Delver Magic Book VII: Altered Messages (25 page)

Despite the amazing beauty of the scenery, Holli's instincts compelled her to consider the new surroundings as potentially hazardous. She crouched ever so slightly and placed a ready hand on her bow. She ignored the spectacle of sheer natural splendor as she concentrated entirely upon their security. She scanned their surroundings in sweeping glances. She quickly focused on a remarkable house that stood behind them and overlooked the sea. One human waited near a door to the mansion. Holli called for Enin and Ryson's attention, and they all recognized the spell caster instantly.

"Neltus! Is this your doing?" Enin demanded.

"Absolutely not!" Neltus replied quickly and with a nervous edge to his voice. The somewhat rotund wizard found greeting Enin extremely distressing. He could sense the great wizard's power, and he had no intention of ever facing Enin in battle. He immediately explained his presence to assure the newcomers he posed no threat. "I'm just here to guide you inside. They knew you'd be coming."

"Who knew?"

"I'd rather you see for yourself. I don't want to get caught up in explanations. I might say the wrong thing."

"Neltus, you are becoming a far greater annoyance than I would have ever imagined."

"I'm not trying to annoy you," Neltus replied with brutal honesty. "I'd just assume have nothing to do with you."

"If this is some kind of trap..." Holli began to warn, but Neltus cut her off.

The wizard of crimson power did not show the same respect to the elf guard that he displayed for Enin. He had no fear of her.

"It's no trap. Besides, I wouldn't need a trap to deal with you, elf."

"Take us to those in charge," Holli scoffed, "for it is clearly not you."

Neltus almost challenged the elf, something he had longed to do, but upon seeing the scowl on Enin's face, he quickly guided the group into the magnificent structure. He brought them to the same dining room in which the serps greeted Petiole.

Five serps sat perfectly still as they eyed their three guests. They said nothing as Neltus directed the wizard, elf and delver to the side of the long dining table where each could be easily seen by the waiting villains.
"Welcome, Enin," one of the serps finally greeted the wizard. "I am glad you're here. I am Desiv."

"And I have very little patience," Enin responded without the least hint of courtesy. "I do not like what I see here; five serps and a wizard with very poor judgment. What am I to make of this?"

"Make whatever you wish, but I'm certain you have more specific questions than that." Desiv responded.

Enin began with the issue he believed was the catalyst for everything that had happened.

"Are you responsible for freeing Petiole?"

"We are."

"For what purpose?"

"Many, including bringing you here."

Enin didn't doubt the claim. Just as Holli had warned, it was becoming clear that they had been led to a meeting with the serps. It didn't worry him, he had no fear of the conniving creatures. They could not hope to control his potent mind, and their magical powers did not even amount to a minor annoyance.

"And what do you want with me?"

"I want us to come to an understanding, but aren't there any more questions? I'm not trying to avoid the issue. We can get to it shortly, but I believe it will bring our discussion to a premature conclusion. I don't want to leave any loose ends. What of the delver? I know his curiosity must be piqued."

Ryson couldn't help himself. Questions poured out of him in no specific order of importance. He wanted to know as much as possible. He thought of his initial plunge into the muddled events, the gruesome message left just outside of Burbon.

"Is Okyiq here?" Ryson asked.

"He is."

"Is Neltus the magic caster who was with him in Dark Spruce?"

"No, it was another."

"Who?"

"You've met her before. Her name is Rivira."

"Why did they go to Dunop?"

"To create a trail."

"Why did Okyiq kill a serp?"

"The serp made a critical mistake, one we have corrected."

"What kind of mistake?"

"He underestimated Okyiq."

Ryson would have continued, but another voiced called out.

"Your answers hold little importance," Holli interrupted.

She was more than uncomfortable with their circumstances. It was sheer carelessness to stand before five serps in an unsecured setting with so little information. She understood Ryson's need to ask questions. He was following his own burning curiosity, but none of the answers supplied by the serps defined the significance of what her eyes revealed.

"You are willing to give us petty details," the elf continued, "but not one response reveals the meaning of your intentions."

"We are simply responding truthfully to what the delver asks. I can see that you are unsettled by your situation. Don't be. We have an important issue to discuss, otherwise you would not have been brought here in this manner. I hope that eases your anxiety to some degree and gives you an idea of our intentions. In regard to the importance of our answers, do you have a more insightful question?"

"How is it that five serps sit together at the same table?" Holli asked immediately.

"Ah, you cut right to the bone. It is rather surprising, but we have come to an understanding."

"The same type of understanding you wish to have with me?" Enin questioned.

"In a way, yes, but there is a significant difference. The five of us have learned to work together without cutting each others' throats, no small task, but we have been successful. We don't wish to work with you, Enin, but we don't wish to have to struggle against you, either. We want you to remain out of our business."

"If your business is to cause havoc in Uton, then it requires my attention."

"Havoc? If you believe this is havoc, then I don't think you comprehend what the word means. I also find your response somewhat surprising. You have been quite deliberate in allowing others to set their own course, or have we mistaken your desire not to interfere?"

"I do not intentionally interfere in the lives of others, but I will also no longer stand idly by when serps disturb those very same lives."

"Disturb? You make it sound as if we have committed some crime. We have done nothing wrong. In fact, it is just the opposite. All we have done is liberated an elf who has been wrongly imprisoned."

Holli found the assertion personally insulting. She was an elf guard when Petiole was delivered to the dwarves, and the disposition of the elf elder was undertaken with the greatest consideration for all parties involved. Petiole was no innocent sacrifice to appease the dwarves. He earned his fate, and Holli would not allow for distortions of the truth.

"Petiole was justly delivered to the dwarves," Holli countered. "He was imprisoned because of his crimes. As for your own claim of innocence, you are interfering in the relations of dwarves and elves."

"That's all very noble, but it's also one-sided."

"Enough of this," Enin growled. "I won't banter with serps."

"Very well. The banter will end and we will come to the very crux of our intended agreement. If you wish to interfere in our affairs, then we shall be forced to interfere in the lives of others as well."

"As Holli has stated, you have already interfered."

"True, but that was to get your attention, to get the ball rolling. Petiole is the leader of the elves, but there is another leader of importance. Do you know the story of Bol Folarok?"

A grim silence fell on all three guests before the serp council. With none answering, Desiv elaborated further.

"I won't go into details, but you must know he is not viewed in a favorable light, not by any of the races. The elves, the humans, the algors; they all suffered due to Bol Folarok. Seems he was the king of Dunop who abdicated his throne. That one action led to a series of events that are still considered the most serious in all of Uton."

Desiv paused as he eyed the expressions of his three guests and carefully monitored their emotional response. He knew he had more than their attention, he had them worried, even Enin, and he wished to add to that apprehension.

"Don't you wish to know why I'm discussing Bol Folarok?"

Holli sensed the direction of the conversation, one she did not like. She understood the connection between Petiole and Bol. She decided to place both leaders in proper regard before the serp could continue spinning any further web of deceit and confusion.

"Both Bol Folarok and Petiole are no longer significant. Both have been replaced. The elves and dwarves are now both led by more competent leaders."

"Please, elf guard, don't humiliate yourself. We are serp. We can see what's in your mind. You actually already have an inkling of where this is headed. It is a credit to your ability to understand such intricacies before they are even explained."

"I can also understand your schemes," Enin declared. "Quite clearly you wish to create conflict between the elves and the dwarves. I will not allow it."

"And that is exactly why we have brought you here. We want to be quite clear in what we expect of you. For one moment, forget about the elves. Focus instead on the dwarves. We know of King Bol Folarok's exact location. He has exiled himself to an abandoned dwarf outpost. We have agents in position to capture him."

"You mean kidnap."

"No,
capture
. Your elf guard claims that Petiole was justly handed over to the elves. If that is true, then we will do something very similar. We will apprehend the dwarf king and turn him over to the algors."

"The algors?" Enin questioned.

"They have quite a bone to pick with the dwarves of Dunop, especially their former king. The algors still hold King Bol partly responsible for a great loss of their own. If you don't believe me, ask the delver. He has a special link to the algors. I'm sure he has felt their discontent, and he is well aware that the algors have not forgiven the dwarves, not at all."

And with that revelation, Ryson understood the crushing sense of doom that had weighed upon him. Once he realized the source of the feeling, he could not deny the basis of the sensation. For some reason, the algors accepted the delver into their community, viewed him as one of their own. The delver was thus open to the whispers of algor consciousness.

Their collective awareness could reach out across the land and interact with the entire algor society. It cut across the desert, even spanned Dark Spruce Forest. It found the delver and shared with him their fears, their sorrows, and their anger. The sense of foreboding that he sensed in Burbon was from the algors, and it related directly to the self-exiled dwarf king.

"He's right," Ryson regretfully announced. "The algors haven't forgiven the dwarves, and they blame Bol Folarok as much as any dwarf."

"Very perceptive," Desiv congratulated, "but that comes as no surprise. We understand your connection to the algors, for in a certain manner, we serps share the same link. It is not as strong, but the algors cannot deny our heritage is similar."

As if a curtain opened, Ryson could suddenly see it all. Knowing the source of his consuming sorrow allowed him to reach for it. He took hold of the algor consciousness that was somehow tied to his soul. An image from the desert rushed through his mind. He saw the dead algors expelled from their graves, but unlike the algors, he knew who was responsible.

"You're behind this too," the delver accused. "Aren't you? You've stirred up the algors, made them believe their dead are reminding them of the past. That's what I've been feeling... guilt and anger all mixed together. You did it!"

"The algors have made up their own mind. You know that. We've done nothing but remind them of what happened. I would like you to consider, however, what would happen if we did, in fact, turn Bol Folarok over to the algors. Do you think they would just release him? Or perhaps they will do what the dwarves did with Petiole. They might imprison him, place him in a cage high atop a sand dune where the sun could burn away what is left of his life."

"You speak of things that only might happen," Enin declared. "I could send you all into another dimension right now."

"Yes, you could, but that would not stop this in any way. We have several agents with instructions to capture Bol Folarok and turn him over to the algors. We do not underestimate your power. You could obliterate us with a wave of your hand, but you will still have to deal with a war that has no end."

"War?" Ryson asked.

"Of course, what do you think would happen if the dwarves learned the algors held their king hostage?"

"He is not their king," Holli corrected, trying desperately to defuse the trap the serps had set.

"You think the dwarves will see it that way? Do you believe for one instant they will tolerate a past king chained in the sands of an algor prison?"

"Enough of this conjecture!" Enin exclaimed, growing annoyed with the serps conniving ways. "You spoke of some kind of agreement. Tell me exactly what it is you expect of me!"