Spirit Past (Book 8) Read Online Free PDF Page B

some men on horseback, but these humans do not completely understand such fine animals."
    Ryson knew that the cavalry soldiers understood their horses quite well, but they didn't know about the strange connection between animals and cliff behemoths. The delver had seen Dzeb interact with horses on several occasions. Ryson often wondered if, on some level, the behemoth actually communicated with them. It wasn't that absurd, not with magic in the air. He knew Enin could some how talk with dogs, and looking at Stomps contentedly cradled in the arm of the gentle giant, it wouldn't have surprised the delver if Dzeb had long conversations with all four-legged creatures.
    "The horses wouldn't stand in your way, would they?"
    "Horses hold far greater wisdom. They understood my need."
    Ryson could picture the rest. He wondered how shocked the soldiers must have become when their horses heeded the giant's will over their own commands. He almost laughed at the thought, but then he considered why Dzeb was there and any amusement within him simply vanished.
    They walked up to the front of the armory and Ryson held a quick conversation with the guards at the door. It was an odd request, to open the armory for the benefit of a strange creature, but after reviewing the number of onlookers gathering in the street, they all agreed it would be best if Dzeb was removed from the eyes of the public.
    The entrance of the stout brick building was comprised of two tall wooden doors, and when opened, allowed for the easy storing and distribution of weapons of all sizes. Dzeb had no difficulty gaining entry into the building, and there was plenty of room in the center of the structure for the cliff behemoth to move about without backing into a wall or crushing a chair.
    Ryson asked for privacy, and since the delver was considered a vital element of the town's defenses, the guards allowed him the courtesy. They returned to the outside of the armory to deal with the curious public. When the doors were closed, the delver could no longer curb his curiosity.
    "What's going on, Dzeb?" Ryson asked, but it was his wife who demanded a specific explanation.
    "You said Ryson was in danger," Linda stated. "What kind of danger?"
    Dzeb continued to pet Stomps, who was almost falling asleep in the arms of the giant, but the behemoth spoke with a degree of sadness that was in direct contrast to the serenity of the gentle interaction.
    "The master of demons has found a way to reach out from his pit," Dzeb replied stoically. "He will bring as much pain and suffering to Uton as he can, but he will almost certainly fix his sight upon Ryson."
    "The master of demons?" the delver questioned. Ryson knew a good deal of the legends, but he could never claim a complete understanding of the intricacies of magic, dimensional boundaries, or even demons. Still, he had come across the name of the demon tyrant in some of his readings, and he wished to confirm his knowledge of the subject was accurate. "Isn't that Reiculf?"
    "Yes, the daokiln. Pure evil, a creature in complete opposition to Godson. He was restricted to Demonspawn, but events have transpired to allow him to extend his reach beyond previous boundaries."
    Linda had no concept of Demonspawn, or a daokiln. Almost every word carried one absurdity after another, but the thought of a demon master brought a hideous image to her mind. She tried to brush it all away as childish notions, but she could not dismiss her memories and the shadows of the past.
    She had seen too much evil since the magic returned, experienced horrors that could not be forgotten. The line between fact and fiction had been blurred into nonexistence. Even the most unbelievable tales had become reality. That new reality also contained a somewhat unsettling understanding of the cliff behemoth.
    Linda did not doubt the intentions of the titan. She knew Dzeb to be as kind and innocent as he was monumental in both size and faith. The cliff behemoth, however, was