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2003-08-22T21:38:37Z

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<i>Delphi</i> III

Delphi stood motionless at the forests edge, the thick
foliage of the ancient oaks blocking Luna’s soft silver
light and leaving him shrouded in shadow. The young
warlocks appearance was much changed much in a short time,
his long hair was matted with grease and dirt his skin and
robes coated in soot and burns from his narrow escape three
days ago.

He had awoken cold and shivering as the dawn crept over the
distant horizon, the morning dew leaving his clothes damp
and half frozen. Swiftly he had made his way back to the
village from his isolated home to warn the miners of the
bandits assault. He had blundered through the waking wood
his bare feet cut and bloodied on the jagged stone covered
ground in his haste to reach the transient security that
the small town stead promised. He had arrived only to stand
in mute horror as he watched the miners and their families
dragged from their beds one by one by the host of brigands
which had invaded in the night. There was nothing he could
do, there were so many of them even if he could somehow
have gathered the remaining miners they would have been
outnumbered two to one. He waited, in the cover of the
trees, as the entire village was herded into the long hall
and the doors were barred.

And there he had remained, hidden amid the trees for two
long days as the raiders systematically tore apart the town
in search of riches. He had cursed the stubborn fools,
miner and raider both, as his belly grew empty and the cold
of the mountain winds bit into him. Couldn’t the thieves
just take what they had and leave? Couldn’t the miners just
give them the damn gold? It wasn’t as if they could carry
it all. Didn’t they realise that if the sacrifice wasn’t
made in time the Kri would kill them all miners and raiders
alike?

Then it had happened. The raiders had grown weary of their
fruitless search and as darkness fell on the third night
they had dragged old Bronden, the mine overseer, from the
hall and beneath the naked starlight they had begun
to “question” the elderly man. Delphi had stood transfixed
as heated knives were drawn across aged flesh, petty
thoughts of cold and hunger fleeing his mind as he felt the
bile rise in his throat. He had collapsed retching as his
empty stomach spasmed uncontrollably.

Now he knew why the miners held their tongues so
determinedly, the invaders had no intention of letting any
of them live, the secret of the ores location was all that
held these thugs back from slaughtering them all. There
kneeling in the filth of the forest floor bathed in the dim
light of the maidens Delphi knew that he could no longer
wait, he had to act.

Now as night fell once more he stood silent and motionless
on the forests edge awaiting his moment, an ingot of gold
taken from the towns hidden cache clutched tightly in one
hand. Once more he reached out with his mind gently
caressing the intricate web of fate that surrounded him
feeling it shift and change even at his most fleeting
touch. Holding the image in his mind he drew upon his hours
of frantic self-training.

“Don’t force it,” He murmured to himself “To observe the
path is to change it, to change it is to render it flawed.
Act without thought, trust your decision.”

The words came unbidden to his tongue seemingly familiar
but where had he heard them before? Now was not the time
for such matters, there would be plenty of time to
philosophise if he survived the night.

Slowly he calmed his breathing allowing his conscious mind
to slip, letting himself flow with the ever-shifting pulse
of destiny.

There! Smoothly, confidently Delphi stepped out on to the
open ground before the village knowing with certainty that
the lookouts would miss him, knowing that no eye was
destined to fall upon the place where he now stood. With
speed he moved across the grassy plain to the broad gate
set into the barrier wall, the wall that had failed them so
utterly a few nights before, and paused. Deep in his trance
like state Delphi stood silent and motionless, mere inches
from the sentry he knew stood on the other side of the
barrier, waiting for the moment he knew would come.
Now. The sentry yawned squeezing shut tired and bloodshot
eyes, in that heartbeat he was blinded and Delphi moved,
passing within arms reach of the towering thug. Even as his
eyes flickered open again the warlock had moved behind him
and out of the witless fools field of vision leaving him to
smack his lips together oblivious to his passing.

He moved on down the villages empty streets ever in the
open yet concealed by fortunes blessing, sudden noises, the
whispering wind and simple ineptitude all seemed to
conspire to hide the witch’s progress. Finally he reached
his destination, the storehouse that the raiders had made
into their barracks with a moments pause he moved inside.
The warehouse was dark and cold, empty save for the
bandit’s packs and sleeping mats, doubtless they were still
busy tearing through his peoples homes but he knew they
would return soon enough. Swiftly he moved to the one he
sought and placed the ingot within artfully arranging the
cloth into place. His task completed he moved to the rear
of the building and drew one of the stinking blankets over
himself waiting.

Perhaps an hour later they arrived a pair of them drunk and
angry.

“…..I tell you we can’t afford to dawdle here any longer!
Their Baron may be a fool but he’s not just going to let us
have his mines without a fight. I tell you we should just
take what we’ve got and go.”

“Nah” the other replied “Valik will never let us leave
without the gold”

“What bloody gold?! We ain’t found nothing and all that
bastard does is crawl around in the mines day in day out
like some kind of dragon damned mole.”

The hulking brute turned delivering a powerful kick to
Valik’s pack lifting it into the air and sending it
crashing against the far wall. A dull thud resounded
through the hall as the gold ingot fell to the floor. The
thug knelt to retrieve it lifting it to the light.

“What in Malfeas is this?!”

The second joined him “looks like Valiks been holding out
on us me old mate. No wonder he and his mates are the only
ones down the mine they must have found the loot and be
sneaking it out”

“We’ll just see about this.”

The pair stormed out into the night leaving the door
hanging from its hinges and Delphi undisturbed. After a few
moments the warlock rose from his hiding place and pursued,
watching from the shadows as the furious brigand called the
others to him holding the gold in the air as he decried
their leader. Soon Valik himself arrived in person to face
down the seething mob of his murderous fellows. Delphi
watches dispassionately as voices were raised and threats
were screamed back and forth knives, were drawn and the
slaughter, began blood staining the frozen earth. It was
strange, Delphi reflected as he turned away from the scene
and moved off towards the mine workings, he felt on guilt
over their deaths the scene had played out almost exactly
like the one he had foreseen. Destined to take place the
next morning when the scum decided that they had stayed
long enough and that they were in need of new leadership.
Delphi glanced up at the new moon which hung in the sky,
tomorrow morning would be to late the sacrifice had to be
tonight.

Patiently the witch stood in the shadows of the mine
listening as the mob passed the recess in which he was
concealed. After a few moments the last of them retreated
into the darkness of the mine and Delphi emerged into the
tunnel to watch them go. They were far fewer in number now
and several of them sported flesh wounds yet they would
suffice for his purposes. As they turned the corner he
stood drawing once more upon his mysterious powers feeling
the flow of fate and chance searching for the ideal thread
he knew was there. Maintaining his focus and with pickaxe
in hand Delphi made his way to one of joists and swung
splintering the half rotten wood which lay beneath the
pristine surface. A long drawn out groan filled the air as
the tonnes of stone overhead shifted on their mountings.
Delphi turned and ran flat-out for the entrance; behind him
he heard the panicked screams of the brigands as they fled
after him. Yet Delphi’s timing was precise the rubble
falling scarcely a foot behind him the mine collapsing in a
cloud of dust and grit burying his enemies alive.
Doubled over and panting Delphi called out

“My lord the sacrifice is made.”

The voice of the kri whispered to him seemingly by his
ear “Yes the pact is true, you have been generous I am
pleased.”

Straitening once more the warlock began to make his way
back to the village to liberate his people. A thin half
smile spread across his face it, seemed every situation
could be turned to advantage.

By the time he reached the rise above the township the sun
was already rising and Delphi paused turning to the east
and watching the light wash across the plains. Then
something caught his eye a column of dust rising into
sight, perhaps the forces of the garrison had finally
decided to make their presence felt? There bathed in new
dawn light the young witch began to laugh at the irony of
it all. Then as the riders drew ever closer he felt the
laughter die in his throat and a block of ice settle in his
gut as his recognised the flowing silk pendants of the
dynasty born aloft by the fore runners of the wyld hunt.

Delphi III - Revision history

Ageis: *