by Jeff Inlo
"I am not, but there's nothing we can do about it."
"What's wrong?"
"While you were away, I saw an entire swarm of caelifera moving with speed over Dark Spruce. I believe they were, at first, headed toward Burbon. I would have sent you there when you returned to help Sy Fenden, but the creatures turned north. I can only assume they are headed to the mountains."
"A swarm? Of caelifera?"
"Yes. Not a pretty sight."
Jure connected the incident with Holli's apparent concern.
"You think they're going after Ryson's wife?"
Holli saw no other explanation.
"Why else would they bypass Burbon and Pinesway? Enin, Linda and Ryson all call Burbon home. I am not surprised it was an initial target, but the swarm changed course. We have spell casters here in Pinesway and other dark creatures coming to attack us. The caelifera could have joined against us, but they did not do that, either. What is left?"
Linda was the obvious answer. Jure knew she was under the protection of cliff behemoths in the mountains, but he wondered if he might be able to assist as well. He would not, however, take off again on his own whim.
"Should I go to the mountains and help?"
Holli considered it, but announced what she saw as the most reasonable course of action.
"There is no time now, and we have to believe the cliff behemoths can fight off the insects. I think they can. I just hope Ryson does not do anything careless, but there is nothing we can do about that, either. We have problems of our own."
Jure understood. He had sensed the upheaval at the portal. As Holli had just pointed out, more invaders were stalking the land—another large group headed east, headed to Pinesway.
"I have had the others cast sight spells all around the town and out in the surrounding lands," Holli continued. "The east is clear, but that was to be expected. No threats from the skies, but it seems Baannat threw his flying beasts at the algors. I was worried about the caelifera, but they are already out of range. The main thrust is going to come from the forest. Definitely goblins. I have already located several forward scouts, but I am not too worried about them. It is what's behind them that concerns me, and as of yet, I am not sure what that is."
"Another wave of creatures further behind?"
"Not that much further. Fairly close."
"But the sight spells can't detect them yet?"
"That is what has me worried. The spells should be detecting them, and to a degree I think they are, but not completely. The creatures do not appear to be cloaked." Holli paused for a moment to better explain what she sensed. She wanted Jure to understand the full scope of what she sensed. "I believe something is interfering with the spells. I can tell something is out there, but whenever I try to focus on it, the spell shifts out of my control."
"It's not blocking the spell? It's actually shifting control?" Jure asked, clearly amazed by the implications.
"Yes."
Jure considered Holli's explanation and it clearly troubled him. He could understand a cloaking spell—an illusionary shroud over a large army would be difficult, but not impossible. It would take power and an understanding of varied terrain, but a dark sorcerer versed in illusion could pull it off. He could also accept a counter spell that would block the sight. That would be the easiest, as it would simply counteract the effects of the first spell. Interfering with another magic caster's sight spell by shifting the focus, however, was an approach usually taken only by wizards very confident in their own ability. It was in every way a contest of wills.
"That's odd," Jure admitted. "Messing around another caster's spell is pretty bold. Disrupting someone else's spell isn't the easiest thing to do. It might not work, it might leave a trail, it might blow up... a lot can go wrong."
"That is why I am concerned. Would you ever attempt such an action?"
"In battle? Absolutely not."
"What about before the conflict begins?"
"Not a chance. It's too risky. It borders on arrogance."
"And you are not that kind of spell caster, I realize that. What if you wished to test an opponent's strength?"
"Better ways to do it than that," Jure replied.
"This is why I am concerned."
As if to offer an answer, Holli sensed a very distinct warning in the spells she used to alert her of impending danger. She folded her hands together in front of her chest and concentrated on a line of magic that linked her to one of the sight spells.
The initial spell had been cast by a sorceress who was strong in both wind and storm. She had placed a watchful magical gaze in the clouds over the abandoned town and allowed Holli to link to it with a casual breeze spell. Holli felt the pull of that spell, not a raging alarm, but a light whisper to announce danger was near.
The elf guard brought the spell into focus, created a small window in front of her so that both she and Jure could examine the disturbance. Neither was pleased with what they saw.
"The goblins have already surrounded what is left of this town," Holli announced. "A large horde, larger than I previously expected. River rogues are forming a wedge in the northwest. They are preparing to cross over the bridge at any moment. Gremplings are darting through the trees at the border of Dark Spruce, probably acting as lookouts to determine our movements."
Jure peered into the magical window that allowed him to share in the spell of sight and he offered his own opinion.
"It's a large force," Jure allowed, "but they're really not suited to fight us. I'm not trying to brag, but I could probably handle the rogues on my own. And goblins aren't really a threat to us, no matter how many there are."
"No, they are not," Holli agreed, "and Baannat would know that, so what is behind them?"
"I don't..."
The ground erupted and dozens of rock beetles broke through the floor of the abandoned building where Holli and Jure stood. Just as the first insects rushed from the openings, more filtered up from behind. Within moments, even the walls appeared to move with a life of their own as the hard-shelled creatures scurried across every open space.
Jure took a position at Holli's right shoulder, but made no motion to cast a spell. He waited for the elf's command rather than act rashly and initiate an attack that might conflict with Holli's intentions.
Not willing to be an initial casualty to the surprise attack, Holli drew upon almost all of her magical reserves as she cast her most powerful spell. An octagon of green energy formed in front of her and then burst outward in every direction.
Holli's true connection to magic came from her bond with nature. Green was the primary color of her casting and when she immersed her essence fully into emerald energy, her spells reached their greatest potency. Her casting utilized that connection and the magic sought out dormancy and sparked a resurgence of life.
The power pouring from her immediately revitalized portions of the furniture, floor boards, walls, and even the roof of the structure. Everything made of wood around them came to life. Roots sprouted out from table legs. Thick trunks sprung from the floor. Sturdy limbs speared out from walls. Heavy branches dropped from the ceiling.
In many ways, the spell was a reflection of Holli's own spirit. Once a proud elf guard, but cast out of her elf camp, she had lost what she believed was her ultimate calling. She was asked to leave her home so that her camp might survive. She gave up everything that defined her. When she stepped out of Dark Spruce with the intent to join humans, she stifled everything she had become. The light of her fire had been doused.
She did not, however, allow that light to remain extinguished. Her skills and talents remained, she simply needed to redirect them. She found new purpose—new life—in joining with the most powerful wizard in Uton.
The wizard agreed to let her become his guard, but he offered more. Enin trained her to be more than she was, to strengthen the magic that was within her. She called on that strength with a spell of nature that glowed with the cascading brilliance of emera
ld renewal.
Holli's spell grasped the elements of life. Every particle that once made up a living tree drank in Holli's energy and reveled in rebirth. Spectacular growth from the inanimate exploded in every direction. The roots, trunks, limbs and branches expanded with incredible intensity.
Not only did the newly invigorated vegetation surge in growth, it also recognized the presence of an enemy. The giant insects represented a threat, one that would not be tolerated. Roots and branches struck out at the beetles. They wrapped around the legs and the hard-shelled bodies of the insects. They strangled the life out of many, ripped others apart.
Holli and Jure stood calm and still at the center of the bedlam. The beetles could not reach them and the revived tree sections would not attack them. They would survive the first attack.
Despite their momentary safety, they both understood that such security was fleeting at best. The battle had begun and it would not end with the casting of one spell.
Without moving, Holli called on all the sight spells available to her and she examined the full breadth of the attack. All of Baannat's forces entered the fray, but the spell casters at her disposal had responded as she hoped.
Goblins fired crossbows, but their bolts were redirected back at them by powerful wind spells. The river rogues rushed forward across the bridge but were immediately driven back by two spell casters well versed in fire. Gremplings bounded into the city and attempted to take high positions on rooftops but were quickly and efficiently flipped back into the trees by simple force spells. Holli's spell casters proved clearly capable in dealing with each of those threats.
The rock beetles, however, were causing greater disruptions. Their tunneling brought down several buildings and their ability to surface at any point left many spell casters vulnerable to surprise attacks. The insects represented the one true danger to her forces.
Her spell had proved effective in dealing with the beetles in the immediate area, but there were hundreds more across the town, utilizing underground tunnels to appear and disappear at will. She had exhausted most of her energy and another spell of such power was not within her. There were, however, other alternatives, one of which was noticeably absent.
"Where is Heteera?" Holli demanded. "She knows to come here when the battle begins."
"I'm not certain," Jure admitted.
Holli considered her options. She was loath to under utilize her assets, but her choices were limited.
"I have to direct this fight. Find her and bring her here. We are going to need her power."
It might have been a waste of his abilities—to be a simple messenger—but Jure did not hesitate for even a moment. He stepped clear of the dying beetles and the disorganized mass of animated tree parts and exited the building as quickly as he could.
The elf guard turned her attention back to the escalating conflict. The very ground all about the abandoned town was becoming a hazard. If the rock beetles continued their assault uncontested, she believed they would all sink into a crater of rubble. They needed to be stopped and she knew who was best suited for the task.
Holli directed her strategy at the spell caster who had caused Ryson so much trouble in the desert. His power focused on the land itself. Rock and dirt would bend to the fury of his red energy and so she called upon him to eliminate the beetles.
"Neltus!" she commanded in thought. "Turn the land against these creatures."
Far across town, the middle-aged sorcerer with long disheveled hair frowned at the order. He did not wish to be in Pinesway, and he didn't like taking orders from an inferior elf.
In his mind, the opposite should have prevailed. She should be taking orders from him. He had more control over the magic, and much more power. His was a primary color, one of the pure forces. She cast in green, the essence of nature—trees, grass, shrubs. It was laughable. What were plants without soil? Nothing.
Unfortunately, there were others who disagreed. Enin for one, and that optimist, Jure, for another. Neltus didn't care for that one. Jure was growing more powerful and yet seemed to be more than satisfied in taking a subordinate position. And the old man was casting in near white color with a perfect circle. Such a waste.
Many of the spell casters in Pinesway agreed to fight because they felt they had to restore some honor of some ancient magicians that weren't even a memory. More nonsense. They could believe that all they wanted, but Neltus understood. And he believed the others did as well. They just didn't want to admit it. They fought because Baannat wasn't going to let them hang around if he took out Enin. It was better to fight in a war with a chance at winning than to be hunted down and killed without any hope of help.
The problem was, if you accepted help, you had to accept the people who went with it. That's why he was in that Godson forsaken town with an overbearing elf guard that pretended to be a sorceress.
Neltus decided to follow the order, not because he was willing to yield to the elf, but because it would give him a chance to show his true power. Holli appeared concerned by these beetles, but they were a joke to him.
He took hold of the crimson energy in his mind and turned his will upon the land. Rock, sand and soil moved at his desire. The ground called out to him, revealed to him the location of beetle tunnels, allowed him to see the greatest concentration of their numbers.
Rock beetles were at home underground. They could hear and smell through the soil. Beyond that, they could sense vibrations through the ground, pick up the faintest steps of prey far in the distance. They were open to any tremor and used it to find their way in the total darkness of a buried existence.
Neltus decided to use this against the creatures. He could have compacted the ground around the beetles, crushed them in their tunnels. He could have broken the subterranean fields apart and sent the insects deep into an abyss. Either method would have sufficed, but neither held the dramatic flare he wished to employ. He wanted every spell caster in Pinesway to truly appreciate his power.
The sorcerer focused his power on echoing waves—pulses of motion. Crimson energy surrounded Neltus until he forced it downward beneath his feet. Immediately, the ground began to quiver and tremble like the shivering fingers of a thin beggar caught out in the cold.
A series of tremors turned into hundreds of violent underground swells. The ground did not break apart, but the vibrations under Pinesway amplified a thousand times over. Every rock and stone, every grain of sand and soil, every mineral no matter what its property, pulsated in the upheaval.
Confusion boiled over within the ranks of the insects. The beetles swooned against the conflicting vibrations. They could discern neither the source nor the composition of the activity. Those that were above ground circled about in mad patterns. The beetles still in the tunnels lost any sense of direction and awareness.
The pulses continued unabated. They grew stronger, sending the beetles into mass panic. Rock and dirt growled with tension. The land itself shuddered, and every vibration was sent directly at the rock beetles.
The giant insects could not fight back, could not find the true source of their misery. All they could do was react to the vibrations in ways that either forced them to flee or drove them to distraction. Those far enough away from the center of Pinesway tunneled off into the distance in retreat, but any beetle within the town borders suffered from overwhelming confusion. The chaotic impulses led to a breakdown of their senses and eventually death.
Neltus allowed the red energy to echo back as well as flow out of him. He could read the waves and sense the destruction of the insects. He enjoyed the display of his own power and celebrated his success with smug satisfaction.
After long moments, every beetle within the borders of Pinesway, whether underground or above, lay still and dead. Most of the tunnels remained intact, but they were now devoid of movement. Before ending his spell completely, Neltus stabilized the ground under Pinesway, compacting the loose soil and rock. He completed his mission beyond the instructions of the elf guar
d; he secured the land from collapse and removed the rock beetles as a potential threat.
"Let the insignificant elf witch try that," the sorcerer scoffed in sanctimonious victory.
Holli, however, held no connection to Neltus' thoughts and did not suffer his insults. She kept her mind focused on the continuing battle.
The river rogues had regrouped and were waiting in the river that bordered the town. The water offset the fire spells that they had faced earlier. They made no further attempt to enter the town and appeared content to wait in the running waters.
The goblins had fallen back as well. They no longer fired their crossbows. They continued to encircle the town, but they had retreated to a point out of range.
The gremplings also returned to the edge of the forest, satisfied to watch from the trees. They sat in branches with curious expressions, as if they expected some great show.
With Neltus' spell at an end and the beetles devastated, very little activity prevailed through the abandoned town. Holli's spell casters waited at their stations, prepared to fight off another assault, but no such attack materialized, at least not immediately.
Holli considered the inaction with growing doubt. It was not a simple pause in the battle, a regrouping of forces. It seemed more as if the dark creatures had achieved an objective and fallen back as part of some grand plan. Neltus might have obliterated the beetles and the other spell casters managed to neutralize the other threats, but the enemy had not been routed, not completely.
Focusing on all the information available to her, she realized a mystery remained. Something had interfered with her link to the sight spells, and yet, none of the dark creatures that had entered the battle revealed any such prowess with magical energies. Goblins, gremplings, river rogues, and rock beetles were not gifted in the ability to interfere with such spells. Why did the disruption occur and where did it come from?
The rock beetles were certainly a surprise, and their arrival might have been the purpose for limiting her initial sight. And yet, the beetles' attack consisted of raw power with little emphasis placed on tactics. The need for stealth seemed minimal at best. Even Jure agreed that interfering with a spell was a risky proposition. Why risk it for such minimal gains?