by Jeff Inlo
Chapter 4
Once beyond Burbon's wall, Lief took the lead. He and the delver moved on foot, remaining on the lonely road that passed through the south gate. They passed several hills before Lief let out a shrill whistle. A similar response came from his left.
Ryson's eyes immediately honed in upon the source. His sharp vision detected trace hints of Holli's presence while she remained crouched in the tall grass. Upon his sighting, she stood erect, though carefully and slowly. She checked each direction before stepping lively but gracefully toward the open road. She met Ryson with a smile.
"Good day to you, delver!"
The near carefree ease in her welcome surprised him. He was prepared for a more stoic greeting, a greeting that suited a cautious elf guard. Instead, she appeared more than simply good-humored to see the delver. She seemed almost at peace, and this contrasted sharply with Ryson's memory of her. Though surprised, he managed to return the hello. "And a good day to you, Holli. You look well."
And she did, well and happy, and also content with her surroundings, and that also contrasted with his memories of her. As an elf guard, she had always seemed far from at ease; always watchful, always preparing for some unseen and unknown threat. But now, she appeared much more relaxed. Her eyes still darted about, still surveyed the land in all directions, but not with the same diligence that Ryson remembered.
To the delver, this change was beyond out of character, it was unwarranted, especially considering the influx of new dangers. Since the release of the magic, he himself was far more careful. Whenever he was outside the walls of Burbon, his senses jumped to high alert. He became as zealous in uncovering danger as he remembered the elf guards that protected their camps in Dark Spruce.
The guard that epitomized this behavior, Holli Brances, was now, however, nothing like the cautious fox he remembered. He could not guess as to what might have caused this transformation in her behavior. Ryson's curiosity got the better of him and he blurted out the question.
"Are you still an elf guard?"
"Of course," she replied simply. She found the question almost humorous. She waited expectantly for an explanation.
Ryson remained confused. "But you’re different… I don’t know, less alert I guess?"
Holli tilted her head. "I still remain concerned with possible threats, if that's what you mean. I always will." As if to accent this point, her eyes darted about the landscape.
The quick glance, however, did little to alleviate Ryson's suspicions. Something was different about the guard and his delver curiosity pushed him to know more. "I don't know. You seem much more at ease than I remember."
"Right now, I am at ease. I believe that all serious threats have left this area."
Ryson recalled that he encountered the serp and the shag several hilltops to the west. Could she know of them, were they still about?
"What threats?"
Holli responded with certainty. "A serp, a shag, and some goblins."
"So you know about them?"
"They were within shouting distance a short while ago."
"I know," Ryson admitted. "I broke up the goblins, but the shag and serp forced me away."
"They have left."
"You're certain?"
"Absolutely."
"How do you know?" Of course, he suspected. He felt a presence around her that was akin to the aura which surrounded Enin.
"The magic has opened many secrets to those who know how to use it. I can now sense the presence of such creatures as they approach."
It was as he thought. Holli was much like Enin in her ability to touch the magic. He wondered how far she had gone with this new power. "So you're casting spells now?"
Holli shook her head, almost defensively. "I am not a magic caster. I am an elf guard, and my duties prevent me from conducting such activities. Casting spells is a dangerous activity and requires time for study. I have no such time, and my responsibility to the safety of those I protect remains paramount. Still, there are other ways to use the magic other than simply casting spells. It remains an energy that can be harnessed in many ways."
She appeared certain of this to the extent of knowledgeable. Ryson had little understanding in the matter of magic, and being a delver, he pressed for answers.
"How so?"
Holli chuckled harmlessly. She understood all too well the delver's curiosity. She endeavored to quench it for him. "Think of fire. It can be used for heat or for light. Lamps surround your human town to ward off threats even as pots of stew boil over stoves and hearths. Magic is no different. It all depends on your need. I don't use spells, but the magic within me heightens what I can sense. It's not sight or smell, it's beyond that."
Ryson nodded. He made it clear to the guard that he understood her explanation. "I know. There's a human wizard I've become associated with. He's also learned to sense the presence of creatures that use magic."
"He casts white magic, with spheres," Lief acknowledged with a nod to Holli.
The elf guard looked back at the walls of Burbon.
Ryson missed the underlying importance of such matters. Instead, he focused on the use of magic itself. "He's been able to warn us of goblins that sneak through our first line of defense. It has become quite helpful."
"It will be even more helpful when we cross through the Lacobian desert," Lief stated with an impatient edge. "The algors await us and need warning. We should not delay."
He began to move southward along the desolate dirt road as Ryson and Holli turned to follow. A bridge over the Fuge River was in sight as were a few trees of Dark Spruce. Lief stepped at a quick pace, a near trot for humans. He contemplated the distance to the forest. Before long they would be able to move among the trees, but only for a while. The section of forest which separated these grassy hills from the rocky terrain which preceded the desert was not at all wide. He frowned at the thought of trekking through the rock canyons and even worse, the Lacobian desert. He grumbled a complaint out loud.
"We should have brought horses."
Ryson corrected him. "It wouldn't have helped. I'm sure you want to climb through the trees when we reach the forest. What would we do with the horses?"
"I was thinking more of the canyons and the desert."
"They'd help in the canyons, I can't argue that, but not in the desert. I can get enough water for us, but not for three horses as well. We'd have to bring a great supply of water for them and that would weigh them down. No, we'll be better off on foot."
Lief's impatience to move on was but a temporary distraction from Ryson's questions for the elf guard. The delver's thoughts focused back on Holli's words about the magic. If she could sense creatures that used the energy, she would be as useful as Enin in uncovering threats. He looked to the river and thought of the river rogues, dangerous creatures, but creatures that apparently needed magic to walk this land. Again, as they moved toward the bridge, he voiced his questions.
"Do you sense anything from the river? Any river rogues?"
"No, the path is clear."
"And you're sure of this?"
"Absolutely."
This was interesting. If elf guards could indeed detect the presence of other creatures, it changed battle tactics. He mulled over the possible effects as he voiced yet another question.
"If you can now sense threats well in advance, doesn't that change everything? I mean, it sounds like surprise attacks are a thing of the past. Take us moving over this bridge as an example. If you could sense a river rogue before it gets near us, we could never be surprised."
"That is exactly why I am more relaxed with our journey at this moment. Do you think I would allow Lief to walk so carelessly forward if I thought he might be walking into an ambush?"
Lief grumbled under his breath.
Holli smiled at Ryson. "He is not as attuned to the magic as I am, that is why he is so irritable."
"So it's different for each elf?"
"Some can not sense anything," Holli replied.
Ryson pondered how that might change things. If some elves were less sensitive than others, then there was still a chance for surprise. Then again, the proper utilization of sensitive elves would eliminate this problem. He spoke openly of his theories over such tactics. "Still, if I understand this correctly, it would remain possible to completely eliminate surprise attacks. If elves sensitive to magic are used as scouts and guards and escorts, it would be near impossible for an elf party to fall victim to a raid. To me, that seems to change things drastically. I mean, why would I rely on stealth if I knew that it was impossible to move in without being detected. As far as battles go, it almost comes down now to a point of pure force. Whatever army is the biggest and strongest will win. Isn't that right?"
"Not exactly." Holli walked with ease in her step, but she still made intermittent surveys of their surroundings. Her eyes would dart about the hills and across the river as if she only trusted her new perception to a marked degree. Even as she stepped over the wooden bridge, she glanced at possible hiding spots for river rogues. No threats existed but she explained both her actions and her statement. "First, there is a limit to the range. Yes, I can sense things close by, but an army of goblins may still use stealth to amass great numbers for an attack. I might sense them before we stumble upon them, but then again, it may be too late."
"I can understand that," Ryson allowed. "It's the same for the human wizard I told you about. He can't sense the hills, but he can sense goblins before they reach the wall, so it isn't a total surprise."
"That may be true," Holli countered, "but there are some threats which can not be sensed through the magic. Most of these are threats which existed before you destroyed the sphere. While it's easy to detect the presence of a creature which needs the magic to exist in the land, like a shag or a serp, it is much more difficult to detect the presence of others. The dwarves, for example, are the most resistant to magic, thus I would have no warning of their presence if I simply relied on the perception of magic. It is nearly the same for the algors. Unlike elves and many humans, the algors don't constantly store magical energy within themselves. When they cast spells, they must either take it directly from the air, or spend much time and energy in absorbing the power. Thus, it is difficult to detect the presence of dwarves and algors based solely on this method. As for humans and delvers, some are potent with magic while some are resistant. I sense that you would have the ability to hold much energy within you. You could probably learn to cast many spells."
"I don't think I want to." Ryson responded almost too quickly.
Holli saw sense in that answer. "Right now, that is probably wise. Casting spells remains a dangerous activity."
As Ryson considered the point, Lief stepped up to the welcoming cluster of trees that formed the outer boundary of Dark Spruce Forest. Without reservation, he nimbly jumped to a branch and waited for Holli and Ryson to join him. The elf guard also took to the trees, but slightly off to the left so as to spread their formation. Ryson did not join them.
"Will you not travel the trees with us, delver?" Lief asked. "I recall you handled this form of travel quite well."
"Thank you, but I think I'll stick to the ground," Ryson responded. He looked about with grave uncertainty. "I know the forest is home to you, but I've learned it hides many things now. I'll feel a lot more comfortable on the ground. Besides, I can scout from down here while Holli uses the advantage of height."
"He's right," Holli stated in agreement. "It's better if we stay spread out."
"As you both wish, I just want to reach the algors as quickly as possible."
Indeed, the three moved quickly through this section of Dark Spruce. The trees were not clustered or woven tightly together here. They spread themselves apart. They remained close enough for the elves to step or leap from one to another, but far enough apart to allow a good deal of sunshine to break through the overhead branches. The shifting sunbeams bathed the ground with warmth and the forest seemed to welcome them all. The elves embraced this part of their journey, happy to be leaving the human town behind.
Their progress slowed only once, to avoid a small party of goblins. Ryson caught their scent just as Holli sensed the disturbance in the magical aura that surrounded her. It was a small party, not even enough for a suitable raid, a handful out scavenging for food. The three virtually ignored the foul fiends with a wave of disgust. A slight detour served to avoid hostilities, and elf and delver were soon passing out of Dark Spruce. Much sooner, in fact, than Lief would have wished, the elves had to give up the trees to step over the rock hard ground of the sloping canyons.
Here, away from the trees, Holli's regiment of awareness increased. She returned to a state of wariness which typified the elf guard. The terrain, hilly and rocky, offered cover for shags and other potential monsters. She looked carefully for such hazards, but the true threat of this place stemmed from its proximity to the Lacobian desert.
The Lacobian had become the training ground for the most ambitious wizards and sorcerers, and there was no telling what terrors might have been created. Throughout elflore, stories existed of sorcerers summoning terrible creatures. If such creatures were again brought to this land, they would find this rocky place a welcome hunting ground and sanctuary. Rumors abounded of both dark and light magic, of spell casting pushed to the limit, and of monsters not even recorded in the legends or in elflore.
The return of magic and its current use by power hungry novices, brought hard reality to the land. Had there not been such a span of ages between the disappearance of the magic and its unavoidable return, perhaps there would remain knowledge of how to use it. But no such knowledge seemed to exist, and burgeoning wizards were left to depend on trial and error. Rumors might have spread out of fear and misunderstanding, but they were born out of disheartening truth, a truth which Holli could not afford to ignore.
With such awareness, the elf guard turned her focus on uncovering all possible dangers. Uncertain of how the ambitious use of magic might affect her own ability, she began to divide her reliance over all her senses. Her eyes began to dart along the rugged rocks with greater diligence. She inspected the ground, searching for the smallest indication of danger. She listened to the wind with near constant attention, and she began to rely upon other resources as well. She knew the delver's senses far exceeded her own, and she called for him to use them.
"Ryson. This place is dangerous. I must ask you to use all your skill to detect anything which seems out of the ordinary. If you sense anything at all, please advise me."
"Of course."
The coolness of the harvest forest gave way to a harsh, biting southern wind. The temperature rose as the sight of the Lacobian grew closer. The rocky hills sucked in the heat like a hungry infant. As their footsteps began to fall on sandy rock and the last traces of Dark Spruce had long faded behind them, it felt more like the height of the dry season, as if the coming dormant season was nothing but a distant thought. A wavering haze formed in the distance, compromising his long range surveillance.
To both his relief and his disappointment, he found nothing in these canyons, only the day old tracks of a shag. He pointed the tracks out to Holli and she nearly dismissed them completely. At Ryson's urgings, they circumvented a bluff he believed might hold its lair, but the elf guard appeared more concerned with distant, uncovered threats than the existence of a shag.
Ryson knew exactly where he needed to lead them; the sandstone mountain that the algors used as a meeting place. He had made this trek before, and once a delver discovered a path, it was never forgotten. He could have led them to the sandstone edifice blindfolded, moving solely on memory of a trip taken over a season ago, but instead, he remained watchful.
In his travels, the delver had hoped he might find signs of a few wayward algors. He recalled how individuals would break from the community and set off in the desert alone, isolating themselves
in order to find their individual identity. All algors needed to be warned of the impending attack of the dwarves, and Ryson was well aware of the way they freely shared information. If he could find a straggler here and there, it would only help their cause. With each algor told, the warning would spread that much more quickly. He looked for tracks of such algors, solitary travelers hoping in some mad fashion to find their own individualism in the lonely desert, but he found nothing. Not unexpected. The algors lived at the heart of the desert, surrounded completely by the hot, shifting sand. It would probably take time to reach a point where they might actually find signs of a single traveler.
Ryson looked to the sky. The sun was low in the western horizon and there was still a great distance to travel. He considered their surroundings and their circumstances. He knew enough of the desert not to be fooled by the current warmth. When the sun dropped beyond the horizon, the air would grow cold. There would be a need for shelter, probably even a fire. The rocky canyons, unfortunately, were now almost completely out of sight. If they were to camp now, they would have to do so among a group of cacti in the sand, not the best shelter in the land, but it would have to do.
As he scoured the landscape for the best site available, he wondered if Lief and Holli would even allow making camp. They might urge him to move onward through the night. If such was their wish, he would certainly be able to continue. The desert was taking a greater toll upon the elves than it was upon him. In fact, he would have rather kept moving. Still, he had to offer the proposal.
He was about to make his proposition when slightly shifting sand stole his attention. He looked to his companions to call out a warning. Holli's attention was also fixed upon the disturbance. Lief, for the moment, was not yet aware, but the delver's call brought him to the ready.
"The sand's moving."
"I see it," Holli whispered. "Spread out!"
Both Lief and Ryson obeyed. They formed three points of a triangle around the section of disturbed sand. All movement stopped. Even the sand settled back into place. Holli stood motionless, closest to the point of their focus.
Ryson whispered another warning. "There's still movement down there. I can feel it."
"What kind of movement?"
"Hard to say. Tunneling maybe. But whatever it is, there's more than one. I think maybe a dozen different sources."
"How close to the surface?"
"Not very. Do you think it's goblins?"
"Doubtful."
Ryson thought of the magic, how when it was first released from the sphere it mutated and created terrible monsters. Anything at all could be waiting down there preparing to attack. He posed the possibility in one word to Holli.
"Magic?"
"I sense nothing."
"Wait, I hear something. Voices. They're coming up."
"Swords!" Holli ordered and all three drew their weapons.
Ryson's sword, the Sword of Decree, revealed its enchantment as it magnified the dying sunlight. The glow drenched the sand before them. The white sand sparkled as it again began to shift, this time with far greater force, and the increased light served to magnify the disturbance. Large amounts of sand swirled downward, as if falling through an hour glass. A crater formed as more and more of the sand began to fall away into some unseen hole.
Ryson looked deep into the heart of the gyrating disorder. Like a swirling whirlpool, the sand churned faster as it neared the center of the crater. The delver could only wonder as to how much sand would disappear into this ever-widening chasm.
In a mere instant, Ryson saw that it was not natural forces that had opened the hole, but the greatest miners in all the land. The whirlpool effect was broken as a growling dwarf shattered the surface.
Sand sailed in every direction even as it continued to spill downward into an ever widening expanse. The first dwarf jumped clear, then another, and another. They bustled up from the sand like angry ants ready for war. Armored chest plates sparkled as richly as the desert sand. Reinforced with jewels, this armor could not be cut by elf swords. Though prepared to strike, for their axes were in their stout, firm hands, the first dwarves to appear revealed surprise in seeing the elves and the delver.
Other dwarves surfaced. Ten in number now stood upon the surface of the sand. They wore goggles made of tinted gems to protect their vision from the desert light, but their eyes widened at the unexpected sight of the elves.
The shock spread. Lief fumbled with his words. "What is going on here?"
The dwarves said nothing. They had expected to attack algors. They crouched in battle readiness, but they held their position.
Holli saw the situation clearly. She held tight to her sword, but dropped it from its ready position. "They thought we were algors. Isn't that true?"
The dwarves did not feel the need to explain such things to an elf. They might have simply retreated back down their tunnel, had one not voiced a single suspicion.
"Spies."
"Nonsense," Holli responded firmly.
The accusing dwarf did not think so. "Why else would they be out here? An alliance with the algors."
Nothing more was needed. The situation quickly boiled over. The dwarves advanced, considering the three as enemies.
"Fire upon you fools!" Lief admonished the attackers. "You have no cause for this."
The dwarves ignored him. They broke into three separate groups, each to deal with an individual enemy. Two groups of three set upon Holli and Ryson while a foursome moved to surround Lief. They moved laboriously, struggling with the shifting sand at their feet. They plodded forward without speed or dexterity. Each step was forced, as if each movement had to be considered separately.
Lief and Holli also grappled with the terrain, but not to the same degree. Their bodies were slight, lean and long. They remained able to leap and side-step, whereas the dwarves sank deep into the soft footing like lead weights. Still, the elves were at ground level and in close quarters, not an enviable position when battling dwarves.
The dwarves took this to heart and believed that their superior numbers and strength would lead them to easy victory despite the shifting sand beneath them. They swung their axes almost wildly. Their short arms allowed only a limited reach and they were unable to connect, but they could see the elves tiring quickly under the heat of the desert. Those that focused on Holli and Lief became near ferocious in their attacks.
For those that attacked the delver, they found quick frustration. The delver moved with ease over the sand, moved with such speed and precision the dwarves were left swinging and grasping at open air. Ryson dodged each attack as if he were a dry leaf in the heart of a tornado. The dwarves soon lost all perspective of direction, and then, all hope.
Ryson would not use his sword upon the dwarves, but he would not let them callously attack him or his friends. He focused his attack on the dwarves' goggles. In a blur of motion, his agile hand speared toward the face of each attacker. He ripped the protective glasses away and exposed the dwarf eyes to the bright desert sun. With each assault, a dwarf was rendered near helpless as they jammed their eyelids shut to block the burning light that was magnified by the desert sand.
After blinding those that attacked him, he turned his attention on assisting the elves. He darted across the sand like a hurricane, his gleaming sword a streak of lightning. He continued his assault, relieving each dwarf of his goggles.
The dwarves could not fight him. With or without their glasses, they could not see him. They could not stop him. Their axe blades sliced harmlessly through the air. In the end, the lot of them were left shielding their eyes with their hands and unable to strike.
In frustration, humiliation, one called for an immediate retreat. None argued. They dove for the darkness of the hole without hesitation.
Lief appeared willing to stop them or to follow, but Holli's command held him.
"Let them go. We can't stop all of them and prisoners will only slow us."
Ryson looked to Holli. "They've already started their attacks," he stated grimly.
"Hard to know the extent," she responded simply as if measuring the weight of the dwarf battle party.
"I noticed traces of blood on their axes. They must have already inflicted casualties," Ryson pointed out.
"Yes, but we do not know how many."
"One is too many."
Holli voiced simple logic. "We can't undo what has already occurred."
"But we can do all we can to prevent more," Ryson pressed.
"That's why we're here."
"I was going to ask if you wanted to make camp, but I can't recommend that now," Ryson stated almost harshly. "We have to reach the sandstone mountain as soon as possible."
"I agree."
Nothing more was said.
Lief gave one last angry glance into the dwarf tunnel. Even now the opening was fading from sight, the sand shifting to cover the hole. It turned first into a depression, then the wind swept away even this last trace. Ryson ignored the change. He moved forward, leading the two elves as quickly as possible to the place where he knew he would find the algors.