Spirit Past (Book 8) (31 page)

Scheff understood the consequences of his decision before he even cast the spell, and it was no surprise when his own essence followed the furious wave into the infern. If he was to use vengeance as a weapon, he could not escape the weight of his own history, his own mistakes. He would not survive the spell, and confirmation came quickly as he felt his life slipping away. He believed, however, that his final act was not an error in judgment.

The ploy worked. Gnafil's core was already bloated with the rage of Reiculf's magic. The arc of energy between the infern and the serp created even greater instability. The surge of aggression from the darowks ignited the half-demon's fiery core. When the infern imploded in a massive collapse of demonic fury, every darowk was cleansed from Connel, and Scheff had died.

Ryson reached them first, Holli arrived soon after. The darowks were gone, as were both Macheve and Gnafil. The delver and elf found several of their companions dazed and on the ground. Those that needed aid, they helped to their feet. When Holli checked on Scheff, she revealed what some had already sensed.

"He is dead."

"He saved us," Haven explained. She tried to hold back her tears, but she failed. After stumbling over words through muffled cries, she finally regained her composure. She wanted to ensure Scheff received the proper recognition for his bravery. "He created a cyclone that swept up the demons. He forced the darowks back into Demonspawn."

"How?" Ryson asked, saddened by the loss but too curious to refrain from searching for answers.

"Through Gnafil. The infern's connection to Reiculf created a doorway."

"What happened to Gnafil?"

Haven could not say anything more. She would not speak of the half-demon, for she knew the infern played a role in Scheff's demise.

Ansas stepped forward, but he did not answer immediately. He walked about the space the infern occupied, looked down several streets, and then up into the sky. He appeared to be following an invisible trail.

"Interesting," he muttered.

"What's interesting?" Ryson questioned. "Where's Gnafil and Macheve? Are we still in danger?"

"Gnafil has been destroyed," Ansas responded with little apparent emotion. "The infern was overwhelmed by a combination of forces. Reiculf has recalled Macheve to Demonspawn. She is now the only vessel he can use to reach beyond the barriers that contain him. She was vulnerable, and he couldn't risk losing her."

Shantree moved beside Holli and Haven to the fallen body of the elf spell caster. It seemed apparent the conflict was over. Scheff had saved them. Every threat had been removed from Connel. All that was left was to see to the casualties, and the elder found it difficult to see him prone upon the streets of a human city.

"We must bring him back to our camp," she stated sadly.

Ansas denied the request as if it were absurd.

"Absolutely not! He is far too valuable."

The remark shocked them all, just as it enraged many.

"He's dead!" Jure shouted. "And you're as responsible as anyone else!"

"And how is that?" the sorcerer asked with surprising curiosity.

"We were trapped out here! He couldn't see what was going on, had to fight in the dark. He was blinded at your command! Haven might have cast the spell, but it was your order."

"True. And his blindness allowed him to defeat the darowks. If he had relied on his sight, he would have collapsed like the rest of us. We would all be dead... or captured by Reiculf. Would that make you feel better?"

"You don't get it, do you? Don't make it sound like it all worked out perfectly. This has been one disaster after another. We shouldn't have been caught out here in the first place. You were the one who was supposed to have a plan!"

"And I did have a plan. I informed you all of what to expect. I said Connel would be targeted. It was. I placed you in the proper positions. If Enin had not rushed off to combat the infern, we would not have been caught out in the open."

"So it's all Enin's fault? Do you ever take the blame, or is it always someone else's mistake?"

"I take the blame for many things," Ansas revealed. "I still have no idea why Gnafil took so long to appear. It seems as if Reiculf was toying with us, but I can not accept that as the only reason. I should have also foreseen Scheff's blindness as an advantage against the darowks and utilized him sooner."

"He'd still be dead, wouldn't he? Just like you would have seen me die... or Haven. Macheve said it while we were fighting. You were going to use us."

"Of course I was. Why else do you think you're here?"

"We're here to stop Reiculf... to save Uton! We're not here so you can win some game. There's a big difference."

"No, there's not."

Shantree agreed in principle with everything Jure said, but she would not allow the argument to continue over Scheff's body.

"That is enough! At this moment, I do not care who is to blame, but I insist Scheff be given the proper respect. I will not leave him here in the street. His body shall be returned to my camp."

"Are you deaf?" Ansas asked as he turned his attention to the elf elder. "This body is now more important than any of you."

"No, I am not deaf," Shantree replied coldly as she stepped forward to face the sorcerer. Scheff's death wounded her more deeply than it had stung Haven. She was responsible for the elves. She believed she had failed the elf spell caster. "And this is not just a body. This is Scheff!"

"It
was
Scheff, but it is now a direct line to Reiculf. The elf spell caster had a history with the daokiln, and you must realize how important that is. This body retains traces of the past, and that is something we can utilize."

"Utilize? He sacrificed himself so we could live, and we will not treat his body as some commodity."

"He is more than a commodity. He might be the only chance you have."

Ansas wasted no further time in arguing. Before anyone could stop him, he raised his hands and directed a spell at the prone body of the dead elf. A ring of pure black magic rolled off the sorcerer's fingertips and plunged into Scheff's lifeless chest.

The elf spell caster did not begin to breathe, but he did stir. There was no spark of life in his eyes, but they did open. He struggled to his feet, but he said nothing. He remained as lifeless as before, but his body had been animated by ebony magic.

"What are you doing?!" the elf elder demanded angrily.

"Preparing a weapon. It is the best way to use him against Reiculf."

"This is an act of defilement! It is beyond barbarism. Remove your spell at once!"

Ansas did not restrict his argument to the elf elder. He gazed upon them all, even glanced toward the disapproving cliff behemoth. The sorcerer shook his head with disgust, realizing they could not understand the significance of his actions. He knew he couldn't fight them all, so he decided to leave the decision up to them.

"I'm sure you all agree with her, and if that is your wish, I will end my spell. But listen well, for I will not repeat myself in this matter. This is an opportunity we dare not let slip away. This body is now the most dangerous weapon against the daokiln that we could obtain."

"It is no weapon," Shantree hissed, "and I will not tolerate..."

"Then you condemn every elf you lead to destruction," Ansas interrupted, "as well as all of Uton. Is that what you will tolerate? Do you lead the elves or not?"

"I lead them all, and I am responsible for their bodies as well as their spirits."

Ansas glared at the elf elder, but then offered his final concession.

"I told you I would remove the spell, and I stand by that promise. I will not do so, however, until you understand the ramifications. For the sake of your elf camp, I ask you to hear what I have to say."

Shantree stared defiantly back at the sorcerer. She wanted nothing more than to slap the face of the arrogant spell caster, but thoughts of her camp and her responsibilities held her in check. Ultimately, she had no choice. The elder nodded and allowed the sorcerer to speak.

"The remnants of magic within this body create a direct path to Demonspawn," Ansas continued as he looked across all those gathered around the elf's animated form. "Scheff's magical core was a receptacle for both my magic and Reiculf's. Though his spirit is gone, the whispers of magical energy remain."

Ansas paused as he walked around Scheff's animated body. He inspected it carefully, even as the elf showed no sign of recognition of those around him. Once the sorcerer fully circled the risen corpse, he turned his attention back to those obviously angry with his actions.

"I know some of you won't understand this, but your full comprehension is not necessary. All you need to understand is that through this body I can interact in various ways with Reiculf's magic. Strands of magical remnants are twisted together within this corpse. Now that I have animated him, the magical binding will remain open to me indefinitely."

"Is this a weakness you can really exploit?" Enin asked, trying to untangle the magical aspects as only he could see them.

"You should already know the answer to that question," Ansas charged. "The barriers that once contained Reiculf within Demonspawn also serve to protect him. There is no easy path to the daokiln. At least there wasn't... until now. Entering Demonspawn involves a choice of spirit and the acceptance of certain consequences. We would have had a difficult time bringing the fight directly to Reiculf, but not anymore. The magic within Scheff creates a gateway we can use to send anyone to the daokiln's sanctuary."

"Attacking Reiculf in Demonspawn is not what I would consider an advantage," Enin responded as he continued to consider the implications of using Scheff as a key to enter Reiculf's domain.

"But it opens certain possibilities," Ansas argued, "advantages that you can not dismiss. Reiculf has only the serp remaining with which to reach into Uton. He has to guard her carefully now, but if we have a pathway to Demonspawn, she is vulnerable. He would have to protect Macheve at all times. Even under his protection, there are avenues we might exploit to take the serp from him... but only if we utilize the magic caught within Scheff's body."

While Enin continued to consider the magical features, Jure entered the argument with absolute certainty.

"It's still wrong!" the wizard accused.

"You again?" Ansas questioned in exasperation. "Don't you ever grow tired of being obstinate?"

"Don't try to make this about me. This is about you."

"You will lose that argument as well," Ansas replied. "We have been battling Reiculf, not some insignificant spell caster in the desert. Even Baannat fears the daokiln. Look at what I have accomplished. The daokiln had three pawns to utilize his power. He is down to one."

"Thanks to Scheff, not you."

"And now his body can be used for further advantage. That is the true point of this discussion."

"That doesn't make it right."

"Right? Wrong? Is this about some perceived desecration? You argue as if such viewpoints are relevant. I assure you, they are not. Scheff's essence is gone. He sacrificed himself to save us. Do you think after he made such a decision he would want us to discard an advantage just so we might perform some ritualistic duty?"

"There's a big difference. Scheff made the choice to sacrifice his spirit. You're the one making the decision to use his body, treating it like some tool."

"A tool? Of course, but
my
decision? It is not mine to make. You will make it, all of you. I'm simply telling you what's at stake."

"What exactly is at stake?" Ryson asked, his curiosity grasping at issues beyond magic and demons.

The delver attempted to follow the conversation, but he could not completely disregard what he saw before him. He had fought the animated dead, and seeing Scheff in such a condition sickened him. Still, he needed to know more, wanted to understand the full scope of their circumstances.

"Listen carefully," Ansas willingly answered, "for as I said, I will not repeat myself. Reiculf will now be very careful. It will infuriate him, but he will do what is necessary. He will work in such a way that I will not be able to anticipate his moves. He will be cunning and treacherous, for that is what he is. He will hope to trap Neltus, Shantree, and ultimately Enin. With each, he will do so at a time and a place we will not expect. I cannot, with any certainty, predict his next move. My advantage in that regard is now over."

"But he's still using the remnants of your black magic," Ryson pointed out. "I thought that's what allowed you to guess his moves."

"I admit it gave me great insight, but he now knows I am engaged in the battle. He will hide his thoughts from me."

From that admission, Ryson made the only logical conclusion.

"So he can stay in Demonspawn for as long as he wants and wait for us to get careless."

"The delver understands. I hope the rest of you do as well. We cannot fight as we have done in the past, reacting to what I knew Reiculf would do. We have to use every weapon to our advantage. Scheff's body is the most potent weapon we have. Discard it now, and you not only disregard Scheff's decision to save us, you will hand victory over to the daokiln. And so, it is now your choice. Do you wish me to reverse the spell of animation and you can bury the body, burn it, dump it at sea, or whatever it is you choose to do? Or, will you allow me to use the magic that is still within it to fight the daokiln?"

Jure wished to reject Ansas immediately, but he held his tongue. He realized it was not his place to decide. He remained distrustful of the sorcerer, but if a decision was to be made regarding the disposition of Scheff's body, he believed it should be made by the elves.

Enin also remained quiet. His mind remained focused on the intricacies of magical connections. He could not deny Scheff had become something of an anomaly. The elf had been a vessel for Reiculf's magic. The echoes of such energy offered certain advantages. Scheff's previous link to Ansas also created irregularities. The magic that had swirled within the undead elf had not been completely his own, and though his essence had moved on, the remnants of magic created passages that could indeed lead to incursions into Demonspawn.