Delver Magic II: Throne of Vengeance, Jeff Inlo [graded readers .TXT] 📗

“They were only a support party, ten commandos setting up a listening post. They noted movement on the surface. They thought they might have come across some wayward algors. When they broke through the surface, they came upon two elves and what they believe was a delver. He moved too quickly to be a human.”

Strog Grandhammer, the newly appointed War Com - military strategist of the separatist dwarves now in command of the dwarf army - continued his unsettling report to Queen Yave.

“Our troops were not prepared for battle, at least not with a delver. He moved quickly enough in the open to remove their protective goggles. The desert sand impaired their vision. They retreated.”

“Retreat?” Yave’s question shot from her lips like a poison dart.

Strog replied firmly. “A tactical decision I completely agree with. Blind dwarves can not fight successfully against a delver and two elves, especially in the open sand. We suffered no casualties in this skirmish and we have learned much.”

“What have you learned?” Yave scoffed at Strog’s embrace of such incompetence. Her question sounded more of a dare than a request.

“The delver had a glowing sword,” Strog sneered. Her venomous stare was not lost upon the War Com. How dare she question his tactical appraisal? How long would he have to put up with her ignorance, her incompetence? She was important to the separatists for now. The dwarves of Dunop accepted her as royalty. But soon, very soon, the separatists would do away with that need as well, just as they had done away with the need for the elves. Strog spoke with a challenging tone, a tone which revealed his growing impatience. “I guess I don’t have to tell you of the importance of this. And before you even think to ask, there is no doubt. The sword magnified the light of the desert. There is no doubt of its enchantment, and no doubt as to who holds it.”

“The delver from Sanctum?” Yave’s expression revealed equal portions of shock and anger.

The War Com needled her emotions. “I know of no other delver with a glowing sword. It must be Ryson Acumen. The very same delver that accompanied Tun and Jon into Sanctum, the delver that destroyed Ingar’s sphere and released the magic.”

Yave seethed. She stamped her feet as her anger prohibited her from answering.

Strog pressed on, taking enjoyment from Yave’s outburst of temper. “Based on the report, it is likely the elves were also the very same elves that entered Sanctum as well. They fit the description of Lief Woodson and Holli Brances. What other elves would be accompanying Ryson Acumen into the desert?”

Yave managed to spit out one word. “Where?”

Strog pulled a roughly drawn map off a stone table. He examined it slowly, for no other reason than to make Yave wait. He feigned expressions of concentration as he glanced across several portions of the parchment. He knew exactly where the skirmish took place, but he knew the extended pause would agitate Yave even further. Finally, he folded the map over once, then again. He handed the squared parchment to the queen, pointing to the exact location of the minor battle.

“There,” he pronounced. “In the desert, far from Dark Spruce, far from any human town. They must have passed through the rock canyons as they were forging further into the desert. In truth, my troops only chanced upon them. In order to track algor movements, it is essential I have tunnel sentries spread in a perimeter around possible algor travel routes. To the algors, the entire desert is a potential access way. I ordered many listening posts in many places. We were lucky to find them.”

“Lucky?! Your troops were defeated.” Yave was unimpressed with his strategies, only incensed at his failure.

The War Com curled his lip. He stared silently at the queen.

Yave saw the challenge of his gaze. She exploded. “Did your warriors kill the elves or the delver?! Did they take them prisoner? No! They scurried away like scared mice.”

Strog’s eyes narrowed, but still he said nothing.

Yave threw a goblet across the room. Clear liquid, mountain water that was funneled underground through falls and aqueducts filtered by tons of shale and rock, splashed across the wall. The goblet, made of gold and nickel, suffered a dent as it clanked noisily against the wall and then the floor. The metallic clang echoed throughout the throne room, yet Yave’s voice overcame the vibration.

“Just don’t stand there! Say something.”

Strog did not speak up immediately, making it clear he would not jump to her orders. He rubbed his hands, looked over his armor, stroked his beard; all with careful deliberation. Finally, after completing this silent ritual, he addressed the queen with near contempt.

“My forces have yet to be defeated. I took this castle from Jon without the loss of a single soldier. My army crushed the algors in their own stronghold, killed over a thousand of their kind. I now have the desert covered with a well defined spread of listening posts. The algors in the Lacobian won’t be able to take a stroll without me knowing about it. I have succeeded in exercising every advantage over the algors and leaving them decimated. As for the delver and the elves, capturing or killing them was never one of my military objectives. Retreat does not mean defeat, especially when in retreat I gain yet another advantage…”

“Advantage? In retreat?”

Strog continued despite the interruption, “… and another source of information. I now know that a delver and two elves were venturing into the desert in the direction of the algor stronghold. That raises many questions. If my commandos had been captured I would not have that information.”

Yave bit down on her fury. His meaning reached her. “What do you think they were doing out there?”

“It seems obvious. Two elves and the delver from Sanctum moving towards the algors at the same moment we were about to attack. That is too much for simple coincidence. The elves must have found out about our plans. That in itself is important. It means that there are still dwarves in Dunop that have not accepted our ideas. There must be some that decided to betray their own and reveal our plans to the elves. These elves took it upon themselves to join with the delver to warn the algors.”

“No, not just warn. They were going to offer an alliance against us,” Yave bellowed.

Strog showed surprise. Yave did not contradict his theory. In fact, she furthered it to a point beyond his own contentions. He reacted with reluctance. “I have heard nothing of a possible alliance. But as I said, at the very least they were