Free Spirit Past (Book 8) by Jeff Inlo Page B

of transport. He knew creating the escape portal would drain him, but he also knew he had to create another portal back to Uton.
    He held the stones apart. One needed a clear destination; the other required a point of origin. When he enchanted the stones, he had no idea where he would utilize them, and thus he had to implant the point of origin once he escaped the infern. Directing the magic within the stone, he placed his current position as his starting point. The destination was already set.
    Once he realized what he was up against, Neltus always knew where he would have to go. Even after escaping, the reprieve was only temporary. He would be hunted, and there was only one person who could possibly save him. He had to return to Uton and get to Connel.
     
     

Chapter 6
     
    Neltus' portal appeared near a busy market in the northern section of Connel. Twisting lines of people snaked across a wide cobblestone road. Customers hustled from stall to stall and filled their carts or bags with various goods. Jostling for position was often part of the routine. The clamor of greetings, questions, and haggling over prices turned into a mumbled and indistinguishable hum. Visitors from smaller towns might have been astonished that anything could be accomplished in such mass confusion, but goods moved through the market with amazing efficiency.
    The citizens of Connel accepted the commotion, just as they consented to the continuous construction that expanded the city with each day. They had even grown to accept the presence of dwarves eager to apply their skills as architects, designers, and builders. They did not, however, expect their marketplace to become a threshold for a portal to another dimension.
    When the wizard stepped out of the rift and near a crowded stall, he caused somewhat of a stir, but Neltus ignored the gasps and startled expressions. He knew he might have surprised a few people, but he also understood that Connel was home to two very powerful spell casters. He doubted the masses would begin to cast stones at him or chase him through the streets with hopes of corralling him and eventually burning him at a stake.
    He was right, and though the crowd watched him uneasily, they did not interfere with his plans. Wizards and sorcerers didn't make a habit of popping in and out of the city, but the citizens knew that spell casters often sought the advice of Jure and Enin, two wizards capable of casting pure white magic in perfect circles. The crowd let Neltus roam away, even as he was obviously unsure about his direction. By the time the town guard appeared, he had become lost in the crowd.
    Neltus started moving toward the center of the city. Though he was not familiar with Connel, he could tell the outskirts contained much newer construction. As he noticed quite a few dwarves walking the streets, he knew they had a hand in the city's expansion.
    Dwarf contributions went beyond intricate architecture and epic design. Neltus could feel dwarf involvement, as well as intervention, in the very air. The newer buildings seemed to defy the magic sweeping across the land, and dwarves were known for their mistrust of the energy.
    The center of the city contained much older structures, and Neltus believed he would find the object of his search there. He needed to locate Enin, and he knew without a doubt the wizard was near.
    Even in such a crowded city, he could sense Enin's awesome power, but the vast surge of energy that flowed from Connel's guardian kept Neltus from honing in on Enin's exact position. Enin was, in essence, a source of near limitless magic. The abundance of energy within the wizard could not be ignored by skilled spell casters, but utilizing the extensive surge to find Enin himself was like trying to locate a particular snowflake in a blizzard. Unable to do more than sense a wide and indistinct path, Neltus was forced to ask for specific directions.
    Without suffering too much delay, he was eventually guided to