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

Sazar had no illusions of his status among those that utilized magic for their own benefit. He wielded great power—this point was beyond debate. He was a master manipulator, the magic allowed him to bend the will of countless dark creatures in one moment. His devious yet quick mind categorized and segmented his minions into different roles. He was never overwhelmed by the near infinite feedback he received from their collective thoughts. Instead, he ordered them with perfect genius, prioritized them, and laid them out intertwined with his own twisted desires. In this, he had no equal, and that kind of power deserved considerable respect.

The serp also fielded unequal capabilities of strategy, deception and cunning. He understood tactics with the same perception as a leathered old war general that had suffered through countless campaigns. While he used logic, he was well aware that most of his victims acted on emotion, thus he never separated the two from his assessments. He balanced his decisions on a cruel but perfect utilization of the weaknesses of his enemies against the strengths of his own forces.

Combine his intellect with his ability to control a vast league of monsters, and Sazar represented a dangerous threat. To ignore him or treat him as inferior would be a mistake of incalculable stupidity. An army of minions with powers of their own was at his command. To anger a serp of this aptitude was to invite a plague of monsters to your own doorstep—a plague directed with mind boggling genius and without compassion.

Dealing with other magic casters on a one-on-one basis, however, was a different matter entirely. In a simple contest of spell casting might, the serp would almost always end up on the losing end. Sazar knew his limits. His spells of pure offensive energy could not match an even below average practitioner. His defensive skills ranked even lower. He lacked the pure power to overwhelm, and he was deficient of the skill to outmaneuver. Remove his near infinite power to manipulate other monsters and reduce him to a caster of spells, and the truth of the matter was that he was no threat at all.

Yet, what he needed now was exactly what he lacked. While he could manipulate and control monsters, his power to do so had certain limitations in duration and range. While in his presence, dark creatures would remain under his will indefinitely. As they ventured beyond his direct company to carry out his desires, however, they became open to other stimulus. The further they traveled from him and the longer they were away, the more likely they would be to fall from his control. In fact, the true size of an army he could control knew no other limits, but these aspects would always minimize his true potential.

If he had the intrinsic ability to cast spells of power, he could offset these limitations. The magic could carry his dominion over greater distances and could imprint his will more firmly in the minds of his minions. In order for him to succeed in this venture, however, he would need to cast certain spells, and quite simply, he lacked the ability to do so.

Still, it was his nature and his strength to realize his shortcomings and determine ways to achieve his objectives. If he lacked the power and ability to cast the proper spells, he would simply find someone that had such power and ability. His needs were straightforward. The situation called for both skill in certain aspects of magical power and reserves of magical energy. He knew the human sorceress in the desert possessed both. What he did not know was if the woman named Tabris would make the turn down the path that would satisfy his own needs.

What further presented a challenge was the simple fact that Sazar needed an alliance with the sorceress free of any manipulation. He had to have her assistance based on her own will, not his. He did not doubt he could control her if she turned down the proper path, but the control would only be temporary—the bane of his current weakness. The moment she gained any semblance of her own cognition, she would attempt to obliterate him. He could not afford that risk. No, she must be willing to give her assistance to him freely. Otherwise, he would gain only an interlude of the power he sought. Thus, he would have to restrain his own true power to manipulate and allow the sorceress to decide on her own.

He set off to the Lacobian Desert clearly understanding his needs and his mission. He took with him only the large shag, ordering his other minions to remain within the limits of the Dark Spruce forest. He focused most of his will on the hook hawk and the rock beetle. He did not wish to lose control of these two, and he hoped his resolve was strong enough to keep them in line. As for the smaller shag and the goblins, he believed their losses could be mitigated upon his return.

Sazar allowed his larger shag to follow as a guard for most of the journey, but as the serp closed on the oasis deep in the harsh heat, he bade the monster back. If he were to succeed, to gain the true crux of his plans, he would have to meet the sorceress alone.

The serp wondered if he should approach the oasis without hesitation or simply wait outside its boundaries for an invitation. On quick consideration, he opted for an immediate entrance. If he waited, he doubted an invitation would be forthcoming, and if he appeared to be a distraction, it was most likely the sorceress would use him as target practice for a lightning spell.

The sorceress appeared before him the moment he stepped passed the dry sandy rock of the desert and on to the soft grass that surrounded a large pool of water. The oasis stretched far in every direction. Large boulders that were part of the landscape for untold generations now stood as silent sentinels seemingly out of place in a lush and cool haven of thick grass, lazy circling streams, small trees, and a variety of plants and bushes. A small structure appeared almost hidden among the vines that hung about some of the larger rocks.

Sazar ignored the wonder of such a green place in the midst of such a harsh environment. He bowed slightly to the sorceress and directed his gaze toward the ground before her. He would not speak until spoken to. She would know who and what he was and he would not risk even for one moment the appearance of trying to sway her.

The magic caster appeared annoyed by the appearance of the serp. Her tone was short and uninviting. “What do you want?”

“To speak with you,” he replied succinctly.

“About what?”

“About an offer that I have.”

Tabris sighed heavily, obviously further annoyed by now having to waste more time with the serp. “What might this offer be?”

“I hope you would consider an alliance. I need the assistance of someone with your capabilities.”

“And what capabilities do you think I have?”

“A very large reserve of magical energies, the ability to cast magical spells that are focused on wind and storm—as well as spells that are fairly precise but more importantly deep in range, a willingness to prosper without regard to the consequences it might have on those that do not matter to you, and a desire to increase both skill and knowledge. These are the qualities I seek and these are the qualities I believe you possess.”

Tabris frowned but did not otherwise move. “State your offer.”

Sazar had to be very careful indeed at this instant. He was about to request what he truly needed, what he wanted very badly. At this critical point, he knew that he would almost instinctively use his power to manipulate and to control. After all, that was how he always got what he wanted. Unfortunately, he was forced to do more than control this instinct, he needed to bury it. Success depended solely on him stating his offer as succinctly as possible and allowing the sorceress herself to decide whether or not to give him what he wanted.

The task was daunting, but his strength remained centered on his own concentration and will. Just as he willed others to do his own bidding, he now willed himself to keep his powers in check.

“I wish to control an army of dark creatures. I have the ability to do so within my mind, but not the power within my body. I am limited by time and distance. Do you understand?”

“Of course,” Tabris sighed again, obviously becoming more irritated by the moment.

“Very well, then you understand I have the power to control an army. I do not lack the concentration. An infinitely growing horde of simple minded creatures at my command is not beyond my abilities. I believe you know that. The problem is distance, not numbers. Once my minions move beyond a certain range, they are free to make their own decisions. And they usually make poor ones. The other difficulty is time. As it passes, my control also diminishes. It’s almost laughable that I can not overcome these limitations on my own, but I must admit that I can not, and so I am here.”

Sazar noticed Tabris’ growing impatient and hastened to the crux of his offer. “A simple spell of wind drift