Delver Magic: Book 06 - Pure Choice (45 page)

Physically, the flat ground sat
atop a mystifying spire that defied its surroundings. While very little in that
nightmare world appeared natural, the solid column of gray rock appeared to
reach beyond the limits of even twisted sanity. It was as if the plateau tested
the very confines of the dark realm, pressed against the edge of the nightmare
existence.

While many winged beasts of the
realm could reach dizzying heights, none of the flying monsters dared to soar
overhead. Jure realized they stood at the upper boundary of existence and any
airborne creatures that dared to pass beyond the peak were risking entering a
void.

Jure also understood that was why
he had such difficulty in pinpointing Ansas' location. They stood upon an area
that marked the upper boundary of the dark realm, and the haze he had to reach
through was the twisted mix of one existence over another. There was the dark
realm and the void beyond, and the flat ground of the plateau served as the
last stop before emptiness.

"Is everyone alright?"
Jure asked of those gathered around him, his spirit somewhat dimmed by the
surrounding gloom.

"We're all fine," Enin
answered. "You did very well."

"Oh, please," Ansas
interrupted. "How condescending. I already acknowledged his effort. What
does your little platitude add? Why not pat him on the head?"

"Perhaps I should pat you on
the head," Enin replied, "and reassure you that you can do better
next time."

"Better?"

"Yes, you clearly failed to
hide from us."

"Hide?" the sorcerer
sneered. "Is that what you think?"

"Certain facts are clear. You
fled from your home when you knew we were coming for you. When you realized
Jure would follow your magic, you tried to cover yourself in the haze of this
place."

"Hiding would have meant I
didn't want you to find me. That's not even remotely true. I wanted you to find
me, but in the place of my choosing. I led you here."

"Led us?" Enin scoffed.
"That almost sounds like you wanted us to follow you. I find that
difficult to accept."

"And why is that?" Ansas
challenged the wizard.

"You are skilled in magic
enough to understand that I am prepared to deal with you."

"Of course! I should have
realized that," the sorcerer jeered with dripping sarcasm. "I can't
believe I made such a terrible mistake. I am inconsequential to your
greatness."

"No one is inconsequential,
and I am not deluded with such arrogance," Enin replied. "If there is
anyone with a warped sense of self-appreciation, it is you."

Ansas actually smiled.

"You think I'm arrogant? You
really are a disappointment. I am simply self-aware. Nothing more and nothing
less."

It was Ryson who interrupted the
relentless banter.

"Why are we wasting time? If
someone doesn't make him remove those arasaps, I will!"

"Ah, the delver, coming to
save his wife. How gallant. Unfortunately for you, I have no plans to remove
the arasaps. If anything, I will be adding several more."

Holli realized that would be
enough to send the delver racing toward the sorcerer, and there was no one fast
enough to stop him. She spoke out just in time to keep Ryson from rushing
forward.

"Ryson, do not let him goad
you into a mistake. There is nothing that can save him here."

"And is there something that
will save you, elf witch?"

"Enough of all of this,"
Enin stated as he stepped forward. "You will remove the arasaps from Linda
Acumen and you will also remove the mark of your energy from Shantree
Wispon."

"And if I refuse?"

"I will not allow you to
refuse," Enin stated with casual regard.

Ansas smiled again, but it was a
darker grin, a wicked self-indulgent smirk.

"Then we have exactly what I
hoped for. I must admit, I've always wanted to face you. You might cast in two
perfect white circles, but this realm works to my advantage. I created this
rock edifice with the help of one named Neltus. It brings me to the very limits
of this realm, not so I can overlook the creatures of the existence, but so I
can be closer to the fringes of other realms. From here, I can reach into areas
of complete darkness. I can find the strength to beat you."

"This is not some duel I
intend to fight," Enin revealed.

"But it is... perhaps not a
perfect duel. You've brought your friends, but I have allies of my own."

At his call, four magic casters
appeared on the plateau; an infern, two humans, and an elf. Many recognized
Scheff, the elf that abandoned his camp to join Ansas. Most also recognized
Neltus, as they had dealings with him previously.

While Ansas did not introduce them
by name, he did not hesitate in revealing their powers.

"They all carry my energy, so
they all represent a part of me. They have obtained sufficient skill to cast in
a single perfect circle, but they also have been instructed to remain
absolutely loyal to their respective hues. They are pure and so they represent
a distinct element of magical strength."

"And you think this will
change the outcome?" Enin asked.

"No, I believe the outcome
remains in doubt. The challenge exists. I will pit my power against yours.
Their arrival simply levels the field."

"Their arrival means
nothing," Enin stated firmly. "This will end badly for all of you. I
give you one last chance. Remove the arasaps and your magic from my friends and
vow on your beloved ebony energy to never take action against them again. I
will allow you to remain in this realm with your powers intact."

"You think I would just give
up?" Ansas asked with a rather amazed expression.

"What I think is irrelevant.
I simply give you a choice to make."

Ansas considered the proposition,
not for its ultimate intention, but for how it was offered. He wondered how far
Enin was willing to go.

"I find this even more
interesting," Ansas revealed. "Your power is indeed immense, but your
perception is flawed. You have the ability to make your word absolute law, and
yet you leave decisions to others. You are much too passive. You should be
forcing your will on others, not giving in to their inconsequential
decisions."

"I am not so corrupt."

"Corrupt? What a ridiculous
concept. Corruption is nothing more than a point of view. What you see as—what?
perhaps immoral?—I see as inevitable. The quest for a higher existence is
paramount to petty judgments."

"Your concept of life is
frighteningly empty."

"Is it? You talk about
choices. Will you allow others to choose? I have at my side an elf that wishes
to test his abilities. I can feel it. He is actually looking forward to a
conflict. I see no reason to deny him that opportunity. While he is the least
experienced of those I have called, I still believe he can defeat the old man
that stands beside you. Will you let your wizard friend choose to meet the elf
in battle or will you dictate what happens?"

Enin answered without hesitation.

"I will leave that to
Jure."

"What?!"

It was not Jure who questioned
Enin's response, but Ryson.

"I'm not going to stand here
while they fight some idiotic wizard's duel!" the delver shouted.
"We're here for Linda! Help her... now!"

"Patience Ryson. If we are to
save Linda, Ansas must be defeated."

"I know, so why are we
wasting time?!"

"He must be defeated
completely and unquestionably. This is the first step. And each individual must
make his or her own choice."

Jure quickly entered the
conversation.

"I see no need to delay
things," Jure advised as he addressed Enin. "You can stop all of this
in an instant."

"Is that what you want?"
Enin asked.

"It doesn't matter what I
want."

"Actually, it matters very
much. I am beginning to sense that this is all more than it appears. We have
all been brought here for a reason... you as much as anyone else. I am not
about to simply place my will above a higher purpose. I don't think I could if
I wanted to."

"The only purpose I care
about is helping Linda," Ryson interrupted. "Nothing else
matters!"

"Ryson, I know you are very
concerned about Linda, but trust me. There is something building here. There is
a larger issue at stake. I have no idea where it's ultimately going to lead, but
it involves all of us. That's why we're here, including you and Linda. If you
want to save your wife from Ansas, we have to see this through to the end. If
not, she'll never be safe from him. Never. Do you understand?"

Ryson looked over at his wife, saw
that she had heard everything that had been said, and yet, she still didn't
care about what was happening around her. The delver knew he couldn't allow
that to continue, and he didn't want to have to face it again.

"No, I don't
understand," Ryson admitted, but in a far less emotional tone. "If
you think this is what we have to do to help her, then I'll do whatever it
takes."

"I'm not sure I understand,
either," Jure added. "You think this is about me?"

"I know you're part of
it," Enin revealed. "Something tells me you have to decide for
yourself."

Jure looked over at Ansas. He had
nothing but contempt for the sorcerer. Ansas was everything Jure previously
revealed to Enin, arrogant and self-centered. Still, the sorcerer was growing
more powerful, strong enough to believe he could actually defeat Enin. But that
might have been nothing more than additional conceit.

The elder wizard considered the
elf, Scheff. It was the elf that would be his challenge, an elf that abandoned
his camp to grow stronger. The elf, however, chose a darkened path, one that
relied on self-indulgence and vanity.

With that thought, Jure considered
his own path. He, too, had become stronger over the past several seasons, but
he did not believe that his aim was solely to better himself. At every
opportunity, he had used his magical talents to help the land, not just
himself, and he had willingly taken direction from those he trusted.

He searched his own soul to
determine what he should do. He knew he did not wish to battle the elf for his
own glory, but he also believed, just as Enin had said, that he was there for a
reason.

The elder wizard stepped towards
Ansas and the spell casters he summoned, creating a large buffer between
himself and his friends.

"You want me to face your
elf, fine."

Scheff eagerly stepped away from
Ansas. It was
his
moment and his
alone, the first test of his abilities after he cast out the mistakes of his
past. From that moment forward, he believed a total immersion in violet
castings would bring him closer to fulfilling his absolute potential. He would
no longer be saddled with the failings and weaknesses of external influences.

High on the barren plateau, he
felt an invigorating rush of anticipation as he faced the elder wizard. He knew
little about Jure but understood the old wizard cast white magic in a perfect
circle. Previously, he considered striving to attain the same level of
proficiency, but that was before he assumed what he believed was a more
enlightened course.

After accepting the slice of ebony
magic, casting in white was almost an abomination, a deviation from purity. The
concept of casting in anything beyond the inherent hue was a consideration that
needed to be soundly defeated. By overcoming what he once hoped to achieve,
Scheff would bury his previous and faulty convictions once and for all. It was
a challenge he relished.

Jure felt no such thrill. He was
tired and slightly confused. Very little of what was happening made sense. He
felt as if he was being thrust into a struggle that had great significance, but
he wasn't sure who had the most at stake.

For his own part, Jure felt he had
very little invested in the events transpiring on the high plateau. He wouldn't
have minded knocking Ansas around a bit, but he had no quarrel with Scheff. He
tried to make that clear as he wished to avoid needless conflict.

"This is rather
pointless," Jure confessed, hoping to stir some sense of reason in the
elf. "I've never met you before. Why do you think this is necessary?"

"There are very few that can
cast in a circle of pure white magic. You are a challenge I have to
overcome."

"What in blazes for? I'm not
challenging you."

"I am challenging myself. You
represent what I once hoped to attain, when I was ignorant of my true
potential."
"So you're going to force me to fight you just to prove you made the right
choice?"

"No! I already know I made
the right choice. The magic within me is now pure. I am centered on the violet
hue of my natural abilities. There are no obstacles in my way. All I have to do
is remain true to myself and I will be beyond legendary."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Are you mocking me?"

"Mocking? No. I just can't
believe what you're saying. What you do here isn't going to make you
legendary—no matter what happens."

"This is my first step. Once
I defeat you, then there will be no doubt that my pure energy is stronger than
any mix of hues. I am pitting my future against my past."

"So you think this is all
about what
you
can do?"

"That is all that concerns
me."

"Despite the fact that there's
a piece of Ansas in you?"

"That is only a necessary
reminder. I can't utilize that energy for myself. It is only the base for what
now keeps me focused."

Jure just shook his head.

"You disagree?" the elf
asked with a hint of anger.

"You're being used," Jure
noted as plainly as he could.