Chain of Bargains dm-5

by Jeff Inlo

  In other regions, goblins scattered across farms and small town streets like shrapnel disbursed by some horrid explosion. They darted about creating confusion and panic-starting fires, smashing doors and windows, stealing food and valuables.

  The response to the assault was dismal. The humans failed to come together. Small pockets of resistance were quickly overrun. Individuals who found the courage to stand and fight could not match the sheer numbers of goblin attackers that swelled about them. Most of the people took to flight, and while they did not appear to retreat with a clear direction in mind, the goblins seemed determined to press them to the west.

  Enin saw the method of the dwarves deep within the madness of the goblins. Fleeing people were being herded together, sent in the same direction in one massive stampede. It would take days and many would be trampled, die of exhaustion or dehydration, but they would all be pushed through Pride Gap and sent into the central plains. Lack of hope and shelter would force them onward until they flooded into the lands that rested beneath the Colad Mountains. They would inundate Connel, Burbon, and Pinesway.

  The panic of the humans washed over Enin while he peered across the region. As he saw pure desperation in their faces, the overwhelming emotion that generated such expressions took shape in his own spirit. It was more than sympathy, or even empathy, it was a torrent of anguish and fear rippling back across the magic. He cancelled the spell and turned his attention back to his companions.

  "You were right," Enin said to the elder wizard. "The goblins have been released. It has begun, and it is a nightmare."

  "What should we do?" Ryson demanded, not wanting to simply stand idly by.

  Enin did not wish to advise patience during such a crisis, but rash action was not an alternative he would allow.

  "First, we find Prilgrat. We can't simply base our decisions on assumptions. We have to know for sure… know if draevols are linked to this evil. Then we shall act."

  Enin threw open the door to the mansion and stepped angrily into the great hall. He peered about, searching for any movement, but there was nothing-no guards and no servants. He wondered if Prilgrat might have abandoned his home, forewarned of the catastrophe. As he set his magical senses upon the inner space of the mansion, however, he noted the attendance of humans… and something else… something sinister in nature. It was not a presence, certainly not a draevol, but something like the shadow of a dark sin committed just moments ago.

  Uneasy over the sensation, the wizard called out to anyone who could hear, but at first, no one would respond. Unwilling to be denied, he cast a force spell that shook the very foundation of the house. He warned his next spell would bring the building down as rubble if he was not met immediately. Two stunned servants stepped reluctantly into the hall with apprehension etched upon their faces.

  "Where is the steward… where is Prilgrat?" Enin demanded, his fury obvious.

  "He can't stop this," one of the servants cried. "This isn't what he wanted."

  "I'm not here to debate you. Where is he?"

  "He's upstairs, but he's sick."

  "Which room?"

  The servant advised the wizard of where to go and Enin climbed the stairs with growing disdain. He reached the proper room and forced open the door with a magical blast. He sensed no demon behind the door, but the stench of evil had grown stronger and he wished to make his sentiments clear.

  Prilgrat was exactly where the servant said he would be, but the steward was unable to greet them in any fashion. He lay stricken on his bed, unable to even lift his head. With a feeble twist, he rolled his body over slightly in order to face the wizard. He did not recognize Enin, could not sense the magic, but the blast of energy made it clear the stranger in his room had power. The once influential, even jovial regional steward made an immediate request, but it fell out of him with all the persuasion of a dying gnat.

  "Help me… please."

  It came out as a gasp, a pathetic whisper of a man crushed in body and spirit. Prilgrat's mouth hung open after his plea. He lacked the strength to close it. His gray skin hung loosely around his bones as if the tissue of his flesh dissolved into jelly. His cheeks were swollen and his eyes red, one of which seemed to roll about with a will of its own. Each breath was labored and he choked with a nauseating clicking sound each time he tried to swallow.

  Enin moved up to the side of the bed and shook his head, not to refuse the request, but to reveal his sorrow at what he witnessed. He found the source of disturbance that hung heavy in the house. He could sense what was going on deep within the regional steward, the lingering essence of a debilitating spell. The sickness and disease which plagued the steward was not natural. Still, Enin needed to verify all his suspicions.

  "You have bargained not only with goblins, but with a draevol as well, haven't you?"

  Prilgrat's nod was barely noticeable, but it confirmed Jure's theory.

  Enin could not believe the stupidity of the steward. Though Prilgrat did not repeat his request, the wizard saw the wish in his pleading eyes, but whether he wanted to or not, Enin was unable to help.

  "Draevols are plague mages and their magic is both powerful and devastating, but this goes beyond sickness. The spell upon you is not the simple casting of disease. You were a willing participant. Your deal with a demon opened up your essence in a way that only could have been done with your approval."

  Prilgrat struggled with each word, but he rejected the accusation.

  "I didn't… approve.. of this. The draevol… it promised me… I would never… get old… never die."

  Enin understood that the demon meant to keep that part of the bargain, but he pointed out something that had eluded the steward.

  "But did it promise you that you would never get sick? Did it promise you good health and youthful vitality for all eternity? I can see it did not."

  "You have to… help me."

  "What can I do? You entered into the bargain willingly. You bargained with a demon. The infliction upon you comes as much from your own heart as it does from a magical spell. Whether I have sympathy for you or not is irrelevant. There's nothing I can do, nothing anyone can do."

  "Then it… lied? I'm going to… die?"

  "No, it kept its part of the bargain, otherwise you would not be in this condition. You would already be dead. The bargain is sealed. You will not age and you will not die from this disease, but you will suffer."

  An understanding dawned upon the steward with greater power than he ever held. Despite all of his accomplishments and the heights of influence he had achieved, he could not imagine the weight of the truth revealed to him at that moment. He had wished with all his heart to escape his mortality. He feared death more than he feared any man or beast that ever walked the land, feared it even more than the fiend that promised him eternity. He decided to give up everything he had attained in order to gain immortality, the ability to not simply cheat death but avoid it entirely.

  The cost seemed so miniscule to him. Yes, the people of the valleys would suffer and he would lose his position of influence over them. The draevols would become the new emperors, but so what? He believed he could always regain power. It was time he could not battle, time that would end his reign. That all changed, but not as he hoped.

  "You mean… I'm going to be like this… forever?"

  Holli whispered a portion of the prophecy told to her by Rachael.

  "'…a disguised agreement to a false leader's end to no ends.' No end to his torment."

  Enin did not wish to dwell on the concept of forever with a man who had dealt with a demon and paid the price. He turned his mind to those that could be saved.

  "Where is the draevol?"

  Prilgrat mumbled an answer, his mind reeling from the fate he faced.

  "My office… the town hall… the basement. Can't you do… something… for me?"

  "What has been done, you have done to yourself. If there is hope, only you can find it."

  As the others watched P
rilgrat, Jure moved to the far side of the room and placed Heteera in a chair. She slumped against the back with her head bowed, but she remained upright. Certain that she was stable in the chair, the elder wizard stepped to a window and looked across the city. People were dying, not just in Ashlan, but everywhere, and in great numbers. It had to be stopped. He turned back toward Enin.

  "We can worry about him later," Jure announced, his sympathy for the steward dampened by what he knew was happening across the city, across all the valleys. "We have to deal with the goblins. Unless someone can think of something else, I wish to go ahead with my plan."

  "Draevols are a great danger," Holli announced, "and we have to deal with them."

  "I'm not debating that, but the goblins must be stopped now. There is no more time. The draevols are the ones that opened the portals and allowed the goblins to enter our lands, but they did it over many seasons. We can reverse all of that right now… in a single instant."

  Enin knew time was of the essence. The shadows of his sight spell still haunted him. The longer it went on, the more innocents would die. He could not deny that Jure's plan held promise, but it also held risk.

  "Are you sure about this? I don't want you to make a rash decision. Things have been happening very fast."

  "Too fast," Jure responded. "Ashlan is in chaos, goblins are attacking all over the valleys, you said so yourself. They have to be stopped. I can do this."

  Enin considered everything that was happening. He didn't have doubts about Jure's abilities to cast the necessary spells, but he did worry about Heteera's response.

  "I know you can, but you will do it with help. Let me go in first, let me reach Heteera and guide her through what is about to happen. I can try to protect you."

  "I don't think we should be worried about me right now."

  "That's very noble, but we have to worry about everyone."

  "Each moment we delay means that more people will die."

  "You're right," Enin admitted. "Begin casting your spells immediately, but I'm still going into Heteera's mind. You will do what you have to do, and I will do what I must. Agreed?"

  "Agreed."

  Chapter 26

  "Stand back, please," Jure insisted.

  Before tapping into Heteera's reservoir of magic, the elder wizard wished to have a clear line of sight into the skies above. He focused a burst of energy in one forceful blast at the wall before him and the ceiling overhead. The charge of magic blew a gaping hole through the side of the house and part of the roof. The debris shot outward and rained down upon the empty street below.

  Realizing he faced northeast, he looked over the horizon and noted the advancing darkness of night. A cloudless sky greeted him, and a handful of stars were already visible as the light of dusk quickly diminished. He couldn't have asked for better conditions.

  There was but one factor that concerned him and that was the rolling tide of magic that continued to inundate the city. He knew his spells could break through the flowing waves of energy, but he wondered what Heteera might do once she realized he was draining the magic within her. If she called for more, there was a wide offering available.

  He did not believe she could possibly interfere with his spells-she always lacked control-but she could draw in everything around her. That was her greatest attribute, and the greatest danger. A spike of power at the wrong time might weaken the barrier that held the large reservoir of energy. If it burst, anything could happen.

  The concern was justifiable, but there was nothing he could do about it. The danger to him was no greater than the danger to all those that faced the goblin uprising. He guessed Enin already considered the potential hazard and that was why the powerful wizard entered Heteera's mind. Jure would hold to hope that either Heteera would decide to do what was best, or that Enin would find a way to stop her. He could see no reason to wait.

  Before establishing his link to the energy within Heteera, he concentrated on his spells. He needed to have them ready as the flow of power would be tremendous. He knew the magic sought purpose, and he would give it exactly what it required.

  Deciding to follow Enin's earlier spells as a guide, Jure prepared two incantations to give him sight across the valleys. He chose not to utilize lightning, but something of a more enduring nature and wider scope to serve as the anchor. He would embed a second spell, a sight spell, within the first casting and his awareness would spread across the region.

  Prepared for the flood of magic, Jure reached into the recesses of Heteera's consciousness and took hold of the barrier spell that he created long ago. Despite his preparation, the surge almost tore him apart. He wrestled with the deluge as he focused on his first two spells. After he spoke the final words of the incantation, the ring of white magic that surrounded his chest rose up into the sky with the speed of a lightning bolt.

  High overhead, the circle of magic began to spin faster and faster. The outer edges expanded, but the inner hollow collapsed upon itself. It formed a great white ball of fire in the sky, a source of light that was brighter than the moon in its full phase. Only the sun itself was brighter, but it had long since set.

  The magical orb bathed the entire region in light. It chased away the blackness of a night sky and blotted out the stars. The waves of magical illumination washed over every farm, outpost, town and city. Such was its brilliance that it brought the goblin insurgency to a sudden halt. The small monsters could not ignore the great star that rose over the valleys that offered a hopeful beacon and contradicted their dark plans.

  Just as the rays of light spread across the land, so to did Jure's awareness. The surge of magic from Heteera continued to race into his essence, and the elder wizard directed it with incredible control. His second spell had quickly followed the first, and he embedded his sight into the beacon above. He gained near omnipotence over the Great Valleys, seeing everything at once. The rush of power fed his abilities to conceive a vast array of images. The torrent of knowledge could not overwhelm his thoughts since the magic raised his awareness to an equal standing.

  In that moment, he saw it all. He saw every goblin, knew their exact position. He watched them stare up in uncertainty at the light in the sky. He saw the limits of their destruction and the misery they caused. He would bring it all to an end.

  #

  Before Jure blasted a hole in Prilgrat's home, Enin shed his essence from his body and stepped into Heteera's consciousness. It was exactly as it had been before. A small plot of level ground served to hold the sorceress' limited connection to reality. A ghostly representation of Enin's form stood upon that empty, lifeless space as he inspected the status of the sorceress' mind. The barren gap appeared stable but limited, as the great mound representing the barrier completely encircled and overwhelmed the lonely space.

  The sorceress had kept her promise. She only absorbed enough magic needed to maintain her condition. The incoming energy was but a gentle hum, and it eased into her essence to serve as sustenance for both the sorceress and the spell that constructed the barrier. The mound had not grown by even a whisker, and there was no immediate threat of a magical overload.

  The lackluster mountains that encased the tunnel of magic remained strong. The thick walls would hold back the energy and prevent other spell casters from tapping into the magic. Of course, it was not designed to keep Jure away, just the opposite. The wall would open willingly for the elder wizard.

  Enin stood upon the section of bare ground for only a moment, registering the phenomenal power encased in the apparent rocks that served as a physical representation of Jure's spell. Enin made no push to reach into the energy. Instead, he brushed his hand gently across the rock, checking the very pulse of the magic.

  There was so much energy within the sorceress, Enin wondered how she could allow it to remain so bottled up. Yes, the barrier was constructed by another wizard to offset her lack of control, but she embraced the obstruction. She willed herself into isolated despondency despite the tremendous
levels of energy that waited for her command; magic that could be shaped into spells of amazing power.

  He reminded himself, however, that she considered the magic a curse and not a blessing. He could not misguide himself into believing she viewed the magic as he saw it. He had been gifted with uncanny control over the energy. She had little to none.

  Still, the wizard sensed the desire for purpose buried deep within the mound. He believed that desire came from Heteera, but he could not be completely sure. Heteera's mind had once been a jumbled mass of confusion, and although she appeared to have reconstructed her consciousness into a coherent identity, she remained a tortured spirit. It was difficult to gauge purpose or meaning under such circumstances.

  Jure insisted that Heteera meant no harm, and Enin believed that to be true. The sorceress never deliberately caused damage or injury. Any harm she caused from her actions was purely accidental.

  Unfortunately, an accidental miscalculation over the next critical moments could cause a terrible disaster. Jure was taking a great risk, but as Enin considered Jure's plan, he realized it was a risk worth taking. It was simple yet bold, but it was also benevolent. It would require vast amounts of magic, but the magic was there, more than enough, perhaps too much.

  Determined to see both Heteera and Jure through the endeavor, Enin willed himself over the barrier and deeper into Heteera's essence where he knew he could communicate with the sorceress. He crossed over the mountainous barrier in one forceful bound, and came to rest in the darkness of Heteera's self-inflicted isolation.

  One flickering light waited in a cavernous hole of shadow, but it made no acknowledgment of the uninvited guest. As the wizard moved across the bleak nothingness, the light even tried to back away, but there was nowhere to go. The nothingness engulfed them both and movement within the shadows became relative to their distinct levels of will. As Heteera could not match the wizard's resolve, she ultimately gave up trying to escape.