Delver Magic Book VII: Altered Messages (18 page)

"Petiole's actions caused several wounds," Holli stated, a monumental confession, especially from a former elf guard.

"I know, but when I focus on Petiole, it doesn't really connect to what I'm feeling. I know it doesn't make any sense, but the whole thing confuses me."

"Then let us obtain further information," Holli stated. "Very little of this makes sense... to any of us."

"She's right," Enin agreed. "We need to speak to Queen Therese, and the sooner the better."

"Ryson should come with us," Holli announced.

"I agree," Enin acknowledged.

"Me? Why?"

"I don't like this feeling you are experiencing," Enin explained. "I think we need to keep you informed of what we discover. It might help explain what is happening. I also believe your presence will be important when I discuss events with Therese. The dwarves of Dunop have a great trust in you. I want you to tell them about Okyiq and confirm Pru's story."

"They'll believe you," Ryson said. "They trust you."

"They trust you more, and you have first hand knowledge of what happened here. You're from Burbon and you have dealt with Okyiq. You saw the message he left. I don't want to leave any doubts in Therese's mind. This is a very delicate situation."

"It is as Enin said," Holli offered. "Relations between the elves and the dwarves have always been complicated. You, however, have always been a bridge between the races."

"I'll have to tell Linda I'm going."

"I can take care of that," Sy offered.

"I guess that'll be alright," Ryson allowed. "How are we going to get to Dunop?"

"I will teleport us there immediately," Enin revealed.

"Won't that upset the dwarves if we just appear?"

"Actually, no. We have set up... an arrangement. They prepared a special room for me within the castle that I can use as a target for my spell. It has allowed us to communicate better. It speeds things up. The dwarves still have to rely on messengers, but I can respond almost immediately."

"Well, I'm ready whenever you are," Ryson offered.

He was indeed ready, even curious about what they would find, but he still could not shake the sense that something was very wrong somewhere in the land.

"It is not my intention to disturb you," Desiv called out to the tall grass in Dark Spruce Forest, "but it is necessary."

Okyiq woke quickly. He heard most of the words. The voice was familiar, and it reminded him of the serp he killed.

"Another snake face?"

"I'm afraid so."

The large goblin couldn't believe it. He was certain the other serps received his message. His anger rose, but not as quickly as his impatience. He found it tiresome to have to dispose of another serp. He thought they were smart, but they were demonstrating as much intelligence as a shag.

"Don't you remember my promise?" Okyiq snarled.

"I do, in fact," the serp acknowledged. "You said you would kill any serp that tried to control you. I have no intention of trying to control you."

"You're bothering me. Almost as bad."

"It is not my intention to bother you, either, but you've been sleeping a rather long time."

"How long I sleep is not your concern. If I have to come out of this grass, I will..."

Desiv cut the goblin off quickly. He didn't wish to create a situation where there was no possibility of a constructive outcome. He needed to speak with the goblin, but he didn't wish to die in order to do it.

"Please don't make a promise that you will kill me if you come out of there. I know you keep your promises, but there are things we must discuss."

"Discuss?" Okyiq groaned. "Always talk. Serps talk too much."

"Yes, perhaps we do, but we also know things... important things. For instance, it is very likely that the powerful wizard from Connel will teleport to this spot in the very near future. If he finds you here, it won't go well for you. That is one of the reasons I am here. I'm trying to help you avoid an unpleasant encounter."

Okyiq grumbled to himself. He thought of the wizard from the east, knew of Enin's powers. He could fight many creatures, but he did not wish to face the spell caster. He rolled out of the tall grass and rose to his feet. He looked at the serp with a mix of disgust and curiosity.

"You know what wizard is going to do?" Okyiq demanded, as he wondered about the veracity of the serp's claim.

"Do I know for certain? No. But I can make fairly accurate projections of what others might do, especially humans. They are much more predictable than say abnormally large goblins."

"So you just
guess
wizard will be here. I can guess too."

"Yes, I'm sure you can, but you don't have as much information as I do. You see, my guess is more of a calculation, a weighted estimate based on events of which I have a certain knowledge."

"So you think you know more than me?"

"Regarding what the wizard might do? Absolutely. It's no insult to you, I might add. I'm not looking to get into some contest with you about which one of us knows more."

"Contest? You don't want a contest? You say that, but you mean something else. You're still making a challenge."

"I'm not sure I follow you," Desiv admitted.

"I say we both can guess about what wizard might do. You say you know more. That's a challenge."

The serp was navigating a tricky course. He didn't want to compete with the goblin, but he didn't want to upset Okyiq by dismissing his viewpoint, either.

"I guess it might be considered that, if you look at it in a certain way."

"You sure you know more?" Okyiq pressed.

Desiv didn't see anyway to avoid the question, so he prefaced his answer to ensure he wasn't insulting the goblin.

"Regarding the wizard? About what he might do in the very near future? Yes, I'm sure."

"Bet your life?"

"If I have to."

"You have to."

It seemed Desiv was placing his life on the line in quite a few instances, and he was prepared to do it again. He didn't like it, but he accepted the fact that certain pursuits required necessary hazards.

"Then I bet my life."

Okyiq grunted a small laugh through a wicked grin. He quickly set himself up as the judge.

"Tell me what you know about wizard and why you think he will come here."

Desiv nodded. He fully intended on revealing as much as possible to the large goblin even before he teleported to Dark Spruce. It would be part of the offer, and he believed honesty and openness would keep him alive. The serp began with details he felt were important to the goblin's current dilemma.

"You were sent to Dunop because we orchestrated an escape of the elf, Petiole. We wanted your appearance near the dwarf city to cause confusion and to coincide with the elf's escape. It has. The half-delver that followed you was taken by the dwarves and is still being held in Dunop as we speak."

"None of this has anything to do w
ith wizard. I already know this too. You're about to lose."

"I'm not done. The dwarves have sent a messenger to Connel... to the wizard. They have asked for an audience with him. They want him to verify the story of the half-delver and to assist in understanding what happened to Petiole. Enin has agreed and has already left Connel."

"How do you know all this?" Okyiq wondered.

"We have spies in certain places. Rock beetles can sense many things underground and razor crows have sharp eyes. We have other creatures as well. They watch and they listen."

Okyiq knew what serps could do. He experienced their powers firsthand. They could take control of the minds of lesser creatures. It would not surprise him if the council of serps had many spies, but that fact did not answer all of his questions.

"So wizard is going to dwarf city. Not coming here. Still don't see danger for me, so still think you lose."

"The wizard will learn things in Dunop," Desiv countered. "He will talk to the dwarf queen about the elf's escape and they will discuss the half-delver's involvement."

"Still doesn't explain why wizard would come here."

"It is my belief that the wizard will analyze the magic around Petiole's escape. He will sense the teleportation spell that freed Petiole and brought him to Portsans. He will be able to follow it. We knew that would be the case when we decided to use teleportation stones to help the elf escape."

"That would send wizard to Portsans."

"Which is where we ultimately want him to go."

The large goblin looked at the serp with complete and utter confusion.

"You said wizard might come here. That's why you bothered me. Now you say he will go to Portsans? This is Dark Spruce. This is forest. Does this look like Portsans to you? You might know about wizard, but I should still kill you."

"I haven't finished. There is a very strong possibility the wizard will also review the area in the tunnel where you and Rivira teleported to this spot. The wizard will be able to follow that spell as well. There is a very good chance he will come here first and then go to Portsans. I never said it was definite. I only said it was likely. I do, however, believe that it is
very
likely."

Okyiq shook his head in disgust. He almost forgot about the challenge—almost forgot about killing the serp—as he tried to determine if the wizard was truly a threat.

"Snake faces always think too much and make no sense. You want wizard to go to Portsans but you tell me he might come here."

"I agree. It's a twisted path with many possibilities, but that's what serps do. We consider many different alternatives and plan for each one. I can't guarantee that the wizard will come here, but as I said, I believe it is likely. The elf guard that travels with him will sense you immediately. They will not let you escape, and despite your considerable skills, you would not defeat them. That is not meant as an insult to you. It is simply the truth."

Okyiq grimaced. It seemed the serp did, in fact, know more about the wizard from Connel than he suspected. He did not like to lose challenges and continued to feel a throbbing desire to throttle the serp for disturbing him, but he would stick to the bargain. He kept his promises.

"You know more, so you don't die." Okyiq then considered something else, something that made him wonder about the serp's intentions. "So why did you come here? Why warn me? I promised to kill you if you tried to control me. Why not let the wizard just deal with me? Would have been easier for you."

Desiv marveled at Okyiq's ability to analyze information and make deductions. He was nothing more than a goblin, a very large goblin to be sure, but the monster defied reason. To an extent, it justified his judgment of Okyiq's worth. The serp decided the time was right to make his proposal and reveal his true purpose.

"I don't want you dead. I want you to join our council."

Okyiq snarled. With hostile intentions, he stepped closer to the serp.

"You should have left. I couldn't kill you before, but I can now. I promised I'd kill any serp that tried to control me."

"That's just it. We don't want to control you. We wish to give you equal standing among us. We don't wish to force you into our army. We have no intention of making you just another pawn. You will have a say in everything we do."

Okyiq paused but remained ready to exterminate the serp in a heartbeat. He vowed never to let a serp take over his thoughts again, and yet, the serp's proposal was nothing if not intriguing.

"Why should I join council?" the hefty goblin demanded.

"Why else? For power."

"What kind of power?"

"Control of a vast army."

"Can get an army on my own. Don't need council for that."

"I don't doubt that you could lead a horde of goblins and become a formidable threat, but what about shags and bloat spiders?"

"Don't need them."

The serp almost laughed, but he realized to do so would have probably led to the end of his life. He knew the beast before him was not a creature of patience and tolerance. Even a slight snicker might have been viewed as an unforgivable insult and sufficient justification for Okyiq to strike.

Still, the thought of a goblin regarding the services of shags and bloat spiders as inconsequential was ludicrous at best. Goblins were weak foot soldiers, expendable pawns  to be thrown at an enemy in relentless waves. But Desiv was not dealing with an ordinary goblin. Before him stood a monster that shook off the direct mind control of a powerful serp. Desiv had to recognize not only Okyiq's strength of will, but his confidence as well.

"Wouldn't the sheer strength of several shags add to the potential of an army you command? How much more damage could one shag do than say forty of fifty goblins? And what of the sheer terror that a vast number of bloat spiders would bring to any who oppose you? Consider the terror that would rise in any opposition by simply seeing the shadow of an enormous spider waiting at their flanks."