Delver Magic III: Balance of Fate, Jeff Inlo [most popular ebook readers .txt] 📗

caution whenever it was near. Every ounce of their being commanded they remain watchful of this natural predator.

The delver used this distraction to his own advantage and dashed by any sentry points with relative ease. As long as he remained a certain distance behind the shag, he could count on extended moments of goblin diversion. Block after block, he moved in a repetitive sequence. He would case the goblin positions, wait for the shag to catch their attention, dart across any open area, take cover behind a new set of structures, and then begin the process over again. Within moments, he closed upon the inner sections of Pinesway and quickly became disgusted with what he witnessed.

The goblins had not raided this town for supplies, at least not yet. It was clear that at this point they had focused solely on eradicating all the human inhabitants that remained of Pinesway. The delver crossed several victims dead in the streets, some obviously pulled from houses, others shot down while trying to escape. He saw no signs of mercy, just the opposite. The goblins’ trail of devastation showed a clear indication of their savage strategy. They entered buildings quickly, breaking through doors and windows. Their progress through town made it clear they spent no time searching for valuables. They simply forced all inhabitants out into the streets, either to be killed on sight or to be driven further into the center of town. Knowing from his initial scout that the goblins completely surrounded Pinesway, he imagined this scene of brutality existed in a full circle around the town.

Still, his attention remained on following the shag that continued its unrelenting trek through the streets. Beyond avoiding their attention, Ryson dismissed the growing numbers of goblins he encountered. He also almost ignored the swirling flight of the hook hawk, but the appearance of this creature changed the dynamic of the situation. It shrieked several times and the goblins were now less concerned with the shag and more troubled by this flying beast. And for good reason as one goblin fell victim to the gripping talons that carried it back up into the dying light of the dusk sky.

The delver watched this riveting scene for only a moment as his own instincts rang a loud warning. Ahead of him, the shag suddenly veered from its forward path and turned to the right. By its movements, Ryson believed the shag was now near its destination. When the monster crouched low and its step altered from a traveling pace to a hunting stalk, the delver knew the situation had altered dramatically. As if to confirm his instincts, an elderly man looking somewhat winded and carrying a crossbow over his back stumbled out directly in the monster’s path.

The shag would have snatched the old man from where he stood in three heartbeats if Ryson had not acted. The delver now completely ignored the surrounding goblins. He bounded out behind his cover and dashed toward the shag in a blur of motion. His hands came over the top of his shoulder to grab the hilt of the Sword of Decree that was sheathed on his back. With a sweeping motion, he pulled the blade free at the same time that he cut across the path of the monster. In one continuous movement, he slashed the blade upward toward the shags shoulder as he twisted himself in a midair leap. The tip of the blade struck the matted fur of the giant, and as it cut through the monster’s coat and sliced into skin, the shag screeched in pain as if the small cut had past through its very core.

Ryson landed on his feet directly between the shag and the old man. He held tight to the sword with both hands as he peered into the eyes of his adversary. The blade of the sword glowed with the brilliance of the mid-day sun, but this was not the only enchantment the sword released in this instant. As Ryson’s gaze locked onto the shag, he felt the link to the serp, and as was its power, the magical sword decreed Sazar’s desires as clearly as if the delver could read it on parchment.

Ryson saw what Pinesway would become under the serp’s control—a breeding ground for goblins, a growing threat to every human outpost, town, and city for leagues in all directions. As the picture of this town in the future became clearer in his mind, he could not fathom the number of monsters it would hold. Like an overpopulated anthill, the buildings of Pinesway would burst near the seams with thousands upon thousands of dark creatures. In this vision, he understood the true power of the goblin horde, a number so large they could simply inundate any target they chose. And this nest of monsters would grow as it overtook each human town. Ryson wondered if anything could stop such a force, and he knew even Burbon might eventually fall.

With such horror, however, there was also hope. Through the sword’s power of declaration, Ryson now also knew what needed to be done to stop this nightmare before it became a reality. He also knew he held in his hands the power to accomplish this task.

#

“The cursed delver from Burbon!” Sazar hissed. “What is he doing here?”

The serp took a moment to concentrate on all the images which passed through his mind. He could visualize the entire town at this moment. His hook hawk stationed itself on a tall grain tower near the center of town, and although it was busy shredding a goblin into an easier meal to swallow, it continued to cast a wary eye in nearly every direction. This panoramic along with the viewpoints of hundred of goblins that still encircled Pinesway gave Sazar a complete picture of the situation. He then focused in on the rock beetle, which was just finishing its own goblin meal. The giant insect stood above ground, but all six legs remained anchored into the dirt street. Sazar could feel the vibrations that the beetle sensed and this allowed his awareness to flow for a great distance outward.

Other than the appearance of the delver, every other facet of the raid seemed in perfect order. No other grouping of goblins reported any resistance from the still frightened and fleeing inhabitants of Pinesway. His minions continued to make steady progress in forcing out hiding humans and channeling them to the town center. The borders of the town right to the trees of Dark Spruce that surrounded it remained clear. Through the sensory perception of the beetle, he sensed no coordinated movement other than that of his own forces. In every aspect, he remained in complete control of the battle.

The appearance of Ryson Acumen, however, left him with more than an uneasy feeling. He hated this delver, for he knew what he was capable of.

“Why is he here?” Sazar cursed under his breath. “Burbon is his home now. Pinesway holds nothing for him. He is alone to face a goblin raid in an abandoned town. This makes no sense.”

A realization struck the serp like a clap of thunder. “But is he alone? He is close with the wizard, and the wizard is far too powerful. He could easily disguise himself from me, or even an entire force of the human guard. They could be surrounding us now. As for the wizard, he could be anywhere. He flies as easily as the hook hawk. He could be above the town at any point. He could be above me right now.”

The serp’s words died off with this assumption. At that instant, Sazar understood what is was like to be Joel Portsmith wondering if a rock beetle was directly underfoot, except the serp now worried if an angry wizard was floating over his head. Sazar looked about in a near panic. He also realized that other than the two goblins that patrolled the exterior of the building he stood within, he was completely alone—unguarded and vulnerable. He sent an immediate command to the monstrous shag that stood before Ryson Acumen.

Return to me at once!

#

Ryson stood unyielding between the immense shag in front of him and the old man behind him. His eyes sharpened with a new found confidence. He now knew exactly what Sazar hoped to accomplish, but he also knew exactly what to do to stop the serp. The sword had given him the gift of insight as it had done in the past. There was no longer any question over what he could truly accomplish, how many innocents he could still save, or how he might be able to upset the serp’s plans. His mind held a simple truth of how to stop Sazar from gaining control of Pinesway—now or in the future. He grasped the power to do so in his hands and his body held the capacity in the abilities of being a purebred delver.

Ryson called back to the old man behind him. “Back away quickly.”

Joel Portsmith didn’t need a second request. He gladly complied immediately and began back pedaling to the alley from which he came.

Ryson readied himself for the charge of the shag, believing the monster would move once the old man began to retreat. Movement from the shag, however, was slow in coming. It appeared almost distracted, its eyes nearly vacant. Eventually, it did move, but not in the direction Ryson expected. The beast turned quickly and retraced its previous path in the opposite direction.

Ryson held firm until certain the shag was indeed in full retreat. He then turned quickly to the old man. “Get back in the alley. Stay under cover.”

The delver scanned the area quickly registering goblin positions and their apparent readiness to move forward. To his delight, this particular area remained empty of any immediate threats, but even in the fading daylight he could make out dozens of the dark creatures assembling together to the north and south. He darted into the alley to join the old man.

Ryson sized Joel up quickly and for the most part liked what he saw. While the strain of this day’s events obviously took their toll, the man appeared unhurt and in control of his senses. Considering the magnitude of these events, that in itself was a huge credit to the man’s inner strength. He was armed with a crossbow, but Ryson now knew the weapon was no longer necessary.

“My name is Ryson Acumen. I’m a delver from Burbon.”

“Figured you to be a delver,” the old man said with a very small hint of animosity.

Ryson ignored the tone. “You alone?”

“I’m traveling alone, if that’s what you mean.”

“But you’ve come across others.”

“‘Course I have.”

“Mostly in the center of town?”

“Yep.”

“And where were you headed?”

Joel pointed over Ryson’s shoulder back to the goblin line. “That way, was heading home.”

“That will have to wait.” Ryson stated firmly.

Joel’s eyes narrowed and Ryson knew the man didn’t like taking orders, so the delver spelled the situation out for him.

“You’ll get home, alive and in one piece, if you wait. If you go now, the goblins will cut you down. There’s a serp that’s directing all of this. He’s going to reinforce the line where the shag retreated. That’s the direction you need to go.”

Joel grunted in annoyance.

Ryson didn’t wait for him to complain. “You can still get there, you just have to have a bit of patience. I also want you to do something for me. I don’t think you’ll argue too much seeing I just saved your life.” Here, Ryson played on a hunch, a hunch that honor meant something to this man.

Joel nodded unhappily, but nodded just the same. “What do you need?”

“I want you to return to the people you passed,” Ryson stated simply. “Don’t take