Chapter 4
In the dark of night, during the peace of rest in high branches of an elderly oak, the delver had much to consider. A full day, a day of revelations was laid to rest before him. Encounters a delver might wish for in a lifetime were his in but one passing of the sun overhead.
Each moment of discovery printed itself indelibly upon his mind. There would be no forgetting. In his last days upon the land, he would recall this chain of events which ushered in a greater knowledge. His world had changed so drastically. Everything he knew, or thought he knew, was challenged. Everything he believed he understood was now confused. The land of Uton was forever changed, and him with it.
With so much passing through his mind, Ryson turned to the elf. He sought insight on what might be the mitigating force behind all that was happening.
"Tell me what you know about the sphere," Ryson asked.
"What is it you wish to know exactly?" Lief replied complacently.
Ryson answered with all honesty. "I want to know everything."
"That would take all the night and most of the next day," Lief countered. "Besides, it seems you know of it already. It is clear to me that you have an understanding of the legends. Is there something in particular that confuses you?"
"Right now everything confuses me. You seem to believe that the sphere is at the heart of whatever is going on. I can't argue that point, and I don't wish to, but if the sphere is the reason behind this, I'd like to know more about it. I'd also like to know why you talk about it with such distress."
"It is very dangerous," the elf stated simply. "That is why it was encased so long ago."
"I realize that, but we've already run into things I have to consider more dangerous than anything else I've ever faced in my life. You keep worrying about the sphere. I've heard the legends, but I've never heard of elflore until you mentioned it. Maybe your story is different than mine."
Lief hesitated before speaking. He folded his hands across his chest, but did not make an immediate reply.
"You don't want to tell me?" Ryson asked curiously but without sounding offended.
"No, that is not what concerns me," Lief replied. "It is just that it is difficult to imagine how fast things have happened. The tremor, the magic. Now I sit in a tree with a delver who wishes to know about elflore and what we might face. I will not deny you that knowledge. Based on what you have already done, it is your right to know. If I'm to ask you to continue our journey, it is my obligation to tell you. It is just that less than a season ago, I would have considered such a thing as impossible."
"You don't have to tell me that," Ryson responded with a knowing glance. "Think how I feel. At least you knew that humans and delvers existed. I couldn't have guessed that any of the legends were actually true."
"Now you know differently," the elf said sternly.
Ryson eyed the elf and spoke with a careful tone. "Can I ask you a question before you tell me about the sphere?"
"You may."
Ryson tried not to hesitate, but he also wished to choose his words carefully. "Are all elves like you? I mean, in the short time I've known you, you've shown an interesting range of emotions. I don't mean any offense by this. Maybe I shouldn't even ask at all, but I've noticed how you react to certain things. I've seen you laugh and smile a few times, but you're a rather grim individual. I don't want to say you're impatient, because that's not true, but you seem to get annoyed easily. You really got angry when we were dealing with the goblins. Even when you and I talk, sometimes you sound as if you're annoyed with me."
"So you think I am perhaps too quick to anger?"
Ryson shook his head. "No, I wouldn't say that. It's just that you seem to have a low tolerance for some things. I don't think that saying you're angry would explain it. It's more like I said before. You get annoyed."
"Don't concern yourself with insulting me," Lief replied simply. "What you tell me now I have heard before."
"Really?"
"Of course. My own kind have pointed it out to me. They say I am quite opinionated and that I become quickly upset. They also say my outlook is much too grim. They say I will always find that which is bleak, even in the best of times. I guess that is why no one wished to believe me when I first spoke of the sphere."
"The other elves say this? Does that mean you're different from the others?"
Lief raised an eyebrow. "Does that surprise you?"
"I don't know," Ryson admitted. "I'm just curious as to what elves are like."
"Let me answer your question by asking you a similar one. What are delvers like? Are they all like you?"
"No, I couldn't say that. We're all different."
"The same applies to the elves. We all have our different personalities. While there are some things you can perceive about elves through contact with just one, it is not correct to make sweeping assumptions. While I might get easily annoyed, there is certainly another elf that would hardly ever show such dissatisfaction. Some elves may believe I am a very poor representative."
Ryson thought quietly before responding. "Poor representative or not, you’re my first elf contact. I won’t ever forget you."
The elf simply nodded and turned his focus upon the true subject of his own concerns. "Then let us go back to your first question. Let me tell you about what I know of the sphere."
The darkness continued to thicken as Lief began his tale. The air grew cool as the crickets began to chirp from the ground below. Occasionally, the hoot of an owl would cut through the insect's music, carried aloft by the night breeze. The sounds of the darkness seemed to flow with the words of the elf, giving emphasis to the story.
"Since you tell me you know much of the legends, I will not preface the story with any lengthy explanations," the elf noted quickly. "A small introduction, however, is necessary. The Sphere of Ingar was created by the Sorcerer Ingar in a final attempt to win ultimate control of all magic. The sphere was actually constructed from the hides of inhabitants from the land. Ingar sent out minions to capture elves, dwarves, humans, algors, and delvers. Lore has it that he skinned them alive, and with powerful magic, altered the hides to become portions of the sphere. With the casting of a forceful spell, the sphere became a receptacle for power. Because each race has its own ability to harness, control or resist the magic, the sphere became a magnet, as well as a vessel for containing all magical energy.
"Ingar brought the sphere to all the different corners of Uton. He carried it with him at all times but never revealed its existence or its purpose. Day after day passed and the sphere captured more and more energy. The power became immeasurable. If Ingar had used it at that time, he probably could have conquered the world without challenge. But Ingar became enthralled with the very power of the sphere. He wished to capture all of the energy in the land before he would drink of it himself.
"As the talisman soaked in the energy, the other magic casters began to notice their powers dwindling. Each time they cast a spell, they found they could not replenish their magical energies. Some became completely powerless as they foolishly wasted all the energy stored within their own bodies, and even that stored in their enchanted items.
"With the realization that the magic in the world was fading, the great wizards, both good and evil, conferred together to solve the mystery. Since they all were subject to losing their powers, they agreed to work together. Ingar, however, was noticeably missing from the conference. Becoming suspicious, the wizards and sorcerers believed Ingar might be responsible. Spies were sent which never returned.
"The sorcerers considered casting spells which would reveal Ingar's actions, but most resisted. The casting of any spell meant losing power, power which could not be replaced. The magic casters wished to hold on to their stored energy for as long as possible.
"Finally, Waelin, the oldest of the wizards, confronted Ingar directly. The sphere was finally revealed. Waelin attempted to destroy it with magic, but he failed. The sph
ere easily absorbed all of Waelin's power. The ancient wizard was never seen again.
"Unfortunately, during the struggle between Waelin and Ingar, a great cataclysm occurred. The power of the sphere was altered slightly. It continued to absorb magical energies, but it also started to discharge tainted magic. Some say it was a reaction to one of Waelin's spell. They believe that the wizard tried to force the magic from the sphere, but the results were disastrous. Others believe the sphere finally reached its limit and had to release power. Whichever the case, the end result led first to the storm of Ingar's stronghold and second to the great war with the magic casters."
"Most of this agrees with the legends I have been told," Ryson interrupted the elf. "except the part of the sphere releasing magic. I've never heard of that before."
"It does not surprise me," Lief stated. "It was the elves which were affected first. The energy which was emitted, although tainted by evil within the sphere, could still be used by sorcerers and wizards. They soon began to re-energize with the magic which now flowed freely from the sphere. The energy, however, was not clean. It was contaminated by the sphere. The elves became keenly aware of this for we were the ones that began to die. The magic contained a poison, and for some reason, the magical emissions targeted the elf race first. That is why it is part of elflore."
In this, Ryson found an answer to a previous musing. "So that's why the elves are in danger now. There's poison in the magic."
Lief nodded. "Just as it was back then."
"So what was it like? How did the elves react?" Ryson asked with greater interest.
"There was little that could be done," Lief replied sadly. "There was no way to hide or to avoid the energy. It sought out every elf in the land. It did not kill immediately. The very old and very young died first. The rest, though, could sense the poison eating at them as well. And it was the sphere. There was no doubt. The energies it released were not pure magic. It was magic with a purpose, magic tainted with harsh direction. Even as magic casters of other races began casting spells anew, elves which grasped the magic faced death. Even elves which tried to reject the magic could not save themselves. The energy embraced them all.
"This is part of elflore because of the actions of a single elf. It is written that the most sensitive magic user of the elf race, a great sorceress named Shayed, probed the emissions. She sensed the plague within the magic. She knew at once that unless these emissions ceased, all the elves would die.
"She also noted that the poison held the power to kill the other races. Its power could easily be shifted to eliminate the algors, the dwarves, the delvers and even the humans. She said this was caused by the hides of each race which formed the shell of the sphere. She believed that the sphere would eventually alter the poison after all the elves were destroyed. Then another race would be eliminated, then another, and another, until all were gone.
"She used this knowledge to convince the leaders of the other races to join her, to storm Ingar's Cove. All races, except for cliff behemoths, aligned together to capture the sphere before it could kill them all."
"I've never heard this before," Ryson admitted. "I knew of the alliance of the races to take the sphere, but I never heard of the poison or that it was a threat to kill everyone."
Lief was not slow in his reply. "Probably because the sphere was captured before the elves were destroyed. Shayed stated the magic would not turn on another race until the elves were completely eliminated. We were the only ones which faced the poison.
"In any event, the storm of Ingar's Cove was successful. Ingar was destroyed and the sphere taken. The only thing left to decide was what to do with the sphere. It continued to absorb pure energy and emit only that which would eventually lead to overall extinction. Shayed claimed the sphere should not be destroyed. She feared the sudden release of the energy would quickly kill all the elves. At her request, the great leaders of Uton decided to encase the sphere in a tomb which would hold it forever and bar the release of any magic. This of course led to the war with the magic casters."
"That I know about," Ryson said eagerly. "How does elflore describe the actual war?"
"The leaders of the races decided the safest place for the sphere would be deep within Hollow Mountain. They since changed the name to Sanctum for its part in holding the sphere. Regardless of its name, all of the magic casters became outraged that the sphere would be encased. It meant the end of their powers. The sphere held all the magic. They wished to destroy the sphere and release the energy within. The dark creatures also demanded the destruction of the sphere. They could not exist without magic. Goblins, river rogues, shags; the lot of them threatened the lives of everyone if the sphere was not turned over to them.
"At these threats, the leaders became even more determined to see the sphere entombed. They realized it would mean the end of all of the dark creatures, a bonus. For this, they would even face the wrath of the magic casters.
"This led to the most bizarre of all alliances in the history of elflore, or in any of the legends for that matter. The magic casters, both good and evil, joined forces with goblins, vampires, mountain shags, and all the undead to take the sphere. Remember, magic casters came from all different races. There were human wizards, elven sorcerers, algorian healers, even dwarf magic casters, though they were few. These were individuals willing to join with dark creatures to fight their own kind. Only Shayed remained on the side of the allied races. She was the only magic caster not to join in with the dark creatures."
"I didn't know that," the delver confessed. "It was my understanding that no magic was used on our side."
"No magic was," the elf made clear. "Shayed expended all of her power in the fight against Ingar. She had no magic left. Her ability to cast spells was no more. As a magic caster, her craft was gone, but she would still not allow the destruction of the sphere. She would see that it was carried from Ingar's Cove, across the prairies, and to its final resting place. When the leaders reached the town of Connel ..."
"Connel?" Ryson exclaimed to reveal his surprise.
"Yes, Connel," the elf replied with his own note of wonder. "Didn't you know that?"
"I was never given the name of the final battle place. I always thought it was near Sanctum Mountain."
"No, it was Connel. I might say that I find it interesting that you are from Connel. Although I curse the prophesies for not warning us of this, I sense the hands of fate working here."
"I don't know about that," Ryson responded. "but tell me more of what happened at Connel." The delver watched the face of the elf as he eagerly awaited further explanation. He hoped the elf's tale would bring him greater knowledge, more appreciation of his home town.
"Very well. The leaders, knowing they would face a final assault by the magic casters and dark creatures, prepared a defense at Connel. At that time, it was the last village between Ingar's Cove and what is now called Sanctum. Delvers, like yourself, scouted the lands to the west and found the dark creatures massing for an all out attack. Magic casters from every race also gathered within their midst. It was their intention to take the sphere by force before Shayed and her followers could bury it deep within Sanctum and prepare defenses which they could not break.
"Reports from the delvers were grave indeed. The force waiting for Shayed was overwhelming. With the magic casters on their sides, the dark creatures were nearly assured of victory. The sorcerers and wizards would cast spells from the backs of the lines as the undead pushed forward. So great was their numbers, that the dark creatures could not even visualize losing.
"The hope of the elves dwindled. Even with the assistance of the other races, they doubted their chances of survival. If they just faced the dark creatures in hand to hand combat, they knew they would prevail, but the existence of the sorcerers and wizards drastically reduced their chances. Shayed envisioned waves of the undead, of river rogues, and mountain shags flowing into Connel under the cover of goblin crossbow fire and powerful
magic spells. Some of the leaders hoped the magic casters might hold their power, for each spell cast meant energy lost. Shayed, however, revealed this as a false hope. She knew the wizards and sorcerers would unleash all of their might, for this was their last hope to regain their full power.
"At the suggestion of the dwarf leaders, a plan was developed and quickly enacted. All the races knew that they would never stand a chance against the magic casters in a long distance battle. Their only hope was to force the magic casters to close combat. The dwarves built a powerful wall from stone within their caves. Dwarves are known for their resistance to magic. The stone from their homes is also quite resistant. The wall was built thick and all the races waited behind it as the attackers moved forward. The spells cast from a distance would be reflected by the wall. The loose energy would then be captured by the sphere which remained in the hands of the allied races.
"Building with speed and skill befitting their race, the dwarves constructed the wall within half a day. It was finished just as the sun set. Members of the five races—dwarves, elves, algors, humans and delver—waited together in fortified positions behind this wall which circled the small village of Connel. It was the last time the races would work together in such a fashion.
"As the final light faded and darkness gripped the land, the assault began. Waves of hideous monsters moved forward as bolts split the night from goblin crossbows. The distant horizon sparked and glistened as wizards unleashed their powers. This, perhaps of all things, signaled the folly of the magic casters.
"So sure of their numbers and their power, the attackers never scouted their foes. They were totally unaware of the wall. They flung spells with mad abandon, never realizing that the races remained protected. This squandering of their power raised the spirit of the five races. When they saw the spells bounce harmlessly off the wall, they knew victory would be theirs."
"I assume this wall you speak of is the ancient wall which still surrounds most of Connel today," Ryson interjected.
"It is. Dwarven construction is boasted to last forever. I believe that is no boast at all."
Ryson rubbed his chin. A crisp image of the barrier crossed his mind. "That's amazing. The people that live in Connel pretty much ignore that wall. No one really knows anything about it."
"Sometimes that is the way of legends," the elf responded dispiritedly. "Over time they are changed or forgotten completely. Those places, people and events that are remembered are often revised to better fit the beliefs of the day."
Ryson shook his head. "But a wall of such significance to just be forgotten? That's not right. I mean it's a wall that was built by dwarves, and people that live there don't even believe dwarves exist."
Lief simply shrugged. "Perhaps that is why the importance of the wall has been forgotten. To carry forward the true importance of the wall would be to admit the existence of all the races. Although I do not have contact with them, I believe humans are more than happy to accept the belief that they are the only inhabitants of this land."
"That's true," Ryson admitted. "They don't even like to admit to the existence of delvers. It is arrogant, but we've learned to live with it."
"Take heart, delver. If I am right about the sphere, the humans will be in for quite a surprise, but that is for later. As for the battle of Connel, the races did indeed win the day. The magic casters squandered their energies and the dark warriors were quickly turned back. The path to what is now called Sanctum was clear. The sphere would be entombed."
Any hint of pride or exuberance which developed during the tale, quickly faded from Lief's voice. His tone turned hollow, almost sour. His expression firmly revealed his emotions as it hardened with the conclusion of the lore.
"Unfortunately, even after this victory by joining together, distrust began to rise. Bickering arose between the different leaders about how to encase the sphere to make sure that none of the races would be tempted to steal it. Trust and partnership dissolved. Even Shayed could not bring them back together. In the end, a solution based on the mistrust was fashioned.
"The sphere would be encased with reflectors all around it. This would ensure that the emissions of the sphere would be turned back upon itself. It would be caught in an endless cycle of emitting and absorbing the same energies. It would also be placed at the very depths of Sanctum, in a cavern where the walls and floor were reinforced with sheets of diamond constructed by the dwarves. These walls were impenetrable. They would prevent anyone from digging through the base of Sanctum or tunneling underground to reach the sphere from below. No, the only way to the final resting place of the sphere was from the top of Sanctum, through its hollow core.
"Five tiers were constructed as a path from the summit to the final resting place. Each tier was given to a single race. Then, each race would develop barriers or methods of protection which would guard the sphere. Each race kept their defense mechanism a secret from the other. How they guarded that tier remains an eternal secret to this day.
"I know this as fact for only elves of the most high position are allowed to know of our secret. I assume the same holds true for the other races as well."
"I've never heard of this before," Ryson confessed with obvious confusion. "You say each race was given a tier, even the delvers?"
"That is correct."
"But I've never heard of any barriers placed in Sanctum. Even when my parents told me of the legend of the sphere, they never said anything about the races putting in their own secret protections."
"Perhaps they do not know. Perhaps only the elder delvers are aware?"
"I don't know," Ryson shook his head. "To tell you the truth, I really don't think so. Delvers are not a closely knit group. We mix with the humans freely. I don't know of any delvers that hold so closely to their heritage that they might remember such a thing."
"Perhaps you simply don't know of all the delvers. Perhaps those that may hold the secret of Sanctum keep themselves hidden under veils of secrecy. Remember, before this day you did not know of goblins or elves."
"That's very true," Ryson acknowledged. "And I never heard portions of this story about the sphere until now. So what finally happened?"
Lief's tone grew colder still. "The obvious. The sphere was entombed and each race placed their defenses within Sanctum. The dwarves sealed the entrance to the tiers with observers of every race present. With no further word, each race went its own way. The dwarves returned to their caves, the algors returned to the desert, and we returned to the thick woods. The humans and delvers, for some reason, remained together. As time went on, interaction between the other races dwindled to near nonexistence."
Upon the elf's conclusion, Ryson stood up on the thick branch he rested upon. He walked further out to the edge of the tree and caught a glimpse of Sanctum. Its shadow was present even in the faint starlight. He stood silent for long moments considering that day long ago when the five races separated.
"How long ago was that?" he asked somberly.
"Long before any event you might be able to place in the current of time, that is, other than the legends themselves."
"But you said your father saw goblins."
"And he did, but those were remnants of the final battle. Goblins escaped Connel and held to this land long after that fateful day. Keep in mind my father was not yet born when the sphere was entombed. Elves live a very long time. He is no longer with me now and he lived for a very long time."
Ryson continued to stare at Sanctum. "So long ago," he whispered. "All this time, all of us living apart. Yet, at one time, they all stood together at the top of that mountain. Standing together and watching the end of life as they knew it. I can't imagine what they must have been feeling."
"Elflore speaks of it as a time of joyful sadness," Lief noted.
"That doesn't make much sense," the delver stated with his thoughts still focused upon the image of the final congregation at the summit.
"It does if you con
sider everything they faced," Lief responded quickly, as if feeling it necessary to defend elflore. "They just won a major victory based on their cooperation, yet now they mistrusted each other. Magic was removed from the land. It meant no more evil sorcerers and corrupt wizards hoping to seize power, but it also meant the end of healers and benevolent magic casters. The dark creatures would be sealed off from the land, but they all sensed the inevitable separation. The land was changing both for better and worse. It was hard to feel joy without sadness, or sadness without joy."
Ryson remained on his perch within view of the mountain. "Such a moment!" he exclaimed. "I can't imagine what it would have been like." He turned his head back to the elf. "Was anything said? Did Shayed make any final remarks?"
"Shayed was not there," the elf stated sadly. "Remember that the sphere continued to emit energy which was deadly to the elves. During the battle, she remained among the leaders and in close proximity to the sphere. In the end, the energy destroyed her. She did not live to see the dwarves close the entrance."
"I'm sorry."
"Do not be sorry. She died as proud as any elf could hope. She served as the ultimate salvation to the elves. In answer to your question, nothing was said. The collapsing of the rock signaled the end. Before the dust completely settled, the representatives of each race departed."
Ryson turned his attention back to the mountain. "And so there it's stayed all this time. The sphere's been trapped in that mountain containing all this power."
"That is, until now," Lief said firmly. "There can be little doubt now that something is wrong. The energy is again being released. I don't know how or why, but the proof is conclusive. The return of magic, the undead, and now the goblins. We can only hope that the sphere is not in the hands of one of those foul creatures."
"But the goblins said they were not responsible?"
"You can not believe a goblin. They lie with the same ease they breath. Even if it was telling the truth, there are other creatures such as river rogues, mountain shags, and vampires. Any of these creatures may have found a way to break back into the land. Perhaps, one of them has taken the sphere."
"Let's not go making assumptions, especially a bad one," Ryson advised. "What is it that you hoped to do now that we've reached Sanctum?"
"I wish to climb to the summit and examine the opening. I need to see if there are any clues as to what has happened."
"I see," Ryson noted thoughtful. "Do you think it's a good idea that you go?"
The elf raised an eyebrow and frowned.
"Hear me out before you get all annoyed," Ryson responded quickly. "What if the sphere is still around up there. If it is, won't it still be emitting the energy that is poisonous to elves?"
"The sphere has the power to discharge energy which is poisonous to all races. There is nothing to say that the energy is still directed at the elves."
"But there is," Ryson disagreed. "When you told me about how Shayed probed the magic, she believed that the magic would only be altered to focus on another race after all the elves were destroyed. That hasn't happened yet. Also, you said that the more sensitive elves already felt something. I think that means the energy is still focused upon the elves."
"You miss little that I say, don't you?" the elf said.
"I'm a delver. I pay attention and remember."
"So what is it you suggest?"
"Let me go alone. I can climb the mountain faster by myself. I can examine the summit and report back to you. It may be safer if you stay within the trees. Maybe they'll help to shield you."
"I do not know," the elf said reluctantly. "If the sphere has been taken, I need to know who is in possession. There may be trails left by the invader, trails you might not recognize. You have no idea of the markings of a river rogue or mountain shag."
"But I am a scout," Ryson stated firmly. "I may not know exactly how to interpret their trails, but I won't miss them. It's what I do. If there is anything of significance up there, I'll find it, and I'll report back to you."
Lief soured. "I don't like it. I may need to see things for myself in order to understand them."
"We can worry about that after I make my initial scout. There may be no reason for you to go, no reason for you to take the risk. Let me go first, let me find what I can. If there's something you need to look at, we can deal with that when we know for sure."
"It is a delay."
Ryson shook his head. "You have no idea how quickly I can move up that mountain."
Lief remained still upon his branch with his back to the trunk of the tree. His elfish eyes held the delver firmly. "You are sure you would do this?"
"I would do this even if you weren't here," Ryson admitted. "There is something up there I wish to see, something that's calling to me. I also wish to witness the ground where the races stood together for the last time."
"You don't know what you might find up there. You may be putting yourself in great danger."
"Haven't I done that already?" the delver asked.
"You have, but you have yet to see a mountain shag."
"I'm willing to take that risk."
"Are you, delver?" the elf questioned harshly. "Tell me how wise it is to take a risk of which you know nothing about. You have never dealt with a mountain shag. They are large and fierce. They would bite you in half if given a chance. You speak of willingness, yet you understand little."
"Can they hide their scent?" Ryson asked patiently.
"What?"
"I asked if mountain shags can hide their scent."
"Not that I am aware, but what does that ..."
The delver did not let him finish. "I will be careful to note the scent of anything strange. I won't move into an ambush. I'll do this and there's not much you can do to stop me. Even if you attempt to follow me, I will outdistance you in no time. I don't think you can move through the rocks as you move through these trees. I'll leave you behind, and short of placing an arrow in my back, there's nothing you can do about it."
The elf regarded the delver with an even greater frown. "I see. You have then made up your mind?"
"I have."
The elf shook his head. "There will be time for greater discussion in the morning. I suggest you get some rest. Tomorrow will be an interesting day. I will take the first watch."
He said nothing more.