Lief arrived quickly. As he stepped nearer to the goblin, he examined it sternly. He folded his arms across his chest and looked down on the goblin with great contempt.
"Why have you returned to these lands?!" The elf spoke with a cold demanding voice.
At first the goblin did not answer.
"Do not try my patience," Lief advised sternly. "You were captured by a delver, a full-bred delver. He can capture another one with the same ease he caught you. If you do not speak, I will dispose of you and we will bring another captive to your lifeless body. I am sure the next will be more willing to talk."
The goblin snarled at the elf before casting a weary eye upon Ryson. The creature looked him over carefully.
"You are delver?" the creature finally spoke. Its lips snarled as the voice carried with a low-toned whisper.
"Yes," Ryson managed. He felt ill at ease actually speaking to such a diminutive monster.
"What is your name?"
Ryson did not answer.
"Your name?!" the creature demanded.
"Tell him," the elf advised while keeping a cold stare upon the goblin.
"My name is Ryson Acumen."
The goblin paused. It stood stoic as if going through long past memories in its head. With a nod of futility, the goblin turned its attention back to the elf.
"If I tell you what you ask, will you release me?"
"I make no promises," Lief responded coldly.
"Then neither do I. I shall tell you nothing unless you give me your word for freedom. Otherwise, threaten me all you wish."
"I will release you only if you speak the truth," the elf conceded. "If I sense a shred of lies in your answers, I will deal with you harshly. Answer me without lies and I will release you to the forest, but I will not return your weapons. That is my word."
"No weapon?! I will be defenseless!" the goblin protested vehemently.
"Find your friends. They shall have to assist you."
"I may not find them in time."
"Enough!" Lief roared. "Your time is up. Take my word now or we shall begin our hunt for another. What is your answer?!"
"I agree to accept your word," the goblin stated wearily. "What are your questions?"
The elf sneered at the goblin. "Why are you here?"
"The magic allows us to be here," the goblin replied shortly.
"The magic of the sphere?"
"If you speak of the orb created by Ingar, I can not say."
The elf's eyes narrowed in anger and distrust. "Do not forget my word. I will only release you if you speak the truth."
"I speak the truth," the creature stated dispassionately. "I know not where the magic comes from. All I know is its presence. It is here and I am here."
"What has happened to the sphere?" the elf demanded.
"I do not know."
"Have your kind seized it?!"
"I do not know."
The elf boiled over with anger. He rose an arm to strike out at the goblin.
The goblin hissed, but veered away. It crouched down spitting and snarling in a defensive position.
Lief moved forward but Ryson cut between him and the goblin.
"That won't help," the delver protested.
"I grow tired of listening to these ridiculous replies!" Lief growled. "It states the magic lets it be here, yet it refuses to tell me where the magic comes from. This creature must be taught that I will not tolerate such things!"
Ryson continued to block the elf's path to the goblin. "But what if it's telling the truth?"
The elf did not respond. He stared angrily at the goblin, but made not further attempt to move forward.
"Maybe it really doesn't know," Ryson suggested. He then turned his attention to the goblin. He spoke softly but sternly.
"Do you know where the magic is coming from?"
The goblin eyed the delver carefully before answering. "No, but I would guess it is from the orb."
"Why?"
"Not since the orb was encased in the mountain have we been able to walk these lands. But now, we can do so again."
"Where do you come from?"
"Another place."
"How does the magic help you here?"
"It opens the door, unlocks the gate and lets us through. For ages we have been unable to break through, but now the door is open once more."
Ryson considered the goblin's answer before continuing. "Do you know what might have happened to allow this?"
"No," the goblin stated flatly.
"Do you know what has happened to the sphere."
"No."
Ryson turned to his companion with a questioning glance. "Does any of this help answer your questions?"
"Not at all. All I can be sure of is that the sphere is free from containment. This creature might say the goblins have nothing to do with that, but its presence so close to the mountain casts much doubt. I would not be surprised if we have heard nothing but lies."
"I have not lied!" the goblin objected vigorously. "I have not lied in order to hold you to your bargain. You are an elf, you have given your word. I have done everything that will force you to hold to that word. You must release me!"
"I will keep to my word," Lief stated coldly. "You will finish answering my questions first. Why are you here, at Sanctum Mountain?"
"It is where the door leads us," the goblin answered through a sneer.
"How many have entered the land so far?"
"More than I know."
"Where are they now? We only counted seven besides you."
"They are scouting the lands in small parties. We stayed behind to await others that will cross over."
"What are your plans in this land."
The goblin spoke forcibly and defiantly. "What they have always been. We are here to conquer. We will take our rightful place as leader of this land. Our numbers will swell until we are as the ocean. We will sweep across every territory, we will ..."
"Enough!" Lief ordered. He mulled over the goblin's words for but a moment. He proposed one final question. "Do you know how to close this door which lets the goblins enter this land?"
"If I did, I would not tell you even if it meant my life," the goblin stated scornfully. "Even if it allowed you to back away from your bargain, I would not tell you. The truth remains that I do not know how to open or close the door. It is the magic which does so. Thus, I have answered truthfully. I hold you to your bargain, elf!"
"Very well. Leave my sight! But heed this warning. The elves are now aware of your presence. If the age old war must resume, we shall be ready. Your numbers have never turned a single battle in history. Also be warned, my bargain stands for this moment alone. If we meet again, you will not survive."
The goblin responded with angry spit at the feet of the elf. It turned and raced into the forest.
The delver and elf stood beside each other and watched the creature disappear into the thickening woods. Lief turned his head and motioned to the short sword which remained in the hand of the delver.
"It seems you now have a trophy of your capture."
Ryson held the sword aloft as he inspected it carefully. It was a crude weapon, hardly a fine piece of handcraft. The blade was sharp and sturdy, but it lacked any true dignity or style. It held no proud etchings, nor did it shine with any degree of polish. The handle remained plain and functional. No stones or jewels decorated its base. The sword served its ultimate purpose as a weapon, nothing more.
"Hardly a thing to look at," Ryson admitted.
"True enough," Lief agreed. "A goblin's short sword is practical. It will, however, assist you in battle greater than your own dagger. I suggest you hang on to it for now."
The mention of battle reminded Ryson of the final words of the goblin and the elf. The bitterness between the two and the mention of war weighed heavily upon him. He could not help but pose a question. "How many goblins will end up here?"
"If the magic is truly free, more than we will ever count."
"That's a frightening thought."
"There are more frightening aspects of what we face. The goblins are pawns, pawns to the magic, pawns to other more powerful and more evil creatures. They are probably the least of our worries."
"You're kidding?"
"Unfortunately, no. The Sphere of Ingar is the most powerful and dangerous talisman ever created. Its freedom means the return of more than just goblins. Elflore tells of many monsters which disappeared after the encasing of the sphere. Its freedom may mean the return of all of them. River rouges, vampires, mountain shags, endless undead warriors; all may be walking upon our land as we speak."
Ryson did not respond. He looked vacantly out into the forest and beyond to the shadows of Sanctum Mountain.
"All of these creatures in themselves are dangerous," the elf continued, "but they pale in comparison to the release of the magic. It is the magic that truly threatens the elves. I wonder how many of my camp are already falling ill. No, the goblins are the least of our worries. We must concentrate upon the fate of the sphere."
That was the second time Lief mentioned possible suffering of the elves. Ryson wished further clarification, but even with the great pull of his curiosity, he knew this was not the time or place for such discussions. He took a chance to survey the area. He looked through the trees in order to gain a perspective of the sun. It was fully behind Sanctum Mountain which was just ahead of them to the west.
"We can probably reach a clearing on the side of the mountain before dark," the delver stated, "but I don't think that's advisable. We should camp here for the night. The trees can offer us greater protection."
"I agree," Lief said with a nod of acceptance. He loathed to allow time to pass through his fingers, but he could not deny the circumstances of the moment. If goblin scouting parties moved about, it would not do well to be caught in the open without cover. "Let me suggest, though, that we do not choose a site so close to the spot where the goblins made their own camp. They may return in the dark. We should move south of here and find a secure place high in the trees."
"That sounds good to me."
The two moved off quickly and quietly and found a suitable perch with many paths for escape. They rested comfortably in the trees as the dark of night began to spread.
Chapter 4
In the dark of night, during the peace of rest in high branches of an elderly oak, the delver had much to consider. A full day, a day of revelations was laid to rest before him. Encounters a delver might wish for in a lifetime was his in but one passing of the sun overhead.
Each moment of discovery printed itself indelibly upon his mind. There would be no forgetting. In his last days upon the land, he would recall this chain of events which ushered in a greater knowledge. His world had changed so drastically. Everything he knew, or thought he knew, was challenged. Everything he believed he understood was now confused. The land of Uton was forever changed, and him with it.
With so much passing through his mind, Ryson turned to the elf. He sought insight on what might be the mitigating force behind all that was happening.
"Tell me what you know about the sphere," Ryson asked as he picked at a pine cone.
"What is it you wish to know exactly?" Lief replied complacently.
Ryson answered with all honesty. "I want to know everything."
"That would take all the night and most of the next day," Lief countered. "Besides, it seems you know of it already. It is clear to me that you have an understanding of the legends. Is there something in particular that confuses you?"
"Right now everything confuses me. You seem to believe that the sphere is at the heart of whatever is going on. I can't argue that point, and I don't wish to, but if the sphere is the reason behind this, I'd like to know more about it. I'd also like to know why you talk about it with such distress."
"It is very dangerous," the elf stated simply. "That is why it was encased so long ago."
"I realize that, but we've already run into things I have to consider more dangerous than anything else I've ever faced in my life. You keep worrying about the sphere. I've heard the legends, but I've never heard of elflore until you mentioned it. Maybe your story is different than mine."
Lief hesitated before speaking. He folded his hands across his chest, but did not make an immediate reply.
"You don't want to tell me?" Ryson asked curiously but without sounding offended.
"No, that is not what concerns me," Lief replied wearily. "It is just that it is difficult to imagine how fast things have happened. The tremor, the magic. Now I sit in a tree with a delver who wishes to know about elflore and what we might face. I will not deny you that knowledge. Based on what you have already done, it is your right to know. If I'm to ask you to continue our journey, it is my obligation to tell you. It is just that less than a season ago, I would have considered such a thing as impossible."
"You don't have to tell me that," Ryson responded with a knowing glance. "Think how I feel. At least you knew that humans and delvers existed. I couldn't have guessed that any of the legends were actually true."
"Now you know differently," the elf said sternly.
Ryson eyed the elf and spoke with a careful tone. "Can I ask you a question before you tell me about the sphere?"
"You may."
Ryson tried not to hesitate, but he also wished to choose his words carefully. "Are all elves like you? I mean, in the short time I've known you, you've shown an interesting range of emotions. I don't mean any offense by this. Maybe I shouldn't even ask at all, but I've noticed how you react to certain things. I've seen you laugh and smile a few times, but you're a rather grim individual. I don't want to say you're impatient, because that's not true, but you seem to get annoyed easily. You really got angry when we were dealing with the goblins. Even when you and I talk, sometimes you sound as if you're annoyed with me."
"So you think I am perhaps too quick to anger?"
Ryson shook his head. "No, I wouldn't say that. It's just that you seem to have a low tolerance for some things. I don't think that saying you're angry would explain it. It's more like I said before. You get annoyed."
"Don't concern yourself with insulting me," Lief replied simply. "What you tell me now I have heard before."
"Really?"
"Of course. My own kind have pointed it out to me. They say I am quite opinionated and that I become quickly upset. They also say my outlook is much too grim. They say I will always find that which is bleak, even in the best of times. I guess that is why no one wished to believe me when I first spoke of the sphere."
"The other elves say this? Does that mean you're different from the others?"
Lief raised an eyebrow. "Does that surprise you?"
"I don't know," Ryson admitted. "I'm just curious as to what elves are like."
"Let me answer your question by asking you a similar one. What are delvers like? Are they all like you?"
"No, I couldn't say that. We're all different."
"The same applies to the elves. We all have our different personalities. While there are some things you can perceive about elves through contact with just one, it is not correct to make sweeping assumptions. While I might get easily annoyed, there is certainly another elf that would hardly ever show such dissatisfaction. Some elves may believe I am a very poor representative."
Ryson thought quietly before responding. "Poor representative or not, you’re my first elven contact. I won’t ever forget you."
The elf simply nodded and turned his focus upon the true subject of his own concerns. "Then let us go back to your first question. Let me tell you of what I know of the sphere."
The darkness continued to thicken as Lief began his tale. The air grew cool as the crickets began to chirp from the ground below. Occasionally, the hoot of an owl would cut through the insect's music, carried aloft by the night breeze. The sounds of the darkness seemed to flow with the words of the elf, giving emphasis to the story.
"Since you t
ell me you know much of the legends, I will not preface the story with any lengthy explanations," the elf noted quickly. "A small introduction, however, is necessary. The Sphere of Ingar was created by the Sorcerer Ingar in a final attempt to win ultimate control of all magic. The sphere was actually constructed from the hides of inhabitants from the land. Ingar sent out minions to capture elves, dwarves, humans, algors, and delvers. Lore has it that he skinned them alive, and with powerful magic, altered the hides to become portions of the sphere. With the casting of a forceful spell, the sphere became a receptacle for power. Because each race has its own ability to harness, control or resist the magic, the sphere became a magnet, as well as a vessel for containing all magical energy.
"Ingar brought the sphere to all the different corners of Uton. He carried it with him at all times but never revealed its existence or its purpose. Day after day passed and the sphere captured more and more energy. The power became immeasurable. If Ingar had used it at that time, he probably could have conquered the world without challenge. But Ingar became enthralled with the very power of the sphere. He wished to capture all of the energy in the land before he would drink of it himself.
"As the talisman soaked in the energy, the other magic casters began to notice their powers dwindling. Each time they cast a spell, they found they could not replenish their magical energies. Some became completely powerless as they foolishly wasted all the energy stored within their own bodies, and even that stored in their enchanted items.
"With the realization that the magic in the world was fading, the great wizards, both good and evil, conferred together to solve the mystery. Since they all were subject to losing their powers, they agreed to work together. Ingar, however, was noticeably missing from the conference. Becoming suspicious, the wizards and sorcerers believed Ingar might be responsible. Spies were sent which never returned.
"The sorcerers considered casting spells which would reveal Ingar's actions, but most resisted. The casting of any spell meant losing power, power which could not be replaced. The magic casters wished to hold on to their stored energy for as long as possible.
Delver Magic Book I: Sanctum's Breach Page 7
