Delver Magic Book VII: Altered Messages (34 page)

He became a blur of motion. He raced down the side of the building and down into the streets. He broke immediately to the north, away from the largest congregation of dark creatures. The horde of goblins that danced at Sy's death would have no hope of catching him.

Through the eyes of several hook hawks, Okyiq knew Ryson Acumen was hoping to escape. The very attempt enraged the goblin leader, and he would use every resource to capture the cursed delver. His goblins might not be able to match the delver's speed, but they could be used to cut off certain paths of retreat. Through overwhelming willpower, he commanded the horde to cease its celebration.

"Surround the town, and cut off all escape. Bring me the delver!"

The goblins rushed from the southern gate, but once more, their swollen numbers prevented quick movement. They were trapped within the very power of their great mass. The malevolent creatures at the very edges of the mob raced to encircle the town, but their movements were ponderous and disorganized. They managed to block off the southern and western gates, but they were unable to reach the northern or eastern sections of town with any speed or efficiency.

Ryson understood that would be the case before he leapt from the roof. He could use it to his advantage, along with other factors. He knew Okyiq wanted him captured, not killed, but that might change if it was the only alternative.

Developing a plan for escape, Ryson knew he had to avoid the tunnels. Goblins and shags would follow him underground, and he couldn't afford to have the horde racing after the escaping soldiers. Just like Sy, Ryson wanted the town guard to reach Dunop. He wouldn't trade their safety for his own.

Ryson's first objective was to head northeast. He would make it appear as if he was heading away from the forest and toward the farmlands. The shags and goblins would never catch him, but he knew two deadly obstacles had to be overcome.

The hook hawks were both a threat and a potential asset. Ryson wanted them to follow him. He wanted Okyiq to see his path, realize exactly where he was headed so the massive goblin wouldn't concern himself with the tunnels. Just as every hook hawk took to the air, Ryson unsheathed the Sword of Decree. It became a clear beacon as it flashed through the streets of Burbon.

The hawks, however, would not be satisfied with surveillance. They were well suited to capture the delver, as long as Okyiq retained sufficient control to keep the large birds from ripping Ryson apart and consuming him. The closest hawk swooped in low before the delver crossed two town blocks. It swerved back and forth in the sky in a whirlwind of erratic flight. Its talons sprung open just as it prepared to snatch the fast-moving prey at the shoulders.

Ryson kept running straight down the center of the street, forcing the large bird with its irregular wings to compensate for its uneven flight. If Ryson tried to outmaneuver the monster with quick turns, he would have fallen directly into its clutches. By maintaining a simple and direct path, he made the hawk struggle against its own natural movement.

He heard the bird's wings fight against the air currents. The rush of air sounded like a great burst of wind breaking through a cluster of thick pines. Just as the hawk came within reach, Ryson leapt upward, twisting in the air to come face to face with the darting hawk. He jabbed the beast with his sword in the center of its chest even as its talons jutted forward to take hold of its prey.

The giant bird shrieked and turned immediately from the blade. It wanted nothing further to do with a weapon that could burn its very essence. It screeched continuously as it beat its wings furiously to climb higher and higher in a twisted path of immediate retreat. The soul-burning burst of enchanted magic from the Sword of Decree forced any other desire from its mind. It no longer cared what the giant goblin commanded. Even the controlling influence of the serps had been burned out of its consciousness. The winged beast simply wished to escape, and it flew as far away from Burbon as quickly as possible.

Before Ryson hit the ground from his jump, he quickly scanned the skies. He saw two more hawks dropping low. They were both ahead of him. They were swerving back and forth in such a maniacal fashion that it seemed they would crash into each other over and over again.

Despite the appearance of the disorganized flight, the hawks actually maintained great control over their movements. They ranged back and forth within the open space of the street, but at no point did a single feather of one bird graze that of the other.

Ryson understood the motion. As a delver, he often utilized the same movements. When he dashed through the forest, a straight line of travel was often impossible, especially when there was no trail to follow.

Seeing the same pattern of motion in the hawks, Ryson knew how to counter the birds' assault. He leapt directly at the flying beast that was the farthest away of the two. He knew that it would dart down when the closest hawk made its next swing to the left or right.

Both birds moved exactly as he expected. The closest hawk veered off and the second creature soared in low behind it with its talons extended. It came within an arm's length of Ryson's upper body, right where the delver wanted it.

Jabbing the Sword of Decree into the hook hawk's neck achieved the desired results. The bird was not seriously injured, but the flash of spirit cleansing fire removed the influence of the serps and the control of the commanding goblin. Squawking as loudly as the first hawk that felt the fire of Ryson's blade, it soared up into the sky and quickly back toward
Dark Spruce Forest.

Ryson could not rest for an instant, for he knew the second beast would be veering back toward him. He could feel the creature reaching for him. He dove to the ground, barely avoiding the razor sharp talons as he rolled skillfully away with his own blade safely extended far from his body.

Before his momentum stopped, he used it to pop back to his feet. He twisted about in one continuous motion and struck the hawk on its leg. The edge of the sword slipped past the feathers and slightly cut into the bird's skin. Ryson paused briefly as he watched the beast fly away.

He took the opportunity to scan the full breadth of the skies. There were still over a dozen hawks in the air, but none soared low enough for him to consider an immediate risk. Ryson imagined Okyiq was none too pleased at having lost three of his hook hawks and probably didn't want to lose any more, especially when the large goblin had other means to corral the delver.

Ryson couldn't completely ignore the hawks soaring overhead, but he had to place much greater attention on what lay ahead. He knew what waited in blind alleys, on the back slopes of pitched rooftops, or just around sharp corners. He remembered the messenger's report to Sy when Burbon had been initially inundated by the horde.

The bloat spiders had entered the town from the north and had easily scaled the walls. Okyiq might have bid all the dark creatures to pause when Sy surrendered, but he certainly would be utilizing the spiders' skills to keep the delver from escaping.

Bloat spiders could not hope to match the delver's speed, but they were surprisingly quick for their size and used other means to catch their prey. Their webs were visible, but their exact location could be deceiving, as the strands tended to blend into their surroundings. The lines were thick and immensely strong, but they wavered gracefully in the wind, making it that much more difficult to pinpoint their exact position. Careless prey would often walk right into a web thinking it was still several paces away.

Intending to convince Okyiq that his ultimate path remained to the northeast, Ryson continued in that direction. He reduced his speed since he was no longer as concerned about the hook hawks. He began to rely on his other senses, and it saved his life. He smelled the spider before he had any chance of seeing it, and he immediately reassessed his course.

The creature was clinging to the exterior sidewall of a large bakery near the town's center. It prepared to pounce out into the middle of the street just as the delver was ready to pass beyond the building. It might not have been able to take hold of the fast moving prey, but it could force the delver back into a side alley where it had previously spun a waiting trap.

Unwilling to take any risks with the spider, Ryson burst directly through the front door of the bakery. He didn't like the thought of rushing into an enclosed place, but his choices were limited. He couldn't turn back towards the chasing goblins and shags, so it was either enter the building or head for the rooftops. The thought of additional spiders lying in wait sent him inside.

Once within the building, he was no longer visible to the hook hawks, which was his plan. Without a moment's hesitation, he sped through the serving area and into the back kitchen. There, he stopped. He had no intention of waiting long, but he had to create a moment of confusion for Okyiq and his monsters. He hoped that the unanticipated move would create enough indecision to catch them all by surprise. After taking a few breaths, he intended to bolt to the rear entrance and temporarily head due east before turning back to the north.

Before he could reach the back door, the spider crashed through the wall—not a move he expected. He was not quite trapped, but he immediately recognized the wrong decision would lead to his end. He still had a path to both the front and back doors, but he knew that Okyiq could once again see his position through the multiple eyes of the giant spider. Once he chose a direction, the large goblin could reinforce the streets with several hook hawks at the front or back of the bakery and wait for him to emerge. Okyiq would risk losing additional assets, but he'd have Ryson caught between the spider and a host of hawks, not an enviable position.

Attacking a bloat spider was very much like willingly inviting a very bad dream to invade his consciousness the moment he fell asleep. It wasn't going to be pleasant and the memory would stay with him for some time. If he had any other choice, Ryson would have taken it, but there was nothing to do but fight his way through the opening in the sidewall. To get there, he had to go through the spider.

The giant arachnid skittered deftly upon its eight, high arched legs. It made no aggressive move, appeared content to watch its prey as it shifted slightly side to side. It actually appeared much more interested in the glowing blade of Ryson's sword than on the delver himself.

Hoping to surprise both the spider and Okyiq—who was most certainly watching through the monster's eyes—Ryson darted first to his right and toward the back door. He put his hand out for the door handle, but his fingers never touched the lever.

With one quick flash of movement, he pulled his arm back and leapt at the wall. He used the hard surface as a springboard to propel him back toward the spider. With all the speed he could muster, he dashed directly at the huge arachnid. Just as he came dangerously close to the creature's poisonous fangs, he leapt up over the top half of the creature and on to the topside of its large abdomen. With one more jump, he passed through the hole in the wall and out into the alley.

He quickly noted several hook hawks soaring low near the front and back of the bakery, but the ends of the alley were clear. He raced back to the front of the building and turned once more to the north.

He encountered two more spiders before reaching the north gate, but they had been covering other roads. They were too far out of position to pose any danger, and Ryson was able to sprint past them without difficulty.

Upon reaching the north gate, which was closed and locked, Ryson scampered up the frame and over the edge of the wall. At the very top, he held a commanding view of the countryside before him. He saw the webs the spiders had set across the roads and fields. There was not a single clear passage ahead, but north or east was not his destination, and he leapt down from the wall ready to carry out the last phase of his escape.

The moment he hit the ground, Ryson turned. He remained right at the base of the wall, close enough to the barricade that his shoulder almost grazed it as he ran. He headed west, back toward the forest. He ran with blazing speed. He would not go anywhere near the webs that blocked all passage in the opposing direction. There was no need. All he had to do was reach the trees.

For another brief moment, the hook hawks lost sight of the delver. They had been brought down too low or were too far away from the northern edge of the town to see the ground at the base of the wall. It would only take moments to reposition the beasts, but by then, the delver had made significant progress toward the forest.

When Okyiq finally understood where the delver was ultimately headed, his rage exploded.

"Kill the delver! Shoot him down! Keep firing!"

His orders, delivered both verbally and mentally, sent the goblin horde into an absolute frenzy. The goblins only had a vague idea of the delver's location. They knew he was headed toward Dark Spruce, but Okyiq's commands and messages were laced with burning hostility. The little fiends raced in nearly every direction and started firing at everything and anything that moved.

Three hook hawks that attempted to swoop down upon the delver near the wall were shot out of the air by goblin crossbow fire. The rest were ordered back to higher elevations as Okyiq tried to regain control.

The goblin leader's efforts were spotty at best. He was able to restrain about a third of the horde, but the rest shrieked and screamed with so much aggression they could barely think straight on their own, let alone follow the commands sent on the waves of magical connections.