It's better than magic.
Chapter 27
"She did what she thought was best," Enin stated sadly.
The wizard's essence had returned to his body, and he addressed those that realized Heteera had died. He wanted them to know the full merit of her noble act. He turned his attention to Jure.
"She wanted to make sure you weren't hurt. The current of magic was too strong for either of you to stop. She knew what she was facing but decided it was worth it. I told you you were putting your life in her hands, and in a way, I was right. She didn't want to see you suffer for her mistake."
"The barrier was as much my mistake as it was hers," Jure replied sadly.
"No, that's not correct. All along, you did what you had to do… the right thing to do. Her mistake was not seeing that soon enough. She created the magic current out of fear. She admitted that, and then, she did what she had to do. People make mistakes all the time. It takes courage to admit it and live with the consequences. Give her credit for that. She deserves it."
It wasn't that Jure didn't want to give Heteera any credit. He simply couldn't understand the loss. It seemed a waste. For a moment, there was a point, a reason… a purpose for them all. Together, they used their gifts and they defeated the goblins in a way that none of them could do apart. He couldn't understand why one of them had to suffer for it.
Holli did not wish to remove attention from Heteera's sacrifice, but she understood that the real source of suffering needed to be confronted.
"It is time we find the draevol and make it pay for this… all of it."
She harbored a deep resentment toward the demon. She wouldn't deny it, or even attempt to conceal it. Elf guards didn't allow emotions to affect their objectives, but as she began to realize, she was no longer simply an elf guard. She was also an apprentice to Enin, and she believed that her struggle in accepting that fact caused her to make several missteps.
"I suppose it is," Enin agreed. "We know where the demon is and the goblins are no longer a threat."
"It worked then?" Ryson asked. "All the goblins are gone?"
"All the ones in the valleys," Jure confirmed. "I had to stop there. I didn't want to try and focus on all of Uton."
"He didn't really stop there," Enin added. "He also did a great deal to help the people. He cast several spells after the goblins were removed to heal wounds and repair damage. Heteera brought him a great deal of magic, and he didn't waste the opportunity."
Ryson was beyond impressed, he was thankful for the elder wizard's compassion.
"Well done," the delver offered.
"I couldn't have done it without her," Jure admitted, as he continued to look upon Heteera's lifeless body with sadness.
They all could see that Jure didn't wish to abandon Heteera. Momentary uncertainty mixed with the uneasiness until Enin offered a solution.
"I understand your hesitancy to leave her," the wizard stated, "but Holli is right. We have other work to do. Still, let us give her the respect she deserves."
The wizard stepped up to the chair that held Heteera's slumped form. He placed his hands over her head just as two rings of white energy sparkled near his palms. The circles of power dropped from his hands, encircled Heteera, and whisked her body away.
"Where did you send her?" Jure asked.
"To a safe haven for now. Her body is in a magical envelope between dimensions. We will give her proper acknowledgment back in Connel when this is all over, but I didn't want to leave her with him."
Enin motioned to the prone body of Prilgrat moaning lightly on his bed.
"That reminds me," Holli stated, as she fixed a grim stare upon the regional steward and pulled a long knife from its sheath on her waist.
"What are you doing?" Ryson demanded.
Holli knew the delver would speak out, and she was ready with an explanation.
"Would you rather we leave him to suffer? He has been plagued by a draevol's spell. He will not recover. I am not doing this because he deserves to die. Quite the opposite. I think he should suffer for all eternity, but I will not allow that to happen. I am doing this not as punishment, but as an act of mercy. One I do not believe he deserves, but I am doing this as much for myself as I am for him."
"So you're just going to put him out of his misery?"
"There is no one is Uton who can save him," Holli replied.
Ryson looked to Enin.
"Is that true?"
"Yes… and no." The wizard then called to Holli. "You can't kill him, you will only cause him further pain."
"I will be swift… and sure."
"You don't understand. You could slice him into a hundred pieces and scatter him across the land. He will not die. He made that bargain with the draevol. He can't break it, the draevol can't break it, and neither can you."
Holli placed the knife back in its sheath.
"There is no way to remove the curse?" Holli asked.
"Not with a knife, or with magic." Enin cast a glance at the pathetic wretch on the bed. "He has to look for salvation elsewhere."
"Then my conscience is clear." She turned to the door. "We should waste no more time. I want to find that draevol."
Prilgrat could only stare in helpless agony as the four left him alone. He tried to call out, but all he could muster was a gurgling moan. He turned his head enough to gaze out of the hole in his bedroom wall. His vision was too fuzzy to see anything specific, but he knew Ashlan had been saved. He, however, was no longer regional steward… and very far from any salvation.
Ryson was the only one who looked back upon Prilgrat. He didn't wish to see suffering on that scale, but he forced himself to take one last glimpse of futility, for that's what he saw in the pathetic, diseased body. The man tried to cheat death, and in a way, he did, but he ended up with something much worse. The steps of life were not ones that could be altered to escape fears of the inevitable.
Holli knew the way to Prilgrat's office in the town hall. It was very close and having Enin transport them there magically would only save a marginal amount of time. She chose to lead them on foot instead, so that they could evaluate their surroundings before entering the basement.
The flow of magic into the town had ceased. Heteera's death ended the overwhelming current, and Holli believed the draevol lacked the ability to restart it again so quickly after the abrupt halt. The magical cover across Ashlan dissipated, and the elf could now sense the demon. She also believed several inferns remained in the city, but they were only pawns. Enin could deal with them once they eliminated their master.
"I can feel the draevol," she announced. "It is indeed in the town hall. I sense no other threats near it."
Both Jure and Enin nodded in agreement.
Ryson wondered about the plan of attack, but with two wizards of enormous power by his side, he doubted any preparation was necessary. He did, however, consider one element that Holli seemed to ignore.
"What about the twin?" the delver wondered. "There may be a second draevol hiding somewhere nearby."
"Not here," Holli responded in a determined growl. "The other is in Huntston. We will take care of it as well, but this is the one behind it all. I can tell."
"But can't they use those transport spells?"
"They can, but it would leave a clear trail that Enin could follow."
The delver looked to Enin once more for confirmation.
The powerful wizard nodded.
"Don't worry, Ryson. Neither of them will get away," Enin advised.
"I'm not worried about them getting away. I'm more concerned about walking into a surprise."
"No more surprises," Holli stated, as if sheer will would force the entire event into a final conclusion, "and no more mysteries. The dwarves started this mess, the draevols corrupted it, and we are about to end it."