "This is about me accepting the same responsibility I have placed upon others. In that regard, I hope to win this battle."

"Nice speech," the daokiln growled through a sneer on Neltus' face. "But that does not change certain facts. You cannot defeat me. I will take control of you, and then, when I can feed my energy through your body and mix my magic with yours, all of Uton will fall. Nothing will stop me."

Enin found Reiculf's confidence puzzling and decided to pour doubt on the daokiln's intentions.

"You're missing an important piece of the puzzle. The very idea that a guardian spirit exists is a larger threat to you than you will allow. You said if you take my powers that you would become unstoppable. Nonsense. If Sy Fenden's soul can still protect this town after his death, then you will never be unstoppable. That is something even you cannot deny."

"Deny? I can deny everything. It is what I do."

Reiculf had grown angry. The threat of the guardian spirit made him wary, but even as he took his first step toward Enin, the ghost of Sy Fenden failed to appear. He took another step and his confidence grew. He smiled wickedly as his eyes turned pale white, the dark brown pupils no longer visible.

The daokiln had pressed more of his consciousness into Neltus' form. He wanted to feel the exquisite thrill when he took hold of Enin's essence. He craved the moment he could transfer his immense power through the wizard's vast magical core. It would amount to unparalleled freedom. Though his daokiln form would have to remain in Demonspawn, the consciousness and energy he could funnel through Enin's body would allow him to experience unbridled liberty and invade any plane of existence.

As he watched Neltus move toward him, Enin realized Reiculf's intentions. There would be no magical battle, no contest of spells. The daokiln planned to simply take his essence by brute force alone. He knew his spirit was in great peril, and he had to defend himself.

Hoping to hold off the daokiln for as long as possible, Enin concentrated upon building a wall of magic between himself and the approaching enemy. Two circles of white magic flew off his hands and formed a curved wall which grounded itself deep into the road. The base of the barrier formed a strong foundation that became one with the stout heart of the town. Enin had placed a desire for firm structure into his defense, and it fed off of Burbon's orderly essence. He pressed an enormous amount of his own energy into the wall as well, and he hoped the combination of forces would hold firm.

Directed onward by Reiculf, Neltus pushed through the wall with ease. The ground shook as the wall crumbled into flashes of magical destruction. He smirked as he marched forward. He would be upon the wizard in less than a dozen steps and still there was no sign of the guardian spirit.

His defensive spell utterly destroyed, Enin placed his final hope on one last thrust of power. If he could not overcome Reiculf's magic, he had to try to destroy Neltus' body. He
did not wish to kill the crimson casting wizard, but he saw no other way to save himself, and in turn, save Uton.

He lifted both arms, pointed his hands at the center of Neltus' chest, and let fly every strand of magic within him, as well as that which he could retrieve from his surroundings. He pulled energy from the ground, the air, and even from Burbon itself. Outside the town walls, he called to the trees in Dark Spruce and the water running in the
Fuge River.

The single spell of colossal energy had one purpose, one target. Enin placed the desire for complete destruction into the magical flow and directed it entirely upon his enemy.

The sheer strength surprised Reiculf, and for one brief instant, it rattled the daokiln's grip upon the crimson casting wizard. Neltus regained control just long enough to reveal a devastating fear of death.

"What are you doing?" Neltus pleaded with his own voice.

"What I must," Enin responded.

Neltus' body shook violently, almost began to fade away. The spell was about to thrust the wizard into oblivion, but just as Neltus' body became transparent, three rings of colorless, distorted energy rotated around his torso. Neltus' form solidified and Reiculf placed his consciousness back within the crimson wizard's mind.

The moment of vulnerability passed quickly, and the daokiln reasserted firm control. As Enin's spell dissipated into wisps of weakening force, Neltus' expression of panic had washed away. The devious grin fueled by Reiculf returned.

"You would have killed the human wizard?" the daokiln's voice once again growled out of Neltus' mouth.

"I cannot let you take me."

"It seems you no longer have a choice. I have withstood your spell, and you have little magic left. You did better than I expected, but still you have lost. You are mine now."

Reiculf pressed Neltus' body forward once more. In a few steps, he would have his ultimate victory. He would viciously take a portion of Enin's core and mix it with his own. He would then pour his magical essence into the body of the wizard. Controlling both Neltus and Enin, he would rip Uton to pieces.

The apparition materialized directly behind Neltus. It remained completely silent. Unnoticed by the daokiln, the ghostly hand of Sy Fenden reached through Neltus' back and ended the threat.

Neltus collapsed immediately. He remained still, but only for a few moments. His eyes blinked wildly as the pale whiteness that once engulfed his pupils receded. He coughed and shuddered, then spat a foul taste from his mouth. After flailing about, he struggled to his feet, looked upon Enin, and then turned to face the apparition.

"What happened? What did you do?"

The spirit said nothing.

Neltus turned to face Enin again. He recalled a portion of the battle, remembered the brief moment his consciousness was freed of Reiculf's control.

"You tried to kill me!"

"I thought it was the only way to save you," Enin admitted.

"But I'm not dead! I didn't..." Neltus caught himself as he looked around, clearly unsettled. "Something doesn't feel right. Something is wrong!"

As he looked across the town, and especially over the ground, he saw things differently. The crimson energy which once pulsed within him was silent. His connection to the land had been severed. He tried to call on the dark red energy within him, but he could not find it.

"I can't feel it!" he cried. "I can't feel the land. My magic! What happened to my magic?!"

Enin, his magical reserves quickly replenishing, used the energy to look deep into Neltus' essence. He was amazed at what he saw. He then spoke to the guardian spirit.

"You took his core," the wizard acknowledged, suddenly understanding how the apparition stopped Reiculf.

The ghost of Sy Fenden nodded.

The magnitude of the claim was not lost on Neltus.

"You took it? Give it back!" he howled.

"He can not," Enin advised. "It was the only way to save you. Reiculf can no longer pass his magic through you. With your core gone, so too are any remnants that the daokiln might exploit. You could stand before him in Demonspawn and he can no longer touch you."

"But I'm weak!"

"That is your own dilemma."

Not knowing what else to do, Neltus ran off. Powerful magic had become the basis for his existence. Without it, he felt empty. In a fit of panic, he left Burbon completely.

Enin realized that the apparition remained. He also understood Sy's task was not yet complete. There was more to do to end the threat of Reiculf and keep Burbon safe. Enin also understood Neltus' anguish.

"You're not done, are you?" the wizard asked.

The ghost simply stared.

"You were willing to intercede on my behalf because you had to save Uton... save Burbon, but now you have to deal with me," Enin acknowledged. "As long as I am what I am, Reiculf will always be a threat. You have to do to me exactly what you did to Neltus."

The spirit of Sy Fenden nodded.

"I see," Enin replied in a near whisper.

With all his heart, he wished there was another solution, but he knew the apparition would not allow it. Even if Ansas and the others succeeded in removing Macheve from Reiculf's control, the daokiln would attempt other means to reach out into Uton. Enin was the ultimate aim of Reiculf's desires, and as such, he could not be allowed to remain the wizard he had become.

Thinking of Ansas, Enin made one request.

"Before you remove my magic, will you at least allow those who are in Demonspawn a chance to accomplish what they have set out to do? If you remove my core now, my spell that holds them in safety will dissolve. They deserve a chance, don't they?"

The apparition nodded one last time.

Reiculf raged against yet another loss, especially against one in which he had no recourse. He could not threaten the guardian spirit of Burbon, cause it pain and suffering in retaliation for removing Neltus from his control. The ghost of Sy Fenden was beyond the daokiln's ability to punish.

Worse, the spirit had removed all the remnants of magic from Neltus, turned the crimson casting wizard into a useless bag of flesh. Reiculf had lost a slave, lost another outlet for his influence, and he would never get it back.

The daokiln stomped about his sanctuary, raising a dark cloud of dust from the powdery soil. He cursed and spat, swung at the empty gloom that surrounded him. He wished to kill something, anything. Finally, his gaze fell upon Macheve who cowered as far away from the beast as she dared.

"Serp!" Reiculf roared. "Come here!"

Macheve could not refuse, but the fear boiling within her made her dread every step forward.

"Yes?" she whined.

The daokiln did not strike out at the serp, but he did issue a shocking demand.

"I will send you to the edges of Demonspawn, and you will deal with the invaders to my realm!"

The order surprised the serp to such an extent she actually questioned the daokiln.

"You would put me within their reach? They are here to separate me from you, most likely to kill me!"

As much as Macheve feared the daokiln, she had grown to fear death in Demonspawn even more. Before Reiculf had seized her spirit, she would have gladly taken her own life to avoid the suffering of that bleak realm, but once her essence became part of the daokiln, mixed within the bowels of the vile creature, she feared death more than ever. She believed if her body expired before she could extract the daokiln's magic from her own essence, her consciousness would be locked within Reiculf forever.

Such a fate stirred great apprehension over following Reiculf's wishes. She knew Ansas and the others would not deal with her as kindly as they had done with Scheff. They would not try to free her. They could not afford to spare the energy. No, they would move to kill her as quickly as possible. Facing the invaders was a grave and misguided risk.

Unfortunately for the serp, Reiculf offered little solace.

"Would you rather
I
kill you?" the daokiln questioned.

That consideration almost ended Macheve's hesitation. She knew such a death would be painful beyond her comprehension. Still, she did not wish to choose between death by the daokiln or death by the invading sorcerer. She searched desperately for a third option.

"Whether you kill me or they kill me, wouldn't my death mean the end of your reach outside Demonspawn? My essence would be forever trapped here. If I can't leave Demonspawn, then you would be bound here as you were before. You can not think of me in such low regard. I was the first to bring your power outside of Demonspawn. Would it not serve you better to protect me from the invaders?"

Reiculf's pale eyes flared with pulsating fury.

"You pathetic parasite! Worried about your own miniscule existence when you can't see the significance of what has happened. I
was
free! Yes, you were the first, but I had other slaves to release my power, and now I am down to one, the weakest of my pawns. Do you really think I should be concerned with protecting you considering all that I have lost?"

"But you would risk losing even more," Macheve cried.

"Enough! The situation I face is far more dire than your life. When you stumbled into my presence, I had the potential of utilizing powerful spell casters, not just a puny serp with the magical ability of a flea. You were nothing but a meager step toward a far greater opportunity. I had gained more important pawns—Scheff and Gnafil—and they offered substantial potential, but they are now both dead. Do you really think I should care about your irrelevant existence?"

Macheve did not answer. She saw any hope of surviving slipping away as Reiculf made his intentions clear.

"The loss of those two could have been offset. There were two others that I truly craved, Neltus and Enin. If I controlled them, I would have little need for other pawns beyond entertainment and diversion. Neltus is now forever beyond my reach, his magic removed by the cursed ghost. Worse, the spirit of Burbon intends to do the same to Enin. If Enin is lost, then I will always be constrained. He is the one I
must
have, the one that will allow me to rule! Without him, I will have nothing."

The daokiln roared with curses. Raging with anger against the turn of events, he bent low over the serp and glared into her face with pure hatred.

"No! I will not lose the wizard from Connel! He wishes to protect the invaders, to keep them safe. There is a connection to the guardian spirit as well. The ghost actually cares greatly about the delver and his mate, as well as the elf guard that leads them. The spirit will not jeopardize their safety, and so he will keep Enin's magical abilities intact as long as they are here. You will use these weaknesses against them, or I will rip your soul from your body this instant."

Macheve knew she had no choice.

"What would you have me do?" she cried.

"I will send you to the outer region. You will hold sway over the demons in my realm. You will command them to attack the invaders. They are to take the human woman prisoner and you will bring her to me. They must not kill the delver, the elf guard, or the sorcerer. As for the human wizard, elf sorceress and cliff behemoth, rip them apart. And ensure you destroy the animated body of the dead elf. That is their only weapon against me. Once I have the woman, I will force the survivors to come to me. I will use them to deal with Burbon's ghost and the wizard from Connel."

"I will do as you command."

Utilizing the waves of hate that swelled across Demonspawn, Reiculf whisked the serp in an instant to a position to attack the invaders of his dimension.

Macheve found herself near the outer boundaries of the cursed domain. She could see the barriers that separated Demonspawn from the dark realm, her true home. She longed to dash to the border and break through the veil that separated the two regions, but she knew she would never get through. She was committed to Reiculf with no hope of escape, as if she was nothing more than a feather chained to an anvil.

If she was to survive, she needed to defeat the daokiln's enemies. They were also a direct threat to her own life. She knew their intentions. The elves and humans were on the offensive, using magical currents in hopes of destroying her. Her existence might have become a horror in itself, but she was not ready for her essence to enter the abyss of hate forever.

In one small moment of introspection, she cursed the irony of her fate. In Uton, she had been the manipulator. As a serp, she used her influence to control lesser creatures. She aspired to spread her domination across the entire land.

And yet, there she stood at the edge of Demonspawn ready to command a legion of demons, more dieruhnes than she dared imagine. She was in control of an army of absolute destruction, and the creatures would obey her will without reluctance.

At the same time, she was nothing. She could influence the creatures of that bleak realm only to the degree Reiculf allowed. She might have held the strings to control a multitude of demons, but she herself was only a puppet to a stronger will. To a serp, the concept was torture.

With no recourse, Macheve bent to the wishes of her master. She concocted a plan that would meet the desires of the daokiln. She would attack the invaders with all the cunning she could muster. She would first distract and occupy them, especially the delver. She needed to keep him alive, but she knew he was the most dangerous of the group, even more so than the ebony casting sorcerer or the cliff behemoth.

Once the first wave of her forces engaged the invaders in combat, she would send in the more powerful demons. They would take the human woman who served as the shield. At the same time, she could destroy the corpse of the elf spell caster. The force she would unleash against them would be overwhelming.

With the human woman in her possession, the delver would give himself up. She could use his surrender to crush the hopes of any survivors and capture the elf guard.

Having many demons at her command, she could not imagine failure, would not dare to even consider it as the consequences would be far too grave. She reached for the power Reiculf had instilled within her. She called for the demons that would form her army.

#

"The smaller demons are pulling back," Ryson reported. "They're retreating deeper into the gray shadows. I can't see them anymore."

"Probably not a good omen," Holli replied. "Continue scouting the perimeter, but keep your circles tighter. We need to stick together."

Ryson rushed off, and Holli stepped over to Linda and Dzeb.

"How are you doing?" the elf asked of Ryson's wife.

"I guess better than the rest of you," Linda admitted. "It seems as if I'm the only one not doing anything."

"That is not the case. You are facing far more than the rest of us. Enin's teleportation spell places us only marginally in this realm. We do not have to face the full brunt of the hate and rage that flows freely here. We feel only a fraction of the distress that surges through you."

Linda believed she understood. The energy that rushed across the realm like a swirling breeze contained more than just magic. It seemed to dig into her skin and chew at deeper flesh. Magic in itself would not have been able to touch her, but diseased emotions could bombard her at will.

"Do you think that's what's causing this prickly feeling I have?" she wondered. "My arms and legs are... I don't know how to describe it, tingling maybe, but not in a good way."

"That would be my guess," the elf guard offered. "Remember, this realm is a mix of base emotions as well as Reiculf's magic. The magic cannot reach within you, so you may be experiencing the brush of angry emotions."

"I'm trying to ignore it, but it's not easy."

"If you begin to feel overwhelmed, make it known. Jure or Haven can attempt to lessen the effect, but I would rather avoid such a spell unless it is necessary."

"I'm okay. It's just strange."

"You are doing well. Hopefully, we will not be here much longer."

Holli wished her assessment was true, but she could not ignore their lack of progress. She stalked over to the sorcerer and spoke in a guarded voice.

"This is taking far longer than I would have expected."

"Would you like to do it?" Ansas asked, his annoyance obvious.

"No, but you are aware time is an issue."

"Why? We are not under attack."

"Circumstances are changing. Ryson has reported as much."

Ansas had heard the delver's report, but initially disputed its significance.

"Perhaps the demons in the distance are only backing away because I'm getting closer to finding the serp."

"Or maybe because Reiculf has used Scheff to take control of Enin back in Uton."

"If he did, I assure you I would know it. He has already taken control of Neltus."

The news astonished the elf.

"How can you know this?" Holli demanded.

"You really must ask? Your understanding of the magic is amazingly limited. What is it you think I'm doing here? I'm sending my own magic through Scheff's core to find past links. You think I wouldn't notice if Reiculf forced his way through in a similar manner and succeeded in capturing Neltus?"

"And you did not tell me?!"

"Why would I do that? It does not affect us."

"Of course it does! If Reiculf controls Neltus, he will seek Enin next."

"No longer a concern. The daokiln has already lost control of Neltus."

"You are certain?"

"The path to Neltus has been completely shut off. I don't know how Enin managed it—maybe he killed Neltus, or maybe the guardian spirit did—but the connection between Neltus and Reiculf only lasted for a few moments, then it was completely severed."

"So the threat in Burbon is at an end?"

"For now."

"Then we will most definitely be attacked. If Reiculf failed in Burbon, he has no other option. You must work quickly."

"Do not tell me how to work!" Ansas sneered. "Reiculf understands what I'm trying to do. He is purposely flooding energy through the remnants of magic that connect him with Scheff's core. Do you have any idea of how much power I must sort through?"

Holli never got the chance to answer. Her attention was pulled to a call in the distance.

"Darowks!" Ryson shouted. "Coming in from ahead of us."

Before she responded to the delver, Holli advised the sorcerer one last time.

"Do what you can as quickly as possible!" Holli demanded, and then she raced off to face the coming battle.

"Fool," Ansas mumbled to himself, but then he considered the attacking darowks.

Momentarily taking his focus from the echoes of magic hidden in the folds of Scheff's corpse, he reached out to the smoke demons rushing toward them. They were not attacking on their own. He could feel the will of another urging them forward. He knew it was not Reiculf. The daokiln's furious cravings were overwhelming and unmistakable. It was the intrinsic yet magnified power of a serp which influenced the darowks.