Jeff Inlo - Chain of Bargains

"You think we should have fought the inferns? I am a spell caster of fire. I know what they can do. To fight them would have meant the death of many."

"And so you accept subjugation?"

"I disagree with the premise. We may have been forced to accept the presence of inferns-even goblins-but that does not mean we have given up our freedoms. We simply had to accept… certain inconveniences. As I said before, our lives have not changed. We retain our ability to move freely both within and outside of the city. We are not prisoners… or slaves."

"Are you saying you are happy with the arrangement in the city?"

Brenn's willingness to cooperate vanished. His body went rigid and his expression turned cold and empty.

"What kind of question is that? It's judgmental and flawed. Whether I'm happy or not is immaterial. I have nothing to do with what goes on here. You said Ashlan was conquered. I disagree and my happiness over the arrangement is totally irrelevant."

"But you are already making judgments. You have defended the actions of the city leaders."

"I have defended no one. I simply stated fact."

"These facts," Holli replied, "may be in dispute, but I have no wish to argue that point. I simply would like to know your feelings toward the city's condition. You are a spell caster. You have a greater awareness and perception than your human counterparts that lack your skill. Your concerns may assist me in isolating true threats."

"As I said before, my feelings, as well as my concerns, are irrelevant. I do not wish to speak of things that are beyond my control."

"You do not wish to render an opinion? Certainly you are entitled to one, or is it that you simply do not wish to commit to anything?"

Brenn remained reluctant to discuss the inferns, but he quickly focused on an area of personal concern.

"I'll tell you what I don't like and that is the restrictions placed on the use of magic, but that was placed in existence before the inferns arrived."

"What type of restrictions?"

"A formal declaration by the regional steward that the practice of magic within the city limits was inherently dangerous."

The regional steward meant Prilgrat. It seemed almost every hand pointed to him in some way or another.

"A ban on all spell casting?" Holli asked, pushing aside concerns over Prilgrat.

"No, they did not come right out and ban magical spells. They were very… careful about their wording. They stated it was dangerous, not forbidden. It gave them the ability to question magic casters whenever a spell was cast, but it allowed them the discretion to determine what was acceptable and what was not."

"Laws that they could interpret at their convenience."

"That's one way of putting it," Brenn agreed.

"That is why you were practicing spells in the basement late in the night?"

"It would be careless to advertise my abilities and downright foolish to invite questioning by authorities that have their own interests at heart."

"Why do you stay in Ashlan?"

"Why should I leave?" Brenn shot back almost instantaneously and with more than just a defensive tone. The words carried clear belligerence, like a drunk responding to someone who asked him to give up a bottle.

Holli realized that humans didn't normally answer in such a manner unless they didn't like the question. She did not wish to antagonize the spell caster, but she continued trying to place the mystery in perspective and certain aspects remained cloudy-such as why some humans would stay in a hostile environment while others would flee.

"The town is teeming with dark creatures," she offered.

"It doesn't bother me."

"But it is more than an inconvenience, you have to admit that. The inferns are dangerous-you've already acknowledged that-and your talents in casting of spells are being limited."

"Only if I let them. As you know, I'm being careful."

"Casting spells of limited power in close quarters is more than just being careful."

Brenn frowned, but quickly nodded.

"You're right. I am limited in what I can do here." He then painted the true picture as he saw it. "But where can I go? The valleys are becoming more dangerous by the day. Inferns are watching the borders and I have no idea why. Maybe they are looking for magic casters seeking to escape."

These, however, were hollow excuses of fear, and Brenn moved past them to his true reasons, reasons he spoke of with greater passion, a passion that matched his previous hostility.

"This is my home. My desire to stay here is greater than any wish to experiment with magic. If I really wanted to expand my powers, I could leave here on a carriage of flames pulled by horses of pure fire. You know I could, but I choose not to. This is my home! What do I care about goblins, inferns… even limits on spells? I am content here. Why should I leave?"

Holli remembered the farmer she first spoke to after entering the valleys. He stayed because he wasn't going to give up his land. Clearly, Brenn felt much the same way about his home, but what about the other inhabitants of Ashlan, Huntston, and all the other small towns and farming communities in the Great Valleys? Some people were leaving, heading across the great central plain in droves. Yet, some were holding their ground.

"If that is how you feel, then you should not leave," Holli finally answered. "You have to do what you feel is right. I would assume those that have left their homes also did what they believed was right."

"Or they just ran," Brenn asserted, almost as if to endorse the courage of his own decision. "They packed up and took off, but where did they go? West? What's out there but empty plains and then mountains."

"And why do you think they left? Did their homes mean less to them?"

For the first time, Brenn appeared more than just hesitant in answering. Anxiety flushed his face and he stumbled over his words.

"No… maybe… I don't know. They were worried about… there was just too much going on."

"Too much of what?"

"Too much of everything. Too many goblins, too many inferns, just too much trouble."

That was all Brenn was going to say and Holli knew it. She was about to leave, believing she learned as much as the sorcerer was going to allow and there was no point in pressing Brenn further. Before she left, however, she refocused her attention on the question that brought her to the spell caster in the first place.

"Do you know the magic is being manipulated all around the city?"

"I do."

"May I ask what you sense?"

"The magic is being bent inward and then released. I assume you sense the same?"

"Yes. Any ideas on what is causing it?"

"I have not tried to track the flow or analyze it, if that's what you're asking."

Holli noticed the resoluteness had vanished from Brenn's voice once more. He wasn't falling back on belligerence again-or fear-but he was holding something back.

"That was not my question. I have already followed the path of energies in hopes of finding an explanation. I know that is futile. I asked if you had any ideas about it."

"What good are vague guesses?"

"You are being evasive."

"If I am, it's because I don't see how my guesses can help you in any material way. They're just that… guesses. Nothing more."

"But they are worth more than my guesses," Holli countered. "You have lived in Ashlan… spent time here. You have worked with the magic under the circumstances I have described. You must have some perspective toward the anomaly."

Brenn was growing tired of the questions. The elf was not an invited guest, she was a trespasser. Unfortunately, she was also linked to a wizard of phenomenal power and Brenn did not wish to make an enemy of the guard of Enin. He also understood that she held him at an advantage. The elf knew he experimented with spells and that could cause him more trouble than he wanted. He decided to answer her question in a way that would make her come to her own conclusion.