Delphi III
Delphi 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.
