Delver Magic: Book 05 - Chain of Bargains (40 page)

To combat the goblins, he would
have to seek them out, create one battlefield after another. Once the conflict
started, hordes would form across the region. The goblins would lash out
against everything in their path. He had the power to fight them, even defeat
them, but it would take time and energy.

The magnitude of such a war would
be immense. With goblins already entrenched in cities and towns, they would
seek refuge and utilize hostages. Damage and casualties would be beyond
extensive. The Great Valleys
would become a wasteland of ruin and anguish... a monumental graveyard.

The wizard made no attempt to
gloss over the pain that would extend over the valleys as he explained the
situation in full.

"I believe I can, but it will
not be easy, and it will be destructive to the entire region. The dwarves have
led the goblins to believe that the valleys are theirs for the taking. They
will not be so willing to give up such a prize. Many will run, but they will
also converge together as several great hordes. They will rise up against the
very same humans that they tolerated—for too long in their minds. The reprisals
will be vicious. So while I can stop the goblins from taking over the valleys,
I won't be able to stop them from causing vast destruction."

"Doesn't that go against the
prophecy?" Ryson pointed out. "The valleys are supposed to be
spared."

"They will be spared from
goblin infestation. I will not allow the region to be conquered by draevols,
but I don't see how to defeat them without facing them in battle. They will not
simply go back to the dark realm where they belong."

In that simple statement, Jure saw
an answer. It took mere moments to form, but he could not dismiss the clarity
and the potential of the plan that came to mind. He saw it all, the benefits
and the risks. He knew what it would mean to himself and to Heteera, but
without a doubt, it was the solution he hoped he would find.

"Maybe that is the way,"
Jure announced. "Rather than fight the goblins, send them back. No
battles, no confrontation on this plane of existence. Use the magic to take
hold of each creature, open portals across the valleys, and toss them back into
the dark lands where they belong. If done with the proper spells, they could
not resist. No fighting, no casualties, no war."

"Impossible," Enin
replied almost immediately. "The energy it would take to accomplish such a
deed is unfathomable."

"No, it's not. It's all right
here."

Jure turned and looked back at
Heteera. He knew it was not only the best way to deal with the goblins, but
also a chance for the sorceress. He would use the magic within her as he had
done before, but this time the great swell would be used in one cataclysmic
wave of spells.

Enin understood, and just as Jure
saw the full extent of the goblin dilemma, Enin realized what Jure's plan would
mean.

"Do you know what might
happen if you open yourself to that much energy?"

"I can do it," Jure
replied, not with confidence, but with an acceptance of responsibility.
"She's the way she is because of me. I put the barrier in her
consciousness."

"But she's the one who took
hold of it, used it to escape."

"Doesn't matter. I'm still
responsible. I'm also the only one who can connect with the magic within
her..." He looked over at Holli and knew that the elf could connect as
well, but he made the difference clear. "...and utilize it to do what
needs to be done."

"I don't doubt your
abilities, but this is more than releasing a great surge of power into the air.
You have to maintain control over the energy to give it absolute purpose. That
much power will race through your being like fire upon parched fields."

"But I know what needs to be
done. The spells are energy intensive, but not difficult to control—seek spells
to find the goblins, hold spells to bind them, dimensional gateways to open the
portals, and force spells to send them back. You know these aren't extremely
complicated. I can manage them all. It's just the energy flow that would be a
restriction, but not if I'm connected to Heteera when I begin casting them. The
energy will flow right through me and across every valley. You know how much
magic is within her. It can work."

Enin looked to Heteera, still
lying on her bed staring up into nothingness. Yes, the power was within her,
and Jure's idea could potentially solve two dilemmas at once, if handled
properly. Unfortunately, there remained possible consequences.

"She will eventually notice
the reduction in power within her. The barrier will begin to break. She might
fight you."

"If she does, she won't be
able to stop me. She doesn't have the strength to offset my will."

"That is true, but once the
connection is made, she could decide to destroy you with the magic. That would
not be a matter of will. It would just be her decision to make."

"She would only be able to do
that after my spells have been cast. She could not interrupt them, and the
goblins will be defeated. I also don't believe she would want to hurt me once
she understands what I'm doing. She never wanted to cause harm."

"Still, you have to
understand that if you do this, you're putting your life in her hands."

"No... I'm not. I'm doing
what's right. That goes beyond her hands."

Enin furrowed his brow. He almost
shook his head, but he could not find it within him to dismiss the idea
completely. Still, he was not ready to move forward with such a monumental
decision.

"Let us all go see
Prilgrat," Enin finally suggested. ""Let us find out what we can
and then make our decision."

"I won't go without
her," Jure announced as he nodded towards Heteera.

"Very well, can you carry her
on your own?"

"Yes."

"Then let us prepare. I will
teleport us all to the home of the regional steward and hope that none of this
is necessary."

Enin guided them to Ashlan—across
space compressed by magic—and delivered them directly in front of Prilgrat's
home in mere moments. The sun was setting, but it was still very warm, almost
as if the bright rays of
midday
were
still baking the streets. While the sky remained blue overhead and there
remained plenty of light across the city, there was little to see. The road in
front of Prilgrat's large home was empty. Neither human nor goblin walked in
sight, and it seemed as if that one small portion of Ashlan had been deserted.

The eerie emptiness of the plaza
surprised the entire group as Holli had warned them the mansion stood near the
very center of the city. They did not wish to bring attention to their arrival,
but Enin insisted on a direct approach. Sneaking through Ashlan would not
assist their cause and only delay their objectives. They expected greater
activity near Prilgrat's home and prepared to meet with inferns or human
soldiers on patrol. Even Jure, who held Heteera in his arms, was ready to cast
a defensive spell if they were attacked upon arrival. To their relief, and also
bewilderment, such conditions simply did not exist.

The calm and quiet surrounding the
mansion, however, was in direct contrast to activity throughout the rest of
Ashlan. Ryson noticed it first, heard and smelled the violence across the city.
The indications of pure chaos assaulted his senses and swelled across him from
every direction, battered him like a barrage of hail and sleet. He heard the
screams of fear and shrieks of fury. He smelled the smoke from fires and the
dust of destruction. He felt the rattle of an angry mob surging through the
entire city and the desperate retreat of thousands trying to flee.

"Oh no," the delver
cried as he looked up and down the empty street, and although the road he stood
upon appeared a peaceful refuge, he knew turmoil raged everywhere else. It all
felt so unreal, to be standing in relative peace while surrounded by total
havoc. It was as if they had found the single sanctuary elevated over a raging
flood of brutality, like a bird landing on a large boulder perched over a river
of lava.

"What's going on?" Jure
asked.

"The goblins... they're
rampaging across the city."

"He's right," Holli
confirmed.

Although she was unable to see the
diminutive monsters, she could not deny the revelations of hostility. Her elf
eyes spotted the clouds of smoke hovering over different sections of the city.
Her hearing could not match the depth of the delver's, but the chaos rang clear
in her ears as well. It was not the roar of battle she heeded—no clang of iron
or shout of battle cries—but the pandemonium of monsters wreaking havoc. Wild
shrieks of bloodthirsty mayhem filled the air. She could only imagine the
devastation as the entire city trembled against the riotous goblin mob. From
grinding groans within the ground itself, Holli could feel the pulse of pure
anarchy. It did not stop—did not even pause—instead, the rustling vibration of
chaos rattled endlessly. Ashlan was not simply under siege, it was beset by
madness.

Needing to understand the depth of
the calamity, Enin acted instantly. He closed his eyes and placed his hands
above his head. He focused his energy on the need to see beyond the limits of
the city.

External magic continued to flow
down and around Ashlan. It rushed overhead with a force that might prevent
spell casters of lesser ability from breaching the city, but it could not stop
Enin's will.

Two rings of pure white magic
encircled his wrists. He released the first circle of energy with a desire to
reach out beyond Ashlan and to touch the skies across the Great
Valleys. Once the first ring of
magic reached its intended height, streaks of lightning bolted outward in all
directions of the compass, branching out in seemingly never ending jagged
lines. Though the lightning contained substantial power and the corresponding
rumble of thunder shook the buildings nearby, it was never intended to strike
any target. It simply allowed the wizard a platform that stretched far and wide
across the skies overhead.

He sent the second ring following
immediately after the first. The pale energy burst across the sky in the same
manner, but it used the lightning as an anchor. It was the power of sight, and
it followed the previous path of magic, utilizing it to send reflections of
areas far beyond Ashlan back to the wizard. Enin let the images flow into his
consciousness as he witnessed alarming events in several neighboring towns.

The ghastly visions revealed to
him were much the same in every direction. Goblins raged with a violent lust
that sickened him. They struck with an anger that had been bottled up for many
seasons. They raced about furiously, burning and destroying, pillaging and
killing. They brought devastation with a delirious frenzy.

In some areas, the goblins moved
as a great horde—a dark gray mass that rolled forward like storm clouds with
deliberate evil intentions. They choked out any opposition with frightening
efficiency, suffocating the ground with the sheer swell of their numbers.

In other regions, goblins
scattered across farms and small town streets like shrapnel disbursed by some
horrid explosion. They darted about creating confusion and panic—starting
fires, smashing doors and windows, stealing food and valuables.

The response to the assault was
dismal. The humans failed to come together. Small pockets of resistance were
quickly overrun. Individuals who found the courage to stand and fight could not
match the sheer numbers of goblin attackers that swelled about them. Most of
the people took to flight, and while they did not appear to retreat with a
clear direction in mind, the goblins seemed determined to press them to the
west.

Enin saw the method of the dwarves
deep within the madness of the goblins. Fleeing people were being herded
together, sent in the same direction in one massive stampede. It would take
days and many would be trampled, die of exhaustion or dehydration, but they
would all be pushed through Pride Gap and sent into the central plains. Lack of
hope and shelter would force them onward until they flooded into the lands that
rested beneath the Colad Mountains.
They would inundate Connel, Burbon, and Pinesway.

The panic of the humans washed
over Enin while he peered across the region. As he saw pure desperation in
their faces, the overwhelming emotion that generated such expressions took
shape in his own spirit. It was more than sympathy, or even empathy, it was a
torrent of anguish and fear rippling back across the magic. He cancelled the
spell and turned his attention back to his companions.

"You were right," Enin
said to the elder wizard. "The goblins have been released. It has begun,
and it is a nightmare."

"What should we do?"
Ryson demanded, not wanting to simply stand idly by.

Enin did not wish to advise
patience during such a crisis, but rash action was not an alternative he would
allow.

"First, we find Prilgrat. We
can't simply base our decisions on assumptions. We have to know for sure...
know if draevols are linked to this evil. Then we shall act."

Enin threw open the door to the
mansion and stepped angrily into the great hall. He peered about, searching for
any movement, but there was nothing—no guards and no servants. He wondered if
Prilgrat might have abandoned his home, forewarned of the catastrophe. As he
set his magical senses upon the inner space of the mansion, however, he noted
the attendance of humans... and something else... something sinister in nature.
It was not a presence, certainly not a draevol, but something like the shadow
of a dark sin committed just moments ago.

Uneasy over the sensation, the
wizard called out to anyone who could hear, but at first, no one would respond.
Unwilling to be denied, he cast a force spell that shook the very foundation of
the house. He warned his next spell would bring the building down as rubble if
he was not met immediately. Two stunned servants stepped reluctantly into the
hall with apprehension etched upon their faces.