Joint Intentions (Book 9) Read Free

bound by these walls. They'll be secure, but when you venture beyond Burbon, your well-being is in your own hands."
    Ryson took a quick glimpse at the wall stretching out from both sides of the northern gate. It was his intention to pass beyond the barrier which protected Burbon. He would be leaving the safety of a town guarded by a warrior spirit, venturing out into a land tainted by magic and dark creatures, but his attention remained on those whom he held most dear.
    "My wife knows not to leave, and she'll make sure Stomps doesn't take off on his own. That dog loves to run around the wall with me and into the forest, but he'll stay close to home when I'm not here. As for me, I'll be fine."
    The captain turned again to the ghost of his predecessor, as if he heard a call from the apparition which was otherwise silent in the breeze. He appeared somewhat surprised by the message which flowed directly from Sy Fenden. The captain of the guard could not be certain of the exact meaning behind Sy's counsel, but he would relay it as directed.
    "Very well," Klusac finally replied to the apparition. "I'll tell him."
    Ryson watched curiously as the focus of both the town's new captain and the specter which previously held that position fell upon him.
    "What is it?" Ryson asked of Klusac.
    "Sy told me he understands why you're leaving. He knows you can't quell the curiosity within you, but you may be asking questions which have no firm answers in this land. He said—very clearly, in fact, and with great emphasis—that conviction requires trust. A belief in something beyond substance cannot be confirmed with investigations based in a physical existence."
    After revealing the message as it was given to him, the guard captain had to ask his own question.
    "Do you know what that means?"
    Ryson believed he understood Sy's point, but his quest had taken on a unique substance in a place where he, as a delver, could see beyond the physical moment. In Demonspawn—an existence built more on the past than on the present—he saw a reflection beyond a memory. In the shimmering echoes of his trail, he had witnessed the totality of his full existence, and within that existence, he saw his own soul. Whereas others might rely on faith, he had observed the inner and true essence of his being with his own eyes.
    Rather than attempting to explain such aspects to Captain Klusac, Ryson faced the apparition of his dead friend.
    "Your return to Burbon is a testament to the substance of what I'm trying to understand. More importantly, what I see of you now, I saw of myself. If I was able to see that much, then I have to be able to comprehend its meaning."
    Ryson paused to gauge the position of the sun. It was still early, and the mist of the morning had barely burned away. He could afford a few more moments before he had to leave, and he professed his own outlook about Sy's ghostly existence.
    "The return of magic and the use of spells might confuse us about what's real and what's illusion, but there's more to you than magic. Let's be honest about this; you're not just a nameless ghost, an apparition empty of identity. And you're not some illusion. I realize the people of this town are overjoyed at your return, but they might not be considering the full significance of your existence and what it ultimately means."
    Sy offered nothing in response, but Klusac became curious at the delver's suggestion. For the captain, Sy Fenden's return meant many things. The ghost warrior offered protection for Burbon beyond what any mortal could provide. The presence of Sy's spirit boosted morale for the soldiers of the guard. And for Klusac personally, the willing participation of the apparition in the defense of Burbon validated his own role as leader of the town.
    To all the citizens, Sy Fenden had been viewed as far more than the commander of Burbon's forces. He was the embodiment of the structure and commitment which allowed Burbon to survive after the return of magic.