Delver Magic Book VII: Altered Messages (46 page)

She also realized that the council was facing a pivotal moment. She could sense the growing animosity between its members, something they had not previously experienced. They had enjoyed so many victories, they had forgotten what defeat felt like. None of them relished it. If they were to regain their grip on Uton, they needed to come together on at least one issue.

"No," Macheve replied firmly. "We cannot afford to antagonize the wizard to a point where he will decide to actively engage us. However, this must not go unpunished."

"What is it you suggest?"

"I believe the elf remains in Burbon. We remain in control of the creatures there, and I have used some of the hook hawks to observe the house where Okyiq died. There are still signs of her spell that sealed the room. She could not have left. She must be killed."

It was an interesting proposal, but it also offered dangers of its own.

"Don't you think that might provoke the wizard?" Desiv wondered.

"He would have to accept we were simply responding to the elf's hostile action, just as she responded to the death of Burbon's captain. She killed one of our council. Did he expect we would do nothing?"

The other serps agreed with the proposal and Desiv realized the decision had been made. Debating the issue would only force him into a position of defeat. He knew enough to avoid such pitfalls.

"Very well, we utilize the creatures in Burbon to surround the house and cut off all escape. I doubt she has the power to teleport away. When her barrier spell fades, we will let the goblins and shags deal with the elf guard."

The other serps nodded in agreement, but Desiv pointed out additional challenges.

"Unfortunately, there is another consideration we must face. With Okyiq dead, one of us will have to take greater control of the horde. If we leave them alone too long, they will certainly fight amongst themselves and many will begin to return to the forest."

One of the serps who wished to blame Enin for the death of Okyiq saw the potential in taking command of the vast army. He was quick to offer his services.

"I will take care of that."

The other serps immediately sensed the hidden desire behind the offer. None felt comfortable with allowing one of their members to take complete control of such a large and powerful force. At the same time, they all began to sense each other's scheming plans, and it was Macheve who pointed out the danger that was rising out of the moment.

"You realize this is exactly what they want, don't you?" Macheve asked. "The elf guard, Ryson Acumen and his wizard accomplice; they are starting to take the initiative away from us and leaving us to fight amongst ourselves. They are now defining the path."

"Yes, they do seem to have taken a level of control from us," Desiv confessed, "but that will be addressed when the elf guard is killed."

"And what of Ryson? He has taken Bol?"

"That may work to our advantage."

"Will it? The wizard of Connel might view it as a break in our agreement. He told us he'd be watching. If the algors and dwarves came into conflict, he might consider the bargain ended."

"Do not worry about Enin, we can still hold Connel's safety over his head. And we are not to blame for starting any war between the algors and the dwarves if Bol is now brought to the Lacobian. If it occurs, the delver would be responsible."

"You seem a bit too confident for my liking."

"Only because I still see what we have accomplished. The dwarves and the elves are still very close to conflict, we remain in control of Burbon, and whether others wish to acknowledge it or not, Enin remains uninvolved in our affairs. In fact, I believe that the delver is making a very big mistake with the algors. I think that is something we can definitely turn to our favor. Imagine, the dwarves at war with both the algors and the elves. Think of the opportunities!"

"I hope your optimism bears fruit," Macheve responded, "but we also have another problem. Once more, we are down to five council members. Our mistrust of each other is on the rise. In order to regain balance in the council, we should return to six members. How shall we address that problem?"

"Maybe we should ask Petiole to join us," Desiv offered with a playful grin, building on his growing confidence.

"I can tell you are joking," Macheve responded without humor, "but this is not the time for games."

"It is also not the time to overreact. We can begin the recruitment process for a sixth serp at any time. I would recommend that you handle the issue. I can tell you would feel better if you found someone more to your liking, and in all honesty, I think you need an ally. It would be good for you."

"What about Rivira?"

"The human sorceress?" Desiv questioned. "No. We may have need of her in the future and we can't afford to place her on the council. If she connects with us through the magic, she'll realize what we might have to do. That is unacceptable."

"I suppose that's true," Macheve conceded, then she sighed "I guess I will have to investigate other serps."

#

Holli remained calm, even as she could feel the goblins and shags pounding away at the magical shell that sealed the room. There were hook hawks darting around the sky above the house, and bloat spiders making webs across the roof and in the streets surrounding the house. She had no where to escape.

The shield of energy was beginning to break down. She estimated it would collapse at any moment. She had very little magic to utilize for a spell of attack or defense and no chance of teleporting out of the house. With no where to run and no help on the way, her only option was to fight, but it was an option she considered before she even teleported to Okyiq's side.

She knew she couldn't defeat every creature in Burbon, but she always believed she had a chance. The fight was for time. She only needed to survive long enough to collect sufficient magic to teleport to the edge of
Dark Spruce Forest. It was a small distance, but it would be enough to get her to the trees. Once there, she could lose any pursuer in the forest.

She did not have her bow, only a battle blade. It was an excellent weapon to face an oversized goblin in a small room, but it would not be enough to hold off a horde of goblins once they broke through the spell barrier. It might have been the only weapon available, but she had studied the small house with her sight spell before she arrived in Burbon. Okyiq selected it to give himself a chance he never really had, but it was an excellent environment to hold off the horde, at least for a little while. Still, Holli would have to use other resources to gain the time she needed.

Reassessing the room for the next stage of battle, she moved quickly to take advantage of every possible item. Immediately, she rolled Okyiq's large body to the foot of the door. It would serve as an exceptional obstacle for anything trying to enter.

Hoping to fill open spaces in order to keep the horde from swarming her in one massive wave, she pulled the small desk and dresser away from the wall and knocked them over in the center of the room.  She placed the mattress from the cot across the window and then jammed the bed frame and chair against the back wall to create a defensible fall back position she could leap to when she was finally able to teleport away.

She backed herself in the corner closest to the door and away from the only window. She believed a shag would probably break through first. If she killed it quickly, its body would fall near Okyiq's and create another obstacle to help block the only entrance. The small width of the door and the limited space within the room would work to her advantage. If she could keep the goblins concerned for their own lives, they would be reluctant to enter.

The window, however, was more of a problem. The hook hawks and bloat spiders would not be able to fit through the frame, but goblins would fire their bows at any opening. The mattress would initially deflect and absorb most of the assault, but it would eventually fall apart under any massive barrage. She also knew the goblins would fire at her through the door when they decided it was unsafe to enter. There was no way to avoid a crossfire, but if she remained in the corner, she could limit its effectiveness.

After taking one deep breath and readying her blade, she focused on collecting as much magic as possible, trying to accelerate the process. She hoped the spell that sealed the room would hold for a few moments longer, but any optimism in that regard died when she saw a glimmer of emerald energy fall away from the ceiling. She knew her spell had faded.

Instantly, the door split in two as a giant fist covered in thick brown, matted hair burst through the wood. A large shag pressed against the broken slats that hung from the hinges and stuck to the frame. The monster faced a difficult time fitting through the restricted entranceway, and it roared in fury as it smashed away at the broken door.

Holli could not believe her luck. The beast was enormous, larger than she ever have dared hope. If she could kill the it in the doorway, the goblins behind it would have to struggle mightily to push it out of their way. She readied her blade and leapt for the shag, targeting its vulnerable throat.

Just as the elf thrust her blade forward, a flash of white energy exploded around her. The room disappeared, and in an instant, she landed on the floor of Enin's study. She kept her composure as she immediately surveyed her surroundings. She knew she was back in the wizard's home in Connel. She was safe, but confused.

She looked to the large oak desk and saw Enin standing behind it with several of his beloved dogs. The animals ran happily over to greet her. She quickly sheathed her blade, acknowledged each hairy muzzle, but then turned a questioning glance toward the wizard.

"I thought you were not supposed to get involved?" the elf asked.

"Involved?" Enin responded almost angrily, but his hostility appeared to be directed at someone other than the elf. "Are you implying that I might have interfered with the serps' plans? I did nothing of the sort. I simply teleported you to where you belonged."

Holli didn't wish to argue, and there was truth in the wizard's simple explanation, but she couldn't help addressing the broader view of the matter.

"I think it is fairly clear the serps planned to kill me. By teleporting me out of Burbon, you interfered with those plans."

"You're only looking at one side of the story," Enin asserted with a sharp tone. "It's true I agreed to steer clear of their manipulations, but I also made it clear to the serps that I would protect the city—that means protecting its citizens.
Whether you wish to acknowledge it or not, you are a citizen of Connel, just as I am. This is your home. I acted appropriately when I teleported you here."

Holli could sense that Enin was speaking to more than just her. She knew he was defining, as well as defending, his actions to others who might take issue with his decision.

"I assume the serps can actually hear you right now," the elf guessed.

"Yes, they can, and if you are inferring that I'm sending them a message, you're right! I didn't send you to kill Okyiq. You went on your own. I did not break my word about not interfering. The serps should know that. Once you killed the goblin, I viewed you as being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I corrected that. What the serps' plan might have been for you is irrelevant. Again, I did not break any vow I made. If anything, I stood by my contention to protect Connel and its citizens."

"I am grateful, but have you risked too much?"

Enin shook his head.

"I haven't risked anything. If the serps view my actions as interfering with their plans when all I did was remove you from Burbon, then that's their problem, not mine. If they decide to try and attack Connel or turn Bol over to the algors because of that, I will not be happy, and I will make sure they come to appreciate that fact. They made it very clear I should allow others to make their own decisions. I did that with you. I also made my own decision to ensure your safety. That is what the serps should remember. They should also realize my patience has a limit."

Holli believed the message would be received by the serp council. She could see the resolve in the wizard's expression and hear the anger in his voice. She was certain the serps could feel that same determination through the magic that connected them. If they felt it necessary to rebuke Enin for saving her, it would be a miscalculation of epic proportions.

She then thought of what they might do if they made such a mistake. The serps had originally threatened Enin with destroying Connel or starting a war between the algors and the dwarves. She knew Enin could protect Connel, but the algors were another matter.

The elf could not help but wonder if Ryson and Jure had made any progress of their own. If they had located Bol Folarok and taken him to the
Lacobian Desert, it wouldn't matter what the serps planned to do. Whether or not a conflict arose between the algors and the dwarves would be beyond the influence of the serps and in the hands of the delver.

Ryson, Jure, and Bol appeared in the desert sands at the base of a large boulder. A wide expanse of level and compacted sand stretched out before them, but surrounding dunes concealed their position. They were out of sight from the sandstone cliffs and there were no algors in the immediate vicinity.