Enzi's Irregulars Act IV - The Deluge

by Steve Mossman

  Enzi's Irregulars were a unique blend of talents. Enzi suspected that if they could not stop the drake then it would cause damage beyond reckoning before the young dragon was finally stopped. It would mean a war unlike any others. The humans would want revenge for the devastation. They had little love for the goblinoids. Revenge would give them a reason to hunt them down and slaughter every last one of them. The armies of the northern countries would win, but not without severe losses.

  To retain the balance of the nations, Enzi needed to stop the drake. To save the lives of countless humans, as well as rescuing the goblinoids from extinction, Enzi had to slay the dragon. Most of all, only in stopping the mighty winged lizard would the plans of conquest by Feergrus be stopped. Enzi might still love his country and the people in it, but he no longer loved the government. The treacherous Devis Lane had seen to that. Enzi knew he could not allow Devis to unleash whatever evil plan he had in store upon the world of Doulairen.

  As the funeral service for the fallen soldiers ended, General Cassius Tessium approached Enzi. The general had often gone to the Feergrus man for advice. The death of so many men had begun to wear on Cassius. He was a young man and the role of general had fallen upon him when the previous general had been slain. Yet already responsibility had begun to age the Nuvroci man. His skin was already rough tanks to the treatments and steel plates that had made him one of the Steel Warriors. The wrinkles would only make him look more grizzled.

  “This attack was meant to do little more than harass us I expect,” Cassius stated.

  Enzi nodded, “If they play a war of attrition, they will lose in the end. I see little strategy in this.”

  “They have weakened the north, but we are still far stronger than where we once were. If we gain any other reinforcements, I expect that the north will be able to fend off almost any attack unless they throw all their forces here.”

  Enzi's eyes widened, “They are going to make the north their target to draw reinforcements here. Then the final push will be south. Not the most brilliant of plans, but effective in its simplicity.”

  “I will try to make sure that further Nuvroci reinforcements are sent south. If you are sure the final strike will be there, we will need as many soldiers there as possible to end it quickly and efficiently.”

  Enzi nodded. This small group could hold the north. Even without the aid of Ravalei. The influence of the Rava Coast Trading Company had brought great trouble to the encampment. If Ravalei did eventually send more troops to the northern front, hopefully the Storm Brigade would dissuade them from trying to overthrow the leadership of General Cassius Tessium.

  ***

  The Tarvoni that strode through the Goblinoid Lands did not wear the symbol of the Abyss Cult. His dirty blonde hair was darker than most Tarvoni and he wore leather armor instead of robes. There was no visible symbol of a cult anywhere, but he was heavily armed. Another Tarvoni came out to greet him. That Tarvoni did wear robes, and the spiral symbol of the Abyss Cult was prominent on them.

  “I am Gree Vanier,” the robed Tarvoni said.

  “What's the job?” the armored Tarvoni asked brusquely.

  “A Magehunter. He works out of the northern front.”

  “Interesting. You are talking about this Beren Gendar then. Two thousand gold coins.”

  Gree nodded, “If you can do it, the gold is yours.”

  The armored man turned and began walking north, “I will return with his head.”

  Gree Vanier watched the armored man walk away. It was a Tarvoni from the Shadow Cult. They were professional assassins. If anyone could deal with the threat of a Magehunter, it was an assassin. The assassins in Ravalei had turned down the request by the Abyss Cult to eliminate the magehunter threat. Luckily, there were other options. The Shadow Cult were rarely seen, but they were professionals. They were experts with blades. Many were also mages.

  The mages of the Shadow Cult might not be the most powerful among the Tarvoni, but that would be an advantage against a Magehunter. Beren Gendar had hurt the Tarvoni effort. The other Magehunters had not helped, but Beren was getting too close. Gree did not wish to have a Magehunter coming for his head. Two thousand gold coins was a considerable sum, but if it helped win the war than it was entirely worth it. Once Beren Gendar was dead, Gree could worry about the other Magehunters. They had not been as effective, hopefully they would be cheaper to eliminate.

  Enzi's Irregulars #0063

  Jenner Gann walked towards the human encampment the held the northern front. The front was quite large and the Ravaleian wondered how such an open border could ever be made secure. The war needed the aid of the Ravaleians. That much was obvious to Jenner. The sour relations were a major problem. Jenner had never had a high regard for the Rava Coast Trading Company. Now it was completely nonexistent. Jenner leaned hard on his staff.

  He had lost a foot many years ago in an accident. Scars ran up that leg as well. It had happened where he had been working on a golem. A single wrong step. A stumble. Then his leg was caught in the gearwork of a mighty iron golem. The metal gears had done a lot of damage before the engineers could extricate Jenner. He now wear a prosthetic that allowed him to walk more easily, although the staff was a large help as well. It also made him seem less threatening. This would hopefully be a boon to his mission to bring peace between the Ravaleians and the Nuvroci.

  He approached the gate as a voice yelled out in Nuvro, “Who goes there?”

  Jenner replied in the same language, “A traveler with a message for General Cassius Tessium.”

  The Nuvroci soldiers opened the gate, but watched the Ravaleian man with deep suspicion. Jenner could not blame them. Betrayals were hard to forgive. The hypocrisy was the tough rules that the Rava Coast Trading company had in case of mutiny upon their trading ships. Jenner's eyes flitted across the camp interior. He was no expert in military matters, but he was surprised upon seeing Enzi and his monstrous mercenaries. He had heard the tales, but they did not prepare him for their inhuman appearances.

  Jenner ignored them for the moment and continued on towards the general's quarters while all eyes rested upon him. The mistrust was palpable. Jenner limped into Cassius' tent and disappeared from view. The Ravaleian quickly assessed the Nuvroci general. The stress of leading the war on the northern front had already begun to prematurely age Cassius. Grey hairs and wrinkles had begun to make their presence known. Grim determination seemed set in the Nuvroci man's eyes.

  “Greetings general. I am Jenner Gann. I am one of the gearwork masters of Ravalei. We recently learned of the actions of the Rava Coast Trading Company. It was obviously a mistake to trust that they would do what is best for the good of all the people of Doulairen.”

  “Do you think anyone would trust you more?” the general asked with a calm voice that did not betray what the Nuvroci man was feeling.

  “Trust needs to be rebuilt, whether it is me or another. The northern front needs all of us to work together. Many of the most powerful people in Ravalei have taken notice after the betrayal here. The Rava Coast Trading Company ended up firing the head of their business and put a new man in charge. They lost a lot of trust at home as well as here. They will not be involved in the war on the northern front. They certainly have no influence over me. I was never their largest fan to begin with. Their public relations will be busy proving they have gotten rid of all of those that caused problems. I have my doubts, but it will at least keep them busy while those who wish to actually help can come to end this war.”

  “I can not disagree that more aid will be needed to fully secure the north. I hate to think how many raiding parties have slipped past the rangers and headed deeper into Nuvroc. Most of the goblinoid attacks have focused directly upon us here. We make for a nice goal. The smarter move would be to avoid us using the massive forest area to go around us. We have lost many of our rangers, making circumvention far too easy.”

  “Then I would imagine it has already happened. The goblinoids can be qui
te canny. My proposal is simple. Ravalei will be providing several wood golems for use in the war. I plan to place them at spots along the line we would like to hold. Your rangers can help with the most advantageous positioning. If it at least causes the goblinoids to alter their routes to more predictable areas then it would be a win. If the goblinoids are foolish enough to actually fight the golems, that is even better.”

  “A wood golem will not stand up forever against the goblinoids.”

  “No golem can last forever against a sustained assault. They can cause a lot of damage before they fall. Just the threat of their existence causes enemies to shift their plan to something easier. No one would invade Ravalei without first thinking about our border defenses. Even the most foolhardy goblinoid would think twice before making a blind assault.”

  “I imagine you have not met some of the more foolhardy goblinoids.”

  “There is a point where one stops being a fool and is merely insane.”

  ***

  The Tarvoni assassin watched the base camp as best he could from a hidden position. The fact that the soldiers had cleared the forest around the base to give a clear line of sight meant that the assassin did not have the best view. That mattered little to him at the moment. His first goal was assessment of the outside defenses. He wanted to be sure of where the Magehunter was before he approached closer. With magic, he could certainly make his way to the base undetected.

  The passage of the Ravaleian did not go unnoticed. It meant nothing to the Tarvoni, Jenner was not his target. The Tarvoni slowly circled the base, examining its walls, its weaknesses, and looking for patterns followed by the guards on the walls. The soldiers were professionals, but that made them prone to routine. It mattered little against most of the goblinoids. For an assassin, this was a deadly mistake. The Tarvoni smirked. He believed the residents of the encampment should feel lucky that he had only been hired to eliminate one Magehunter.

  After watching for several hours, he determined the Magehunter was not there. It was time to get closer and leave a trail of breadcrumbs to follow. The assassin wove a spell to conceal his presence. It was a physical illusion that made him difficult to see. As long as he was careful, he was effectively invisible. It was a useful spell, but one that could easily be ruined. Using his illusory concealment, the assassin made his way to the wall of the military encampment.

  His skills in climbing made sure that the wall itself was no obstacle. The assassin used stealth to slip past the guards on the wall. His magical camouflage gave him an advantage in that endeavor. The Tarvoni quickly found a vantage point from which to survey the inside of the encampment more closely. He took particular note of Enzi's Irregulars. The monsters were a unique blend of skills and talents. They might be dangerous. He observed the Ravaleian Jenner Gann leaving a central tent.

  The mistrust of the residents of the encampment was obvious to the assassin. The Tarvoni filed that small fact away in case it became useful later. The assassin sat unobserved and listened. He was fluent in nearly every language on the continent. He hoped to learn more of his target's whereabouts. Any other interesting tidbits he might come across could be sold to any number of information brokers. The Tarvoni was not adverse to earning a few extra coins wherever possible.

  ***

  For Beren, he had been away from the encampment for nearly a month. Time had caused hair to grow out on his face, giving him a grizzled look. His clothing was in rough shape and his armor could use a few minor repairs as well. It had been a rough trip into the Goblinoid Lands. However it had been fruitful. The heads of two Tarvoni sorcerers hung from his belt. They had both been from the Abyss Cult. Beren had to delve deep into enemy territory to reach them.

  The mages had done their best to keep themselves insulated by hordes of goblinoids. The losses they had taken by the Magehunters had made the Tarvoni far more cautious. It made the jobs of the Magehunters far more dangerous. Several had died in attempts to knock out the Tarvoni power that fueled much of the Fifth Goblinoid War. For the moment, Beren needed to rest. His gear needed maintenance and he needed time to unwind. Time with other humans would be welcome as well.

  Most welcome, however, would be a chance to clean up. His face paint that marked him as a Magehunter of Agon had been reapplied several times. It had dried and caked on his face. It had also mixed with the moisture and dirt of the Siren Swamp. Between that, the dirt from travel, and the blood from his kills, Beren felt quite foul. The cleansing might also help relax him after his harrowing trip. If nothing else, it would at least make him feel human again.

  Approaching the encampment, the guards quickly let Beren inside. His face was well known. Even if it was not, the makeup he wore denoted what he was. Few were foolish enough to fake being a Magehunter. Too many of Beren's brethren had short tempers. Such fakery would be met violently and brutally. Few would stand against that for two good reasons. One reason was that no one liked being fooled. The other was that few dared stand against a Magehunter in combat.

  “Ah, Beren!” Enzi said, “Good to see you have returned in one piece.”

  Beren chuckled, “My gear took the brunt of the damage. I'm going to be sewing things up forever.”

  “Better to sew fabric than to stitch wounds.”

  “True enough. I'm going to turn in these heads then head off to the creek to wash up.”

  Beren's eyes drifted over the northern part of the encampment as he turned towards the main tent. He immediately paused. The unmistakable electric blue aura of magic flitted along the corner of his eyes. The Magehunter approached the area as Enzi looked at Beren with curiosity. Beren swept the area. Magic had been used there recently. The Agonish man turned back to the Feergrus man.

  “Did we get any new magic users recently?” Beren asked.

  Enzi shrugged, “A Ravaleian came to talk with the general. I do not know if he uses any kind of magic.”

  “Someone has been weaving some spells around here.”

  “That probably is not good. We have had enough problems with the Ravaleians after the whole attempted coup debacle. If he is running around casting magic on things, I doubt that will go over well.”

  “Then I will go have a chat with him,” Beren stated.

  The Magehunter headed off to speak with Jenner and Enzi tagged along. He was curious as to what the newcomer was really up to. Jenner was busy mingling with some of the Nuvroci soldiers. Most of them were ignoring the Ravaleian. He was tolerated, but not yet accepted. The sting of betrayal faded slowly, if ever at all. Jenner looked over at Beren and Enzi as they approached. He gave a particularly wary eye towards Beren. The Magehunter noted that as a suspicious action.

  “Ah, a new face,” Jenner smiled, “You must be Beren Gendar. I am Jenner Gann, gearwork master of Ravalei.”

  “Then you have have magic power,” Beren said, “Those golems require enchantment.”

  “Yes,” Jenner replied, “Will that be a problem?”

  “I'm not too worried, but I do wonder what kind of spells you have been casting.”

  “I have not woven any spells since I was last in Calal.”

  It was certainly true that Beren could not see any trace of a magical aura on the Ravaleian. A Magehunter could only see the magic of a spell, however. They could not see the magic inside a person. Unless the mage wove a spell on themselves it was hard to tell much about their power. However, Beren had other skills. As long as he was calm, he could usually tell if someone was telling the truth or lying. Jenner seemed to be speaking the truth. That meant only one thing, there was another caster around and they had not announced themselves.

  Enzi's Irregulars #0064

  The assassin had left a trail of magic. His camouflage spell had been on himself, it had followed him for the entire duration. The Tarvoni expected the Magehunter to be able to follow it. The trail he had taken went across several traps. He only needed one trap, but it was possible to miss one or more of the traps by sheer luck. It was the only way to make sure
they were concealed well enough that an experienced Magehunter would not spot them.

  The Shadow Cult assassin circled around to watch his trail. He would watch how the Magehunter tracked him. He would see how Beren handled his traps. Then when the Agonish man least expected it, the assassin would strike. The Tarvoni watched and waited for his prey. He was prepared to end this quickly, but he knew that it was easy to disrupt a well laid plan. If his first attempt failed, he had a few backup plans. He was a professional. He was careful and took his time. It was why he was still alive.

  He sat in wait, using only his natural skills in stealth and camouflage. His spell had long since worn off. From what he knew of the Magehunters, the magical trail would not lead to his current position. As time passed, he worried that the trail he had left would fade as well. He had seen Beren Gendar enter the encampment. He was surprised the Magehunter was not immediately out to track him down. Each hour that passed meant that the assassin's trail became harder to track. Finally the Tarvoni admitted defeat for the moment. He needed to learn what had kept his prey from following.

  He slipped through the woods silently and swiftly. He soon arrived at the encampment and watched the walls from the forest edge. Things were moving normally. The assassin did not dare move closer. He might be spotted. Using magic while a Magehunter was near was certain to draw unwanted attention. He merely surveyed the situation, waiting to learn more. He hoped for an opportunity to learn more, but he knew how to be patient.

  ***

  After a chat with Jenner Gann, Beren noticed that the magic aura was quickly fading. If it had not been woven by the Gearwork Master, the base needed checked. It was possible that a Tarvoni had slipped near and done something. The base quickly went on alert and searched for any signs of trouble. After making sure the base was secure, the trail had faded to a point where the Magehunter could not easily follow it. He was able to discern that it led into the woods. That certainly cleared the Ravaleian of doing anything.