Chain of Bargains dm-5

by Jeff Inlo

  "But she noticed another spell caster in Ashlan." Ryson countered. "How was she able to do that and not sense draevols?"

  Jure remained steadfast in his assumption.

  "The flow was not meant to hide the fire mage. It was directed to cover the activities of a draevol. Think of it this way… where is the best place to hide a handful of dirty water? At the bottom of a river. What happens if you place such fouled water at the bottom of a heavy current? It gets washed away and no one sees it, but what happens if you place a handful of dirt on the top of a river? It gets spread out and everyone can see it. The fire mage placed his spell at the top of the current, where it was noticed."

  Jure looked back toward Heteera. He recalled how the magic surged through the room right after Heteera initially collapsed. He remembered what Enin had told him, how the sorceress wanted to bury herself in isolation using the magic to erase her consciousness.

  "It's like her. She wanted to use the magic to flush away her identity. The draevols are doing something very similar. They are using a great rush of magical energy-not to wipe away their existence-but to hide their actions."

  "It would explain the magic anomaly," Holli admitted, "something I have been unable to do. It would even explain the presence of the inferns and their willingness to keep order in Ashlan and guard the outer rim of the valley. "

  "What about the bloat spiders?" Ryson asked. "They were guarding the valley, too."

  Holli answered again, finally placing all of the elements in order. With the help of Jure, it seemed she had found the right sequence.

  "Draevols have great influence over many dark creatures. Bloat spiders make excellent deterrents. The demons wanted humans to leave the valley and not come back. By using inferns and bloat spiders, they directed the humans through Pride Gap. Strog wanted refugees heading west across the plains towards Connel. He needed to keep Enin occupied. He did not want the refugees heading south. Humans by nature will avoid spiders."

  "Is this really what's going on?" Ryson asked. "Or are we just guessing?"

  "It fits everything we have seen," Holli replied. She did not have to struggle to place the answers together. They snapped into place with ease.

  Jure made the final assertion as he put one last question to Holli.

  "You are familiar with elflore's description of draevols? I assume it's the same as the legends that I have studied. How do they come into being?"

  Her own answer cleared any doubts from her mind.

  "They are spawned from the entrails of diseased beast demons. They are spawned in twos."

  "Twins," Ryson added, as a shiver went down his spine. He didn't wish to discount the prophecies-they had been right before-but he also felt great unease in discovering the answers to so many questions were prearranged in a book written long ago.

  "Yes, twins," Jure noted. "That prophecy starts looking rather interesting, especially if you fill it out with probable events. It was called the Chain of Bargains, correct?"

  Holli nodded, but then added one correction.

  "The Broken Chain of Bargains."

  "We know the dwarves made a bargain with the goblins and the goblins made a bargain with certain humans. We can't deny that, but it just can't end there. What would bring inferns to Ashlan? Certainly not the goblins. Draevols have to be involved. Since Prilgrat is dealing with the goblins and the inferns, he has to be the connection to both, and when you're dealing with goblins and demons, any bargain can be broken. What was it you said about the false leader from the prophecy? Oh yes, 'A bargained unity is nothing more than a disguised agreement to a false leader's end to no ends.' Not quite sure what that all means, but it certainly seems to point to Prilgrat."

  Jure paused for a moment as he contemplated his past reflections. He remembered what he felt in the magic to the east. His recollection only confirmed his suspicions.

  "It has to be draevols, and they had to make a bargain with Prilgrat. Without even considering the prophecy, it's the only thing that makes sense. Prilgrat is getting something from this… what it is, I don't know, but I can't dismiss what I sense. I have felt something far off in the east, something in the magic. I told Enin about it. I compared it to an old stain that your eyes find whether it's there or not. The draevols are that stain."

  Jure looked to those around him. He didn't wish to take command of the situation, but he could not stifle what he saw as the only plausible explanation. Still, he turned the focus back to the others and respectfully asked for their view.

  "I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but I just don't think so. Can anyone see something I'm missing… a flaw?"

  Ryson almost didn't speak, but he had to point out his reservations.

  "I'm not sure if it's a flaw," the delver began, "but I'm worried we might be looking at this the wrong way. Are we trying to fit a solution to the problem… or to the prophecy. That's my only concern."

  Enin addressed the concern with a viewpoint focused on the magic.

  "We are not simply addressing the prophecy. We are addressing the totality of everything that has happened. The prophecies did not lead you back to Connel. Your sword did. Are you willing to disregard the enchantment that has saved you countless times?"

  "No, I'm not." Ryson admitted.

  "I can not find fault with your theory," Holli stated, "and I have been trying to find a suitable solution for days."

  None of them could contradict Jure, for there was no flaw.

  "So what do we do about it?" Ryson wondered aloud.

  "I will confront Prilgrat," Enin stated without hesitation. "He cannot lie to me. I won't allow it. I will know the truth."

  "We have to do more than that," Jure added.

  Enin agreed without argument.

  "I know. You will come with me. We will find the so-called twins and we will remove them as a threat as well. I am not against greater aid. We will let this prophecy of Godson be fulfilled."

  Jure, however, looked beyond obtaining the remaining answers and confronting the draevols. In a flash of cognizance, he followed the course of events that were most likely playing out even as they spoke.

  "That's not quite what I meant. As far as the prophecy goes, what we let happen is irrelevant. If greater powers are at work, then the proper outcome will occur whether we let it or not, but we do have another problem we have to address, and it can't wait."

  "The dwarves?" Ryson wondered, also seeing the larger elements involved. He understood the danger of the separatists in charge of Sterling, but he did not quite take the threat as far as Jure. The delver focused on Sterling while the wizard looked to the valleys as a whole.

  "What the dwarves have caused…" Jure stated, "…the goblins. You said Strog was close to the final phase of his plan. He will eventually discover that you and Holli escaped. He will assume you returned to Connel to warn Enin, and…"

  "He will order the goblins to attack the humans," Holli acknowledged. She thought of the goblin horde. She thought of Huntston again, and the suffering that would follow.

  "We can't allow that to happen," Jure noted.

  Ryson looked to Enin.

  "Can you stop it?"

  Enin considered the question fully. It was not a simple request. He did not know how many goblins had infiltrated the valleys, but he knew the number had to be colossal. He also considered the distance involved. The valleys stretched across vast sections of land. If it were just Ashlan and Huntston, he could have handled the situation, but the problem extended over countless farms and towns.

  To combat the goblins, he would have to seek them out, create one battlefield after another. Once the conflict started, hordes would form across the region. The goblins would lash out against everything in their path. He had the power to fight them, even defeat them, but it would take time and energy.

  The magnitude of such a war would be immense. With goblins already entrenched in cities and towns, they would seek refuge and utilize hostages. Damage and casualties would be beyond extensi
ve. The Great Valleys would become a wasteland of ruin and anguish… a monumental graveyard.

  The wizard made no attempt to gloss over the pain that would extend over the valleys as he explained the situation in full.

  "I believe I can, but it will not be easy, and it will be destructive to the entire region. The dwarves have led the goblins to believe that the valleys are theirs for the taking. They will not be so willing to give up such a prize. Many will run, but they will also converge together as several great hordes. They will rise up against the very same humans that they tolerated-for too long in their minds. The reprisals will be vicious. So while I can stop the goblins from taking over the valleys, I won't be able to stop them from causing vast destruction."

  "Doesn't that go against the prophecy?" Ryson pointed out. "The valleys are supposed to be spared."

  "They will be spared from goblin infestation. I will not allow the region to be conquered by draevols, but I don't see how to defeat them without facing them in battle. They will not simply go back to the dark realm where they belong."

  In that simple statement, Jure saw an answer. It took mere moments to form, but he could not dismiss the clarity and the potential of the plan that came to mind. He saw it all, the benefits and the risks. He knew what it would mean to himself and to Heteera, but without a doubt, it was the solution he hoped he would find.

  "Maybe that is the way," Jure announced. "Rather than fight the goblins, send them back. No battles, no confrontation on this plane of existence. Use the magic to take hold of each creature, open portals across the valleys, and toss them back into the dark lands where they belong. If done with the proper spells, they could not resist. No fighting, no casualties, no war."

  "Impossible," Enin replied almost immediately. "The energy it would take to accomplish such a deed is unfathomable."

  "No, it's not. It's all right here."

  Jure turned and looked back at Heteera. He knew it was not only the best way to deal with the goblins, but also a chance for the sorceress. He would use the magic within her as he had done before, but this time the great swell would be used in one cataclysmic wave of spells.

  Enin understood, and just as Jure saw the full extent of the goblin dilemma, Enin realized what Jure's plan would mean.

  "Do you know what might happen if you open yourself to that much energy?"

  "I can do it," Jure replied, not with confidence, but with an acceptance of responsibility. "She's the way she is because of me. I put the barrier in her consciousness."

  "But she's the one who took hold of it, used it to escape."

  "Doesn't matter. I'm still responsible. I'm also the only one who can connect with the magic within her…" He looked over at Holli and knew that the elf could connect as well, but he made the difference clear. "…and utilize it to do what needs to be done."

  "I don't doubt your abilities, but this is more than releasing a great surge of power into the air. You have to maintain control over the energy to give it absolute purpose. That much power will race through your being like fire upon parched fields."

  "But I know what needs to be done. The spells are energy intensive, but not difficult to control-seek spells to find the goblins, hold spells to bind them, dimensional gateways to open the portals, and force spells to send them back. You know these aren't extremely complicated. I can manage them all. It's just the energy flow that would be a restriction, but not if I'm connected to Heteera when I begin casting them. The energy will flow right through me and across every valley. You know how much magic is within her. It can work."

  Enin looked to Heteera, still lying on her bed staring up into nothingness. Yes, the power was within her, and Jure's idea could potentially solve two dilemmas at once, if handled properly. Unfortunately, there remained possible consequences.

  "She will eventually notice the reduction in power within her. The barrier will begin to break. She might fight you."

  "If she does, she won't be able to stop me. She doesn't have the strength to offset my will."

  "That is true, but once the connection is made, she could decide to destroy you with the magic. That would not be a matter of will. It would just be her decision to make."

  "She would only be able to do that after my spells have been cast. She could not interrupt them, and the goblins will be defeated. I also don't believe she would want to hurt me once she understands what I'm doing. She never wanted to cause harm."

  "Still, you have to understand that if you do this, you're putting your life in her hands."

  "No… I'm not. I'm doing what's right. That goes beyond her hands."

  Enin furrowed his brow. He almost shook his head, but he could not find it within him to dismiss the idea completely. Still, he was not ready to move forward with such a monumental decision.

  "Let us all go see Prilgrat," Enin finally suggested. "Let us find out what we can and then make our decision."

  "I won't go without her," Jure announced as he nodded towards Heteera.

  "Very well, can you carry her on your own?"

  "Yes."

  "Then let us prepare. I will teleport us all to the home of the regional steward and hope that none of this is necessary."

  Chapter 25

  Enin guided them to Ashlan-across space compressed by magic-and delivered them directly in front of Prilgrat's home in mere moments. The sun was setting, but it was still very warm, almost as if the bright rays of midday were still baking the streets. While the sky remained blue overhead and there remained plenty of light across the city, there was little to see. The road in front of Prilgrat's large home was empty. Neither human nor goblin walked in sight, and it seemed as if that one small portion of Ashlan had been deserted.

  The eerie emptiness of the plaza surprised the entire group as Holli had warned them the mansion stood near the very center of the city. They did not wish to bring attention to their arrival, but Enin insisted on a direct approach. Sneaking through Ashlan would not assist their cause and only delay their objectives. They expected greater activity near Prilgrat's home and prepared to meet with inferns or human soldiers on patrol. Even Jure, who held Heteera in his arms, was ready to cast a defensive spell if they were attacked upon arrival. To their relief, and also bewilderment, such conditions simply did not exist.

  The calm and quiet surrounding the mansion, however, was in direct contrast to activity throughout the rest of Ashlan. Ryson noticed it first, heard and smelled the violence across the city. The indications of pure chaos assaulted his senses and swelled across him from every direction, battered him like a barrage of hail and sleet. He heard the screams of fear and shrieks of fury. He smelled the smoke from fires and the dust of destruction. He felt the rattle of an angry mob surging through the entire city and the desperate retreat of thousands trying to flee.

  "Oh no," the delver cried as he looked up and down the empty street, and although the road he stood upon appeared a peaceful refuge, he knew turmoil raged everywhere else. It all felt so unreal, to be standing in relative peace while surrounded by total havoc. It was as if they had found the single sanctuary elevated over a raging flood of brutality, like a bird landing on a large boulder perched over a river of lava.

  "What's going on?" Jure asked.

  "The goblins… they're rampaging across the city."

  "He's right," Holli confirmed.

  Although she was unable to see the diminutive monsters, she could not deny the revelations of hostility. Her elf eyes spotted the clouds of smoke hovering over different sections of the city. Her hearing could not match the depth of the delver's, but the chaos rang clear in her ears as well. It was not the roar of battle she heeded-no clang of iron or shout of battle cries-but the pandemonium of monsters wreaking havoc. Wild shrieks of bloodthirsty mayhem filled the air. She could only imagine the devastation as the entire city trembled against the riotous goblin mob. From grinding groans within the ground itself, Holli could feel the pulse of pure anarchy. It did not stop-did not even pause-instead,
the rustling vibration of chaos rattled endlessly. Ashlan was not simply under siege, it was beset by madness.

  Needing to understand the depth of the calamity, Enin acted instantly. He closed his eyes and placed his hands above his head. He focused his energy on the need to see beyond the limits of the city.

  External magic continued to flow down and around Ashlan. It rushed overhead with a force that might prevent spell casters of lesser ability from breaching the city, but it could not stop Enin's will.

  Two rings of pure white magic encircled his wrists. He released the first circle of energy with a desire to reach out beyond Ashlan and to touch the skies across the Great Valleys. Once the first ring of magic reached its intended height, streaks of lightning bolted outward in all directions of the compass, branching out in seemingly never ending jagged lines. Though the lightning contained substantial power and the corresponding rumble of thunder shook the buildings nearby, it was never intended to strike any target. It simply allowed the wizard a platform that stretched far and wide across the skies overhead.

  He sent the second ring following immediately after the first. The pale energy burst across the sky in the same manner, but it used the lightning as an anchor. It was the power of sight, and it followed the previous path of magic, utilizing it to send reflections of areas far beyond Ashlan back to the wizard. Enin let the images flow into his consciousness as he witnessed alarming events in several neighboring towns.

  The ghastly visions revealed to him were much the same in every direction. Goblins raged with a violent lust that sickened him. They struck with an anger that had been bottled up for many seasons. They raced about furiously, burning and destroying, pillaging and killing. They brought devastation with a delirious frenzy.

  In some areas, the goblins moved as a great horde-a dark gray mass that rolled forward like storm clouds with deliberate evil intentions. They choked out any opposition with frightening efficiency, suffocating the ground with the sheer swell of their numbers.