Delver Magic III: Balance of Fate
By Jeff Inlo
“I wonder what spell could be cast that would allow an ordinary person to mimic your skills. Watching you is almost beyond belief.”
Ryson Acumen shook his head and replied with a laugh. “This said by a wizard that is right now flying over my head.”
Indeed, Enin was quite literally flying just above the treetops, but the delver’s response was lost on the wizard. Swooping and gliding through the air, Enin continued to peer through the leafless branches as he studied the delver from nearly every angle. Trying to categorize Ryson’s movements and match them to a potential spell, however, proved much more difficult than flying and even more elusive than the cold wind that blew through the clear blue skies of this day. Watching the delver closely, the wizard marveled at how Ryson could leap, run, twist, and turn—basically dance without rest or pause through, over, and under the myriad of obstacles the forest presented.
As he often did, Enin began to speak out loud, more to himself than anyone else, as he considered the purpose of his desire.
“So many different aspects, even animal tendencies, I see perfect qualities of nature within you. You move with the grace of so many different animals at once, it would be almost impossible for me to try and match your powers with any spell, or even series of spells, that might match the particular skills of a single animal. I mean really, you move like a cat but without the predatory aim. You dart about like a fish in the sea but without the haphazard defensive response.”
“Sounds like a catfish,” Ryson offered playfully.
The wizard ignored him. “And it’s not just simulating the advantages of different animals, it goes well beyond that. There’s an instinctive quality in the way you move, instinctive like a horse that gallops effortlessly just because it can. And it goes beyond animal instinct, you have the very essence of nature within you. You have a quality of the wind about you. Your movements flow steadily yet you can change directions with ease.
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Jeff Inlo
Biography.
Jeff Inlo spent several years in NJ with his wife, Joan, and their dogs. He wrote over twenty novels, focusing on fantasy and science fiction. Recently, he retired and moved to Pennsylvania. His last novel was the 15th book in the Delver Magic Series featuring the purebred Delver Ryson Acumen.
Jeff Inlo
