Delver Magic Book VII: Altered Messages (31 page)

"This is bad," Sy confessed to the delver. "We've got no communications, we're too low on the ground, and they broke over the wall without us being able to take a single shot at them."

"Everyone knows to retreat," Ryson offered.

Sy didn't want to destroy the delver's hopes, but he had to accept undeniable truths.

"Look at them! There are so many they're getting clogged in the streets. What's worse is we're going to have the same problem they're having right now. We only have two tunnel entrances. We won't be able to fit more than two men in at a time. If they realize we're trying to escape and pick up the pace, half of us we'll get caught topside. The ones lucky enough to get in the tunnels probably won't even make it to Dunop."

As if to compound his troubles, a messenger from the eastern edge of town reached Sy with more discouraging news. The soldier didn't even bother to try to collect himself before wheezing out a report.

"The bloat spiders left their webs the moment the goblins attacked. We were about to fire on them but then received the order to fall back. We saw them crawling over the tops of the wall. They're moving fast and right over everything in their way. A few guards decided to try an hold them back..."

"Everyone was supposed to retreat!" Sy barked.

"If they didn't, the spiders would be here right now," the messenger advised through heavy breaths. "They're just crawling over the roofs of buildings... ignoring the fortifications. Someone had to slow them down."

Sy couldn't be angry with his guards. They weren't disobeying orders. They were right. He realized they had no choice, and if any of his soldiers were going to make it out of Burbon alive, he had to accomplish the very same task.

He gazed down one street after another. The goblins were flooding every road, every alley. If he ordered his soldiers to stand fast and return fire in an attempt to slow the enemy's advance, they would be cut off, surrounded with no hope of escape.

"This is not going to work!" he announced as much to himself as he did to Ryson and the messenger. "There's too many. We're being outflanked and they're going to reach the tunnel entrances before half of the guard can escape."

Sy made one quick decision, one he held in the back of his mind the moment he first saw the goblin horde. It was desperate, but it was all he had left. He just needed to communicate the message. He turned to Ryson to confirm what he already knew. He could see it in how Okyiq's army moved, but he wanted to make certain he was right.

"They're somehow all connected... through the serps, right? That's how Okyiq is keeping them in formation. Right?"

"Yes," Ryson confirmed. "The serps have a link to the creatures they control. They see what they see. Okyiq has to be using those same links."

"So if I yell out, Okyiq should hear what I'm saying, no matter where he is, as long as one of these creatures hears it."

"I would guess."

Sy was almost sure of it, but there was only one way to prove it. He shouted at the top of his voice. It was going to be difficult to be heard over the clamor, but lives would depend on his success.

"Okyiq! This is the captain of the guard! Stop your advance now and I'll talk to you personally about the terms of our surrender!"

After one long and stressful moment, the horde suddenly stopped. Every goblin that Sy could see appeared angered by the halt, but also slightly confused. He knew they wished to continue, but they were being told to hold their ground. Okyiq had heard his offer and accepted it.

The captain responded immediately with yet another shout.

"I'm going to come alone to the southern gate and wait there! My soldiers will not engage or interfere in any way. They will all fall back to the center of town."

Ryson finally broke through his shock and grabbed hold of the captain's arm.

"You can't do this! You can't just surrender."

"I'm not," Sy said quietly. "I'm buying time. They have to be slowed down. It gives us a chance."

"It doesn't give
you
a chance!"

Sy didn't agree.

"You think I'm just sacrificing myself here... going to throw myself on a sword?

"Aren't you? You just said you were going to buy us time. I know what that means. You're giving everyone else a chance to escape while you keep them occupied."

"That's only part of it. The truth is, I'm looking to survive." Sy then pointed to the throng of goblins filling the streets in every direction. "Look out there. How do we escape that? If they keep moving, they'll be at the center of the town in moments. There's no way we'll even make it into the tunnels now. The ones that do make it will be chased down. If I don't do something, we all die... every one of us, including me. There's no escape. If I go out and talk to Okyiq, maybe I have a chance."

Ryson took another look across the roads of Burbon. He also heard and smelled monsters beyond what he could see. He realized Sy was right. Spiders, shags, goblins and hook hawks; there were just too many. He also realized that if something wasn't done, there was no hope in the tunnels, not for any of them. He would probably die as well. He understood what Sy was offering, but he believed he was the better choice. He wasn't sacrificing himself, wasn't taking a greater risk than he normally would, he was only reaching for the best alternative for all involved.

"Then I should go," the delver offered. "I can move faster. I can..."

Sy cut him off.

"That's very noble and also not very smart. Okyiq knows who's in charge. He sees you go out to meet him... a delver... and he knows we're trying to stall. That defeats the whole purpose. He sees me and he has to talk to me. I give the orders. He knows that. It gives us the time we need."

"But what can
you
do against that?" Ryson asked, as it was his turn to point to the massive army waiting restlessly for the captain's appearance in the streets. "You're going to have to walk through them all just to get to the gate. Do you really think Okyiq is going to let you walk away? You'll be trapped. You
are
sacrificing yourself."

And here, Sy revealed his one true hope.

"No, I still have a chance. Believe it or not, I think he might let me walk away. I can try to make a deal. When we captured him after his first raid on Burbon, we made a deal then. Remember? I let him go. I just let him walk out the gate. Maybe I can convince him to do the same for me. Better that than die in the tunnel... or waiting to even get underground. You know I'll be the last one down. Is there really time for me to do anything else?"

Ryson didn't know what to say. It was a very brave thing the captain was doing, but it was also the only option that offered any chance of survival. The delver thought it should have been him. He had the speed and the agility to possibly escape if Okyiq didn't wish to deal or if the massive goblin felt he owed the captain nothing more than a sword strike to the head.

And yet at the same time, he felt relieved. It embarrassed him, but he couldn't deny it. He thought of Linda, and of Stomps. He didn't want to leave them. He didn't wish to be selfish, but he simply couldn't deny being thankful it wasn't going to be him.

"No more arguing," Sy declared as he looked to both Ryson and the messenger who waited for further orders. "We've wasted too much time already. If they start moving forward again, nothing I say is going to stop them. Tell Sergeant Klusac he's in charge. Get everyone to Dunop as fast as possible and then find safe passage back to Connel. That's the only place that's safe."

The captain didn't wait for a response. He stepped out from behind a barricade and into the open street. He was an easy target for any goblin with a bow, but he knew he wouldn't be shot down in the street by a hail of arrows. Okyiq held sway over every monster before him. Sy could see it in their eyes. The thought terrified him, he couldn't deny it. To think one violent and hostile goblin could control so many dark creatures was beyond terrifying. It was sanity rendering. Such a thing simply should not be possible, or at least not allowed by any benevolent power overseeing the land.

"See you in Connel," Ryson whispered loud enough for Sy to hear before the captain got too far away.

Sy slowed for just one more moment and whispered his response.

"Tell Enin he should have fried the serp scum."

With that, Ryson's heart sank. It sounded as if the captain was making a final request, and the delver didn't want to end their conversation that way.

"You can tell him when you get there," the delver replied, but he knew Sy didn't hear him. The captain had already picked up his pace and was heading right into the folds of the massive horde.

Sy gazed across the huge mass of goblins that stood between him and the south gate. He wanted to treat them as nothing more than worthless debris blown into the street from some passing storm. To regard them as anything more would be giving them far too much respect. They had made it beyond Burbon's wall because of one reason and one reason alone, Okyiq had led them there. On their own, they were nothing. Only by coming together did they form a credible enemy, and they managed that by Okyiq's will, not by their own.

Unfortunately, the horde before him remained pressed together like too many gray and rotten grapes cast into too small of a bucket. As he approached the first line of dark creatures, there was no clear passage and most of the goblins showed little willingness to allow room for the captain. Realizing he would have to force his way to the southern edge of town, he decided to use the obstacle to its greatest advantage, and he began to shove his way through the mob.

Every goblin he pushed was more than happy to strike back. While they didn't thrust the blade of their crude short swords into the annoying human—they knew they would be killed horribly for disobeying Okyiq's orders—they saw nothing wrong with jabbing the blunt handle into the enemy's ribs or back after he passed. Others tried to kick him or trip him up. Those that stood too far out of range to strike showered the despised captain with spit.

Sy felt as if he was making no progress, but it fit his plans. As long as they were jostling him, delaying him, his soldiers received more time to escape. He even paused on several occasions to strike back at an overzealous goblin and challenge the minor pest to a more serious exchange. Nothing came of it, but it lengthened his journey.

After a brutal and tiring crossing through the gauntlet of dark creatures, Sy broke into a clearing directly in front of the shattered southern gate. His spirit sank as he looked upon the fallen soldiers who had died in the initial assault. He was bruised and covered in goblin saliva, but the sight of such savagery kindled a rage that washed away his pain and discomfort. He scanned the long line of goblins surrounding him and quickly found the object of his fury.

Okyiq was already at the gate, waiting for the captain with a huge smirk on his large, round face. Obviously, the goblins had allowed clear passage for their massive leader, and the commander of the dark army appeared fresh and full of energy.

"Finally made it, did you?" Okyiq snickered.

"I would have been here faster if your goblins didn't get in the way."

"Stupid human thinks I'm just as stupid. Why did you take so long?"

Sy saw each question as an opportunity to waste more time, so he answered willingly.

"Look around. Was I suppose to fly here? Are you that dumb?"

"Me? Dumb? Don't think so. You made trip as hard as you wanted it."

"Yeah, sure, I'm the one that brought all the goblins here. Makes perfect sense to me."

"Stupid human says same thing over again. Human trying to waste more time?"

Indeed he was, but the captain saw no point in admitting the fact.

"You're actually blaming me? I got here as soon as I could."

"Lucky I don't kill you for lying."

Sy didn't believe Okyiq would make it that simple. He still hoped to survive, and he pointed out what he saw as an obvious truth.

"If you wanted to kill me, you wouldn't have ordered your army to stop their attack."

"Oh, I want to kill you. I just want to do it a certain way."

"I guess that's what we'll have to talk about."

"I guess we will," Okyiq said with a twisted grin that continued to expand until he broke out into nearly convulsive laughter. Eventually, he brought himself under control and revealed what he could see and hear with the aid of so many dark creatures. "You think you stalled me? You think I care about soldiers? I know they're in tunnels. I have rock beetles. I know where every one is. I could stop them, use beetles to collapse tunnels. Squish them in the ground. But I'm going to let them go to dwarf city. I don't care about soldiers. I wanted you... and the delver."

Despite his courage, Sy felt a knot forming in his stomach. Okyiq had been playing with him the entire time. The beating he took from the goblins was essentially meaningless. He accepted it because he believed it would save lives, that it allowed his soldiers time to escape. As it turned out, it was Okyiq who determined if his soldiers would live or die.