Delphi

Delphi

Slowly the bandits made their way up the narrow, winding mountain trail. They were an unimpressive sight their mounts thin and malnourished, their clothing filthy and their armour pitted and rusted. Still their numbers were great and they carried their wide assortment of weapons with grim professionalism.

Atop his rocky out cropping Delphi knelt watching the advancing column of men with sharp eyes. His thin woollen robes drawn tight about him, his long brown hair billowing out behind him in the biting wind.

He sighed to himself quietly as he took in the sight of the advancing brigands. For more than a week now reports had been coming in, along with terrified refugees, of this band’s brutal attacks as they marauded across the land. Word had been sent to the Baron but no aid had yet been forthcoming. Perhaps, he thought in his more generous moments, the messenger had been killed. More likely the fat old fool had decided that sending new workers for the mines after the raiders moved on would be cheaper and easier than mobilising his tiny garrison. Either way there would be no help coming, no gleaming silver cavalry riding down to rescue the fifty miners who even now armed themselves as best they could with picks and sharpened shovels preparing to die to protect their families cowering miserably in the dank mine shafts.

No the he consoled himself this was the only way, the only way to defend this people and his home regrettable as it was. Still it was with some measure of reluctance that he turned to the creature that stooped next to him upon the ledge.

“You see my lord the invaders come to pillage the mines to take by force that which we have earned through tribute to your grace.”

Beside him the great brown furred Kri raised its heavy horned head coal black eyes regarding the frail mortal before it before speaking.

“We see Shaman, we see and are unmoved what does this matter to my master? These mortals are of no consequence to us, we have no need to fear them.”

“No” The witch replied “but they will slaughter us and with us dead who will bring tribute too mollify your lord?”

“Others will come the ores are rich your baron will not let the mines lie empty for long.”

“True but will the new miners know the ways of the mineral courts? Will the now how to please your lord and be careful not to intrude upon his domain? They will not have me to guide them in these matters for I will lie dead beneath the rusting blades of the bandits below. Who will your lord blame when his tributes of essence fail to come who will he punish perhaps you?”

The spirit bristled at this reminder of its bondage to the Gemlord who dwelt beneath the mountain and for a moment Delphi feared he had gone to far. Then the spirit shook its silver beard “We will never know, I will stop the invaders but the price will be steep, blood requires blood in turn one month from now. Is this a sacrifice you are willing to make?”

The young man hesitated for only a moment before he stiffly bowed “It will be done lord” Without a further word the Kri threw back its great head, its three arching horns shining in the fading sunlight, issuing forth a deep resounding bellow which echoed through the mountains valleys and ravines soon answering cries came forth from the caverns and deep places of the earth.

Delphi watched dispassionately as the earth around the advancing column began to churn sending their horses rearing and whinnying hurtling several of their hapless riders plunging down the cliffside. Within moments hulking Jokun armed with clubs of carved basalt emerged from the seething earth to strike down the raiders. The bandits fought back as best they could but on the narrow track their numbers availed them nothing and their frantic blades were unable to pierce the elementals skin of living crystal within moments the shattered remnants of the band fled down the sloping trail leaving their dead where they lay.

Far above the Witch bowed once more to his spirit ally before beginning the long trek back to the mining camp and his home to inform his people of their salvation and the price they would soon have to pay.