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

Sazar strolled through the clearing toward Burbon with confidence. He watched the previous night’s battle from the hills. He received many reports from goblin scouts. He knew the dwarves were forced to retreat, he knew the casualties they suffered.

He also knew the humans were tired, probably incapable of fighting off another assault. He knew of the powerful wizard, but he understood magic and how it would take time for the magic caster to regain enough energy to return to a true threat. He knew of the great damage to the wall, and as this allowed him clear sight of Burbon’s streets, the destruction of so many buildings offered him little surprise. Indeed, he knew much, and he knew the great opportunity which awaited him.

It was not Burbon that enticed him. Though his forces could easily defeat the remnant forces of the human guard, his greed centered upon more worthy riches. His snake-like eyes gleamed like the treasures that waited within Dunop; light gems, diamonds, gold. His scaly tail swished with delight at the thought of such wealth.

It would be easy. He would need only a platoon of goblins and his shag. The shag would overpower any dwarf sentinels and the goblins would quickly collect the treasures. Any other resistance from the dwarves would be token at best. The fight of their warriors had been shattered by the power of the wizard. There was little left of their pride, and probably less of their desire to fight. All he needed now was to follow the weakened force back to its home. His mind focused upon the new tunnels dug by the dwarves. He wanted access to them. His own captured tunnel led from Burbon to the hills, but these new tunnels, they led directly to the dwarf underground city. Of course, he could have used his smaller tunnel to access this new passage, but his shag would exhaust itself in digging to make the connection. He did not wish to waste the time or his shag’s energy, especially when a better alternative waited within Burbon itself. Besides, he wished to keep his own tunnel a secret. It might be needed in the future.

Defiance blazed in his eyes as he glared at the battered, tired guards that stood in the rubble of Burbon’s western gate. He was unarmed. He was alone. The hills were at his back as he stepped over open ground. He was surely an inviting target for one of the guard’s spears, but he did not fear such an attack.

The guards watched the serp with equal amounts of suspicion and fatigue. No goblins escorted the creature. There was no sight of a raiding party or a shag bodyguard. Still, the soldiers knew of the serp’s reputation. Though they stood in near exhaustion, an entire night without sleep and facing the dwarves in battle, they knew they could not lower their watch against the approaching serp.

Sazar stepped up to the guards as if he were approaching simple ticket handlers at a sideshow. He spoke with disregard to their importance.

“I wish to speak to the captain of your guard.”

One guard exhaled heavily before responding. “What do you want?”

“I just told you what I want,” the serp replied with impatience.

“So what? You think you can walk up and speak to the captain? Give me a reason why I shouldn’t run you through right now.”

The serp scowled. “If you kill me, there will be no one to control the hoard of goblins that stands ready to attack.”

The threat forced the guard to retreat from his aggressive stance. He looked to one of his partners. “Go get Sy.”

With a weary nod, the other guard accepted the task and jogged off in a tired gait. The first guard kept a close eye on the serp even as he felt the heavy drag of exhaustion on his bones. He was quite happy to see his partner return with Sy in attendance.

Sy nodded at the guard before placing his focus squarely on the serp. Though fatigue hung on his spirit as well, the captain appeared fresh and aware.

“I’m Sy Fenden. I’m the captain of the guard. What do you want?”

Sazar did not waste time explaining his desires. “I want access to the tunnels used by the dwarves. I wish to follow them with a force of my own.”

“Excuse me?”

Sazar sighed. Dealing with humans was extremely tiresome. “I want access to the tunnels used by the dwarves. I want to pursue them to their home city. Is that so hard to understand?”

“Yes, it is,” Sy said angrily. “What are you going to do?”

“That is not your business.”

“So you just want me to let you walk through town until you find one of their tunnel entrances, and then, you’ll just be leaving?”

“Not just me. I will bring one shag and several goblins with me.”

Sy’s face turned to stone. “Forget it.” He turned to the guards. “Take him prisoner. He’s caused us enough trouble over the last season. This is it for him.”

The words of the captain were unwelcome, but not unexpected. Sazar enlightened him. “I wouldn’t do that. An entire army of goblins waits beyond those hills. They wait and they watch us, even now. If you take me, they already have their orders. They will attack immediately.”

Sy fought off the concern which he felt rising in his midsection. “How many goblins?”

“Do you think I will tell you?”

“It’s probably just a small raiding party,” Sy shot back.

“I am the serp who has taken control of a shag’s mind. How many goblins do you think I might then also be able to control? Ponder that while you also consider the current status of your own town. There is little left of your wall. Your western towers have been leveled. Your men are tired. They are not prepared to face another full assault, especially one consisting of crossbow fire. Do you have many archers left in position? Do they have many arrows remaining? I think not.”

“We were able to defeat the dwarves. We can stop you,” Sy growled.

“Yes, yes, the dwarves. Give my congratulations to your wizard for that powerful display of his. Quite impressive. Creating a ball of fire, daylight before sunrise, quite a powerful spell. And a force blast on top of it. Indeed powerful. I give him his due. Of course, I’m sure he’s not prepared for another such spell. I’m sure he’s quite tired.”

“We’re all tired, but we’ll fight you if we have to.”

“But you don’t have to,” Sazar noted. “Listen and listen well. I want supplies for the dormant season. I could take them from you. Your forces are out of position, and your defenses are crushed. It would take little effort to break through the clearing on this day. Once we reach the rubble that is left of your town, how would you fight us? My goblins are small. They could use the broken remains as cover. They can hide in every crevice and fire at will. The thing is, I don’t want anything from you beyond access to the tunnels. The dwarves have what I want. I wish to follow them now. I will take a raiding party of goblins with me, as well as my shag. I do not wish to be stopped or questioned. I will also need safe passage when we return. Again, I expect that I won’t have to answer to you.”

Sy grimaced. He did not wish to give the serp what he wanted.

Sazar acknowledged the glint of defiance, challenged the captain with his own understanding of the situation.

“Do not misunderstand what I offer. I do not offer any kind of alliance. We will not become fast friends. We are on different sides. That will always be the way. I assume after you rebuild your town and regain your strength, we will again become hard adversaries. But right now you have something I want. I also offer something you desperately need, a respite. I can hold off any attack against you. By now, you must realize that I have been behind the many goblin raids against your town.”

“Raids that have consistently failed,” Sy interjected with a steely, proud tone.

Sazar scoffed. His snake-like eyes peered deeply into the captain’s face. His own voice grew colder, harsher. “That is when you had a wall and well rested guards. At this moment, you have neither. Let me ask you again, how would you stop a