Jeff Inlo - Chain of Bargains

She had been tracking inferns across the city by the heat the half-demons discharged when she noticed a surge of warmth above and beyond the heat of the high sun season. She pinpointed the house from where the phenomenon originated, and though the flow of magic nearly erased the sensation, she caught the faint hint of a spell before it evaporated. She watched the house for sometime and noted only one occupant. She returned to the building and entered the residence by climbing through a third story window. Once inside, she closed it tight, sent out a strong magical pulse, and waited to be discovered.

A man who's age was difficult to determine entered the room where he knew Holli waited. He displayed more curiosity than concern, but he kept a safe distance from the stranger in his house. His short-cropped hair contained no gray, but the stubble on his unshaven face displayed streaks of white. He had been practicing spells in his basement and the sudden dash up several flights of stairs left him somewhat winded, but he was certainly athletic enough not to be flushed or gasping for breath.

The magic hung lightly in the house, mostly from Holli's spell, but also from the spells cast by the man as a means to enhance his own abilities. Holli could sense an orange aura still clinging to his wrists. Fire was clearly his casting strength.

The man looked the elf over quickly, and in that short time, he already caught his breath. He waited just a moment to give Holli the opportunity to speak first, but when she remained silent, he became somewhat apprehensive over her appearance. He decided to spark the conversation.

"Can I help you?"

Holli answered by removing her cap.

"You're an elf!" the man remarked.

"I am, and I removed my cap as a gesture. I'm going to be open and honest with you and I expect the same in return."

Despite her request, the spell caster remained defensive, if not totally evasive.

"My openness will depend on your requests."

The elf nodded. The man was cautious, she could accept that. More importantly, he started out with clear honesty-not committing to anything before he understood the full measure of Holli's sudden and unannounced appearance.

"I respect that," she offered. "Let me begin by stating I mean you no harm and wish to bring no calamity upon you."

The man surprisingly shook his head in open defiance of Holli's declaration.

"You may have already brought me more trouble than I need. The casting of magic is frowned upon in the city. The magical pulse you cast to announce your presence might have escaped these walls. I understand you did it to get my attention, but there are others tuned to the energy. If there are inferns nearby, they will sense the use of magic."

Holli found this accusation somewhat unfounded, considering she knew the man was practicing spells before she entered the house.

"You are concerned with that? You were casting spells in the basement."

"I cast spells of fire in confined spaces under great control. If the residue of my spells escapes my house, it would mix easily with the inferns very presence. It would not be detected."

"I see. Understand this, I am trained as an elf guard. I patrolled the grounds around your house carefully before entering. There were no inferns within range of detecting my spell."

The spell caster appeared relieved, but quickly questioned the appearance of an elf guard within the borders of Ashlan.

"Why are you here? Elves are very sparse in this region."

"I seek information as to the strange occurrences throughout the Great Valleys."

At first, the man appeared to accept the explanation. His eyes, however, narrowed upon the face of the elf. He reached out with his own magical perception and sensed a powerful presence linked to the elf before him.

"You are not simply an elf guard on patrol. You are extremely sensitive to magic, otherwise you would not have known about my spells, but it goes beyond your own ability. There is something much more about you. Who are you really?"

Holli understood the man sensed her link to Enin. The great wizard was so powerful that even across the vast distance that separated Connel from Ashlan, any spell caster of even marginal ability would notice the connection.

"I am Holli Brances. I am guard and apprentice to Enin of Connel."

It was not joy or fear that shaped the spell caster's expression. It was something in between awe and respect.

"I see." He paused, but only for an instant. He accepted the situation almost as if a stranger had come to his home bearing gifts, and he wished not only to be grateful but to reciprocate the goodwill. "As a spell caster, I call myself Brenn. How can I help you?"

Holli was certain the house contained no other occupants, and without hesitation, moved right to the purpose of her visit.

"As I said, I seek information. The situation in Ashlan is… confusing. How long have the goblins been established in the city?"

"Over a full cycle of the seasons."

"Why were they allowed to enter?"

"I don't really know. They just started appearing."

"No one raised an alarm?"

"Many did, but they were told they were overreacting."

Odd.

"Overreacting to the presence of dark creatures within the city?" Holli questioned, not even attempting to hide her surprise.

"We were told they were not a threat and everyone should mind their own business."

"Who made this decree?"

"People in authority-city council members and members of the regional steward's office."

"Any protests?"

"Not at first. People were too stunned and the goblins didn't cause that much trouble."

"But protests did occur?"

"After a while they did, when the goblins just kept coming. Things were getting tense, a lot of people just left. It eventually seemed goblins were going to outnumber the people. That's when people started protesting, but it was all disorganized and eventually stifled."

"The town has a minimal presence of soldiers. What stifled the protest?"

"The arrival of the inferns."

"When did they arrive?"

"A while after the first goblins showed up… maybe two or three seasons. Now that I think about it, I really don't think they've been here that long. It just seems that way."

"And when they showed up were you again told to mind your business?"

"Actually, we were told the inferns were here to help keep the peace."

It was exactly as Holli expected.

"All the citizens accepted this?"

Brenn took a few steps about the room. His uneasy movements revealed the discomfort he had with the situation. He gestured with one hand as he spoke, as if waving off the significance of the question.

"I doubt anyone really wanted to accept it, but what could anyone do? Inferns are not to be trifled with, they could have burned down the city."

Holli countered with her own assessment of natural reactions under such circumstances.

"The powers of inferns are not common knowledge and the city is large with a great population. If the town truly wished to rebel against such edicts, I believe there would have been at least some conflict. Are you saying everyone remained silent?"

"Not all, no. Some spoke out." Brenn's voice turned bitter. "They were quickly silenced and the powers of the inferns became very much understood, even if they were not common knowledge before they arrived."

"How many were killed?"

"You mean how many were incinerated? I couldn't guess at the total. Five that I know of personally."

"So Ashlan has been conquered," Holli noted.

Brenn was not ready to agree with that appraisal.

"Conquered? I wouldn't say that. Our lives have not changed. The goblins are controlled and the inferns want nothing from us. We retain our leadership."

"Your leadership seemed more than willing to accept the inferns, which tells me they are not true leaders."