Delver Magic Book VII: Altered Messages (21 page)

"Dwarves could have disguised their own work. They could have easily targeted the center of our camp, collapsed the ground, and made it appear as if it were done by rock beetles. They would not have used spells. They would have used the skill which is within their hands, and they can dig faster than any rock beetle."

Birk could not argue that the dwarves held the ability. Elflore described such dwarf attacks when the two races had been at war, but he could not understand any possible motivation.

"Why would the dwarves do this?" Birk asked.

The tone of his voice was revealing. To be attacked by dwarves meant a great deal more than a brazen ambush by rock beetles. Elves had died, and if dwarves were responsible, then it was an act of inexcusable aggression. The ramifications were beyond enormous, and the elf captain was not quite prepared to entertain the complexities of such a prospect.

Shantree, however, had been considering the implications almost immediately, and she took hold of a possible explanation, one that might even rationalize the possibility of renewed conflict between elves and dwarves.

"To send us a message. If they believe elves sympathetic to Petiole assisted in his escape, the dwarves would wish to make it clear that such action would not be tolerated. The emissary told me as much, but the dwarves might have felt it necessary to communicate that position to the camp as a whole."

"You think they would kill elves to serve as a warning?"

"I do not know what to think," Shantree confessed, but she also revealed her uneasiness with the circumstances. "I only know there is more to this than rock beetles searching for prey."

#

Deep in the ground under the edge of the elf camp, Neltus smiled. He had completed his task to meet the exact conditions of the serps' plan.

He had allowed the rock beetles to do most of the digging, but the responsibility to cover their tracks was entrusted to him. He had to do it in such a way that there would be no magical residue, no sign of a spell removing the tracks.

He had cast his spell upon the beetles themselves far away from the elf camp. It was a difficult casting for him, for he did not like to work with creatures that disturbed the land with such aggressiveness. He created a magical buffer around the legs and claws of the large insects. A slight barrier would exist that would absorb the natural tracks of the beetles. They would leave no markings, but they would be able to burrow underground. The spell would not be detected by the elves, for the magical energy would cling to the beetles and not the land itself.

The wizard had moved with the dark creatures through the tunnels they created. It was dark and cramped, the tunnels just wide enough for the beetles to scamper through, but Neltus was not the slightest bit unhappy with his surroundings. He had not felt as if the land had swallowed him, and the loose dirt falling in his face only brought him a deeper sense of joy. He knew the land would never hurt him.

He remained linked to the beetles through the spell that buffered their trail. He even assisted in weakening the ground under the elf camp. He didn't quite cast a spell as much as he placed his own desires within the rock and soil. He let the dirt move by itself, shifting without the pressure of a spell but by the force of Neltus' will. He could sense when the ground was ready to give way and ordered the monster insects to retreat and collapse the tunnels behind them so that no elf could follow.

Waiting with the beetles below the borders of the elf camp, the wizard listened to the conversation between Shantree Wispon and Birk Grund. He utilized his magical connection with the insects once more as they could pick up the voices of the elves even from a great distance.

He didn't much like the serps on the council, actually feared them, but he respected their ability to scheme. Their plans were complicated, but they were also succeeding. The elves were being moved in a direction beyond their own reckoning, and the serps would continue to manipulate their behavior. Neltus couldn't help but smile.

#

"Why am I still here?" Okyiq demanded. "I got slice of magic. Nothing else for me to do here. Wizard of crimson magic got to go back to Dark Spruce, but not me. Why?!"

Desiv knew dealing with the large goblin was going to require patience, but he didn't realize just how much. Okyiq was loud, abrasive and demanding. Sharing a magical connection, Desiv could actually feel the waves of hostility raging out of the monster. The sheer force of aggression was overwhelming, and once Desiv experienced it firsthand, he was no longer surprised that Okyiq had broken free from Samk's control.

Because he offered the idea of allowing Okyiq to join the council, the other serps thought it appropriate that Desiv serve as the liaison to the hostile goblin. Even though they were all linked in a fashion where no thought could be completely hidden from another, continued communication was still necessary. The goblin's mind worked very differently from that of a serp, and Desiv was forced to explain certain details, even if he didn't wish to.

"The magic you have received connects you to all of us," Desiv offered. "You should know why Neltus was sent back to the forest."

"You sent wizard to cause confusion among elves. I understand. I don't understand why I have to stay. Horde is waiting for me!"

"Yes, it is, but this is all about timing. You must realize that."

In a certain fashion, Okyiq knew all the serp's considerations, even some that occurred before he became a member of the council, but it didn't mean he agreed with the strategy.

"Fah, you waste time. That's what I know."

"Time is not wasted when delays are used to our advantage. While we can manipulate several events, there are still certain variables beyond our control; like the wizard, Enin, for example. He did not go directly to Dunop. We believe he stopped at Burbon to check on the half-delver's story. It makes sense, but we have no spies in Burbon to confirm this."

"Why does it matter where the big wizard stops?"

"Because he is the main focus of our initial plans."

"Not part of
my
plans."

"Really? And if he just happened to be in Burbon the moment you attacked, do you think that would have been just a minor inconvenience?"

Okyiq fumed, but he could not argue. He wanted to attack Burbon when it was isolated, not when Enin was within its walls. The wizard held the magical might to overcome any army, no matter what its size. Still, the goblin didn't wish to wait, and he didn't like being out of Dark Spruce.

"So you want to wait for big wizard. Good for you. Why do I have to wait here? I should still be back in forest...
my
forest."

Desiv shook his head, both in a display of frustration and as an answer to Okyiq's demand.

"You wish to leave now. I understand that, but the other members of the council believe you should wait until the wizard makes his appearance here. It would be safer that way. We all want to ensure Enin doesn't follow any loose connections before coming here. His consciousness interacts with a magical awareness that is far beyond us all. If somehow he senses you in the forest before he comes here, it would be a potential disaster."

"Let me worry about that."

Desiv could not allow that and reminded Okyiq of certain conditions regarding his new status as an equal among a cadre of serps.

"We all worry about certain facets of our plan, and we are all involved with the implementation of each stage. We are supposed to work together, to pool our talents. That is the purpose of the council. That, and to handle disagreements. If we brought it to a vote, you would lose five to one. You would have to abide by that decision. It must work that way. You are aware of that."

"Council is stupid. It was a mistake I joined."

Desiv began to wonder if he was equally dim-witted in offering membership to the goblin in the first place. They had not completed a single day with Okyiq as a part of their faction and already he was making life unbearable. Desiv decided to end the dispute as quickly as possible.

"You think joining was a mistake? It is one that can be easily corrected. We will let you leave, if that's your wish. We will take the crimson magic from within you, and you can be on your way. There would be no consequences, save one. You would not be placed in command of the army we have amassed in Dark Spruce."

Desiv paused just long enough to let that fact sink into Okyiq's obstinate mind. He then drew a clear picture of exactly what the goblin would be sacrificing.

"With your magical link to the council, you understand the true size of that force. Think of the number of goblins at your disposal. Consider the shags and bloat spiders willing to follow your command. Concentrate and you can see them. You can do so because your mind is linked to the serps on the council, and we already control the minds of thousands of dark creatures."

Again, Desiv paused. He knew Okyiq was looking through the eyes of one of the hook hawks cutting through the skies over
Dark Spruce Forest. Much of the ground was blocked by the canopy of leaves, but Okyiq could still see the vast army in the forest.

Okyiq felt the power surge within him. He could command them all. There wasn't a question in his mind. They would follow every order—the serps' control over their small minds would ensure it.

Desiv fed the goblin's lust for power.

"That force is ready for your leadership. Do not misjudge me. I am not saying you could not raise a horde of goblins on your own, but how long would it take you to recruit such an army? How many cycles of the season would pass until you were strong enough to conquer Burbon with ease and take the guard captain and the delver prisoner?"

Okyiq wished to argue, but he couldn't. The size of the force in Dark Spruce was massive. He wanted to believe he could raise a horde of similar scope, but despite his confidence, he knew such a feat was simply not possible.

Putting an end to the argument, Desiv put the final decision in very simple terms.

"You can leave here now and start off on your own... wait an untold number of seasons until you're ready to attack Burbon and ensure victory, or you can wait here a few more moments and be assured successful conquest in mere days. Your choice."

Okyiq didn't like the serps any more than they enjoyed his company, but the choice was indeed clear.

"I stay here, but will leave as soon as wizard makes
his
choice."

"That's all we expect. Besides, it will not kill you to wait here. You can even use our link to the gremplings and our rock beetles monitoring the dwarves to enjoy what's going on in Dunop."

"Another waste of time," Okyiq grumbled.

"Not at all," Desiv countered. "I admit I would have rather it occurred when the wizard was actually down in Dunop, but this will work out just as well, especially if he shows up while the lights are still out."

Just as he was able to view the waiting army in Dark Spruce, Okyiq could sense dozens and dozens of gremplings waiting at various points throughout the forest. He could feel their willingness to follow the instructions of their serp masters. In his mind, he saw images of the nimble creatures just as they were given the order to carry out their mission.

The gremplings moved in a coordinated attack, but they did not target any other creatures. Instead, they leapt toward well hidden airshafts that led down to Dunop. The agile, furry creatures moved swiftly down from the trees and into the narrow openings. At one precise moment, they ripped carefully cut light gems from the stone and dirt walls of airshafts and access tunnels. With the light gems in their tiny paws, they rushed back up into the trees.

Their actions would not place Dunop in total darkness, but it would certainly have an effect. Light would still come from larger cave openings guarded by dwarf warriors and from underground passages that led to other dwarf cities, but every dwarf in Dunop would immediately recognize a drastic reduction in natural light.

While Okyiq could sense the activity, even
understand its place in the serps' scheme, he could not fathom why the serps would waste so much energy on such a small endeavor.

"I know what you are doing," Okyiq stated, "but why? Why bother with gremplings? Why steal light gems? Dwarves are used to the dark. Makes no sense."

"It's not about putting the dwarves in the dark," Desiv replied. "It's having them think about
why
it's happening. What do you think every dwarf feared when they learned Petiole escaped? They thought about shadow trees. Now the city inexplicably goes dark. Yes, they will discover it was caused by stolen light gems, but they won't be able to erase the memory of what can grow in the darkness."

"Dwarves don't scare easily," the large goblin acknowledged, giving credit to possible adversaries.

"No, they do not. But you should not look at everything from the same perspective. You are about feeding fear. We appreciate that, even honor it. We are about feeding mistrust. It can be a strong ally."

"I was told you were here," Queen Therese exclaimed as she entered the chamber specifically designed for Enin's teleportation spells. "Your appearance is most fortunate."