by Jeff Inlo
"No, not magic and not delver. Humans not on wall for goblins. Something else has humans' attention. Something going on inside their wall, that's what I think. And if something else going on, then humans already worried. We make them more worried."
The amount of speculation surprised the goblin subordinate. It was more "thinking" than it could have accomplished in an entire season, let alone one night. Still, its leader was offering an explanation and the threat of retribution seemed to diminish. The lieutenant's curiosity got the better of it and pressed for further understanding.
"But why waste arrows by shooting at wall if humans hide? Why not shoot and stop? Save arrows."
"Because arrows will add to worry, will keep attention off gate. We kill as many humans quickly, but we don't stop. Not a waste if it helps us open gate. Once gate open, humans can't hide behind wall."
With the strategy somewhat clearer, the lieutenant offered a sinister smile which satisfied its commander. The diminutive monster even nodded and offered praise.
"Okyiq smarter than humans."
The large goblin appeared pleased with the compliment. He released his hold on the armored breastplate and allowed the lieutenant freedom to move.
"Now, go make sure goblins have enough arrows. Real rain almost here."
#
Linda Acumen was alone when the first wave hit her. She stood in a back storage room of the Borderline Inn, looking for extra mugs for all the additional people in the tavern. No one was ordering drinks at the moment—they were all too occupied, wondering about the alert and watching for additional signals from the towers—but she wanted to keep busy. She didn't want to stop and think about what was happening outside, didn't want to wonder what Ryson was facing at that very moment.
The initial contact rushed toward her, but couldn't touch her in any way. Linda didn't feel anything on her skin, but she could sense something all around her. She almost called out for help. She thought of Ryson, but for some reason she knew he could not help her. The same force that tried to take hold of her was also inside her husband, inside all delvers.
She turned to run back into the main room of the tavern, but then a surge of odd images rushed into her consciousness. A wave of emotions kept her in place. She felt everything at once; fear, sadness, anxiety, confusion, but mostly anger, and it raged within her.
She wanted to strike out at something, but there was nothing near that was worth her immense fury. She shook uncontrollably as she grabbed her head, clawing at her hair and trying to somehow reach the flood of foreign memories pouring into her mind.
For long, drawn out moments it continued. No one noticed, for she remained alone and away from the tavern full of Burbon's citizens. She grunted and snarled in a fit of pure rage. She never saw the two greasy puddles sliding toward her.
Two arasaps had entered the tavern by sliding through a back window well before the river rogues even entered the town. Both had waited patiently in a far corner near the stairs to the basement. They appeared as nothing more than two large drops of water that might have fallen from some boiling pot.
They kept in constant contact with the arasap that was already inside the human host. Through telepathic messages only the arasaps could understand, they knew to wait. An opportunity was coming soon, and they would not waste it.
When the first arasap began to feed, the other two creatures made their way across the floor. Their objective remained alone and far too occupied to notice their advance. When they reached her feet, they both rose up slowly, like expanding bubbles. They struck from opposite sides, each taking hold of a separate arm.
Linda barely noticed. The flood of images and emotions kept her angry and confused... and completely unable to comprehend her dire situation. She felt the greasy substances slide across her arms and into her neck near her shoulders.
At the same instant, the flood of images subsided and she could no longer feel the strange presence surrounding her. When she regained her composure, all traces of the arasaps were gone. The incident remained fuzzy in her mind. She wondered if she imagined the entire event.
There was one thing, however, that remained clear in her mind. She thought of Ryson and how he left her. He was not there to help her. Beyond that, she realized there was something between them, an obstacle that neither of them could overcome.
Linda stormed out into the tavern and took a seat alone at a back table. She ignored everyone around her. She focused on a single glass that was left on the table. It was empty, but she began to look at it as a symbol of her future. She wanted to toss it across the room, let it shatter into a thousand shards, but she held to it. She decided she didn't want to let go of it, at least not at that moment.
Those that waited in the Borderline Inn let her be. They imagined her emotional state was the result of the chaos outside in the streets. They couldn't blame her. Her husband was racing through the town, defending Burbon against horrible creatures, fighting for them.
Chapter 3
Ryson found the third rogue in a residential section of Burbon, roaming through shadows of the eastside. The beast appeared almost disoriented and seemed much more intent on fleeing as opposed to stalking the alleys for food. Several dogs were barking from inside locked homes, and the rogue moved frantically from one shadowy corner to the next, hopelessly trying to escape the noisy mayhem.
Rogues didn't like dogs, as dogs could smell them far in the distance—another reason why dogs had become so popular after the return of magic. Early warning and avoidance of danger became necessary in life throughout Uton, particularly so near Dark Spruce Forest, and dogs proved to be the ablest of alarms against shags, goblins, and especially river rogues. From the smallest terriers to the largest wolfhounds, the appreciation for canines grew as their natural ability to sense dark creatures saved almost as many citizens as the town guard.
Reeling from an alley to a dark porch and then to a lonely street corner, the rogue seemed helpless in its attempt to avoid attention. The moment it rushed away from one barking canine, it stepped too near the home of another. Soon, the entire eastside echoed with yaps and howls, and the monster could find no path to sanctuary.
Ryson closed to within a single town block of the rogue, but then slowed his approach. He continued to carry the Sword of Decree in front of him, but he made no attempt to wave it over his head. He had a clear view of the creature, knew there was only one in the area, but he delayed signaling the towers. He continued to assess the situation as he watched the rogues frantic movements.
Realizing the monster was extremely agitated, Ryson wondered if trying to catch it in an iron net remained the best alternative. He was very near the eastern town entrance. He probably could have coaxed the creature toward the gate, right through the passage, and beyond the wall in mere moments. He knew the rogue was simply trying to escape. Guiding it to just such a remedy seemed the best solution for everyone involved.
Unfortunately, Ryson knew the gate was closed and the keepers were under strict orders to leave it that way. They weren't going to open it for him, even if he had the rogue marching right in front of him. More than likely, they would signal the situation to the towers, and the captain of the guard would receive the message immediately.
Ryson thought of the agreement he had with Sy. The captain gave his word he would release the rogues unharmed, but it would be far from the town. Sy wasn't going to allow the beast to flee so near Burbon's borders. There was already tension between the two of them, and breaking their agreement would only add to the stress.
Still, the delver made no move to signal the towers. He followed the rogue for a few more blocks, which only served to strengthen Ryson's opinion that the creature was too unsettled to hunt for prey. If everyone stayed away from it and allowed the beast free passage, it would leave of its own accord. The only thing it seemed to care about was escaping the continuous clamor of the neighborhood dogs. The monster didn't even notice the delver's glowing sword.
Th
e rain that had been little more than a very light shower finally altered the delver's decision. A smattering of drops here and there turned into a steadier downpour. The rhythmic beat of drops against the surrounding rooftops added to the chorus of barking dogs. Several street lanterns dimmed or were extinguished completely. Visibility was dropping quickly, and Ryson knew the guards in the streets would have a difficult time keeping their torches lit.
With nothing to gain in delaying his decision further and growing anxious over the storm clouds to the west, the delver waved his glowing blade over his head. He kept a close watch on the river rogue, waited to see if the action might divert its attention.
It didn't.
The monster simply kept moving onward, trying to find a secure place to hide, but failing to do so. The only thing that seemed to offer it any solace whatsoever was the increasing rains.
#
Okyiq also welcomed the storm. The rain began to pour down upon the tall grass of the hills just as heavier winds rustled almost violently through the trees of Dark Spruce to the west. The large goblin nodded his head in approval as he made one last address to his surrounding lieutenants.
"See? This is why I lead. Told you the rain would be stronger. Humans will have hard time seeing us. What will they shoot at? Nothing. We have target. We can shoot at the top of wall and at towers without even seeing humans, but we know they are there. We will hit some. They will die."
None of the lieutenants answered, but a few nodded their heads in agreement with Okyiq's sentiment. The rain beat down upon them, splashed against their armored breastplates and substantially diminished what they could see. If they peeked over the top of the hill, they could still make out the outline of the wall in the darkness and rain, but just barely. The exact position of the humans was, at best, a guess, but that was all they needed. The same advantage did not hold true for the human archers. Even when the goblins finally began to fire, the dark creatures would remain quite hidden in the tall grass and the teaming downpour.
"We attack now!" Okyiq ordered. "When I tell you to fire, all goblins with bows must attack and continue to fire at wall and towers until raid is over."
The commanding goblin pointed to two of his lieutenants.
"You two stay here. You are in charge of all goblins at this hill. Make sure goblins keep firing. If they stop, you die."
The order was a double edged sword for the lieutenants. They were happy to stay behind as opposed to being part of the raid that would cross the clearing that surrounded the town. It also pleased them not to have to climb the wall, but the order was flush with other potential hazards.
They were given the responsibility of maintaining discipline among the goblin ranks in the hills, not a simple task. Both lieutenants knew that if the human guards charged the hill with cavalry, no goblin would stay at its post. Raid or no raid, the bow fire would cease entirely as every goblin archer would scatter and head to the safety of the forest.
Goblins hated humans on horseback. A single guard mounted on a large steed was a frightful sight to the meager-sized monsters. A charging horse was a vision of terror, a snorting and galloping colossus. Goblins did not fight cavalry on open ground. They would run in absolute horror or drop prone into the mud paralyzed with fear.
Thus, the lieutenants understood the risk attached to their duty. They could order the goblins under their command to continue to fire, but only for as long as the hills remained clear. They lacked the force of Okyiq's stature and will. If the humans attacked, the goblin archers would certainly flee and leave the raiders to face their own daunting task without cover or diversion. If that were the case, the lieutenants themselves would run as fast and as far as possible as well, knowing that when Okyiq returned, he would rip them to shreds.
As for the goblin leader, he made his own intentions quite clear.
"I go with first raiders. I will make sure goblins climb the wall fast. Gate will be opened and all goblins not firing at wall must come into town. We will take much tonight. We will let the humans know this is my forest!"
It wasn't much of an inspirational speech, but it established Okyiq's desires as well as his resolve. He would lead the initial assault, putting himself in the greatest danger. He would be the biggest target, but the heavy rain worked in his favor. He believed it would be more than enough to protect him. He also believed that fortune remained on his side. The night belonged to him, the storm a generous gift. He would not accept he might die. He was too strong, and too smart... at least for a goblin.
#
Two groups of soldiers moved into position around the third rogue. One squad came from the eastern gate. The other band moved in from behind Ryson. It was the same group that had helped capture the first rogue.
In order to return to the fray, they had imprisoned the first rogue and obtained a new iron net. They were eager to be part of another encounter, especially the corporal. Leading the squad responsible for capturing two of the rogues would bring him that much closer to a promotion.
Ryson, however, was not thrilled at the prospect of dealing with the outspoken corporal again. He decided to address the first group, soldiers that clearly came from the east, to see if they might allow for a change in tactics.
"Is the eastern gate still closed?" the delver asked, but he already knew the answer. He was just testing the waters, trying to gauge their willingness to agree to an alternative plan.
"Yes," the squad leader replied with no true emotion that Ryson could read.
"Any chance of getting it open to let this thing out?"
"Town's sealed. All gates remain closed."
And that shut down Ryson's hopes for allowing the rogue to escape on its own.
"We have to be careful with this one," Ryson warned. "It's already spooked."
At that instant, the corporal decided to inject his own authority.
"We have two squads here and the creature is on the run... in the open. We can take it from here."
"What are you going to do?" Ryson demanded, not appreciating being dismissed so callously.
The corporal ignored the delver completely. He turned his attention to the other squad leader who arrived from the east. He outranked his counterpart and took command.
"Take your squad and circle around the block. Cut it off from the far end of this street. Once we have it between us, we can come at it from both sides with nets open. It won't be able to get away."
The eastern squad leader simply nodded and directed the soldiers under his authority down a side street. With one quick turn, they were moving to outflank the rogue.
Before the corporal could turn away, Ryson made his own concerns clear.
"That rogue is in a panic," the delver repeated.
"Irrelevant," the corporal replied, then swerved about—again dismissing the delver—to coordinate his own guards.
Ryson cursed as he looked down the street toward the rogue that was shuffling hesitantly from one hiding spot to the next. The squad circling around would have no difficulty in cutting off the monster, but he worried what might happen when the creature was caught in the middle of the street between two groups of soldiers and no path of escape.
Regrettably, he knew the corporal would not listen to reason, so he did not bother trying to recommend safer tactics. The rain had become quite heavy, and though there were no further reported sightings of rogues within the walls, he still had to search the entire town to ensure that there were none in hiding. He was about to take off to continue his scout when he heard several shouts in the distance.
Immediately, he issued a warning to the soldiers nearby.
"Something's wrong!"
"There's nothing wrong," the corporal dismissed. "I know what I'm doing. We can handle the rogue without further assistance from you."
"No, there's something going on to the south... near the southern gate."
At that very moment, warnings and alarms erupted across all guard towers. Signal torches revealed the outbrea
k of another attack.
"Someone is firing at the wall!" one of the soldiers announced after reading the signals.
There was not much more Ryson could determine from the tower messages. There were requests for reinforcements, estimates as to the number of enemy archers, but there was nothing to indicate who or what might be behind the attack.
Standing far from the center of conflict, Ryson drank in all the information available to him. His senses were tremendously powerful, but in the heavy rain, he still couldn't smell the goblins or hear the full extent of the clash. He was only able to pick up miniscule traces, meager bits of activity—an odd scent in the air, a yell or grunt echoing off a wall. He placed the details in context with the tower signals, and his experience pointed to one conclusion.
"Goblin raid," Ryson declared.
The corporal could read the signals, but that was all the information available to him. He lacked the senses of a delver and his viewpoint narrowed on his experiences within Burbon. Nothing in the tower messages revealed anything about goblins.
"How do you know?"
Ryson didn't waste time explaining. Too much was happening too quickly. The rain, the rogues, and goblins; the danger was growing and he had no idea if something else lurked in the darkness.
"Get that rogue captured as quickly as possible!" Ryson ordered.
The corporal suddenly lost his desire to capture the creature. The rogue seemed a minor threat, especially if there was a larger assault upon the wall to the south. He considered his location and wondered if other areas of the town might also fall under attack. He also reached his limit of listening to the delver's orders.
"No, the rogue is incidental. We have to ensure the integrity of the eastern gate! I'm going to recall the other squad..."
"You have to secure this area first!" Ryson sternly interrupted. "There's nothing going on at the eastern gate!"