Jeff Inlo - Chain of Bargains

Ryson ran with all his might from the haunting countenance. The street was empty before him which allowed him to race at near his top speed down the center of the road. He did not have to worry over wagons crossing his path, and the few people that came out of pubs and inns stuck to the narrow walkways in front of the buildings. He could focus all of his attention on avoiding the streaking half-demon that drew frighteningly closer to him with each breath. Hoping to avoid capture, he swerved to his left and right, and in this, he finally found hope.

Whereas the inferns sudden blast of initial speed threatened to actually overtake the delver, the half-demon had limited control over its path. When it attempted to turn, the creature overcompensated and made steep banks, making for wider turns than the delver and losing ground to its quarry.

Noticing the half-demon's difficulty, Ryson chose to make several twists and turns at various intersections through the city. The pattern of movement forced him to slow down slightly as well, but not to the same extent. With each break right or left, he increased the cushion of space between himself and the soaring infern.

The half-demon that trailed the delver maintained its pace initially, but after several more turns, grew frustrated or perhaps simply ran cold. The burning red eyes seemed to lighten ever so slightly, and the glowing pale face dimmed significantly. The creature eventually came to a halt in the middle of the street and watched almost indifferently as the delver rushed away.

Feeling somewhat more secure about his fate, Ryson reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the two beacon stones Holli had given him. He kept the other safely tucked away, but decided to toss the one in his hand into a side alley. He didn't wish to lead Holli into a trap, but with dozens of inferns lurking throughout the city, he believed it was best if they came together as soon as possible.

He kept moving, putting space between himself and both the infern and the discarded beacon stone. Eventually, he reduced his speed, but still ran like a human sprinting. He chose narrow alleys and side streets, hoping to avoid attention and utilizing the darkness to watch for glowing inferns patrolling the roads.

After passing several more blocks, Ryson dropped his pace down to a slow trot. He sniffed the wind, but the scent of the city was filled with numerous smells-the most prevalent of which was goblin-but in one brief moment, he sensed as if all the town was ablaze. The smell of unnatural fire, like water burning as opposed to boiling, filled the air around him.

Instinctively, Ryson leapt to the far side of the road. Only his speed saved his life. The thick humid air in the place he once stood burst into flames. The fire burned so hot, he had to shield his face. It glowed white and lasted for several moments. Had he not leapt away, he would have been incinerated.

Ryson bent low, but scanned the rooftops and the open skies for all that he could see. He knew the inferns could fly and he believed one had to be soaring above him in order to pinpoint his position so exactly. Seeing nothing above-no glowing forms or even the faint whisper of light in the night sky-Ryson turned his attention back to the streets around him.

He kept silent and still. He looked down every narrow path, every lonely alley. All he saw was darkness. He couldn't believe the half-demons could hide their position, didn't think they would bother to try. They had attacked him, so he was already alerted to their presence, and yet he could not locate a single infern.

He smelled it again-the clear scent of demon fire, a blaze that required no true fuel and burned with a power beyond natural flames. He dove away from the spot where he stood, rolled to the ground and pushed his body to the opposite side of the alley.

A bright, white flame scattered the shadows once more, scorching the ground where Ryson had stood. It lit up the alley more brightly than the Sword of Decree with its glowing enchantment ever could. The light intensified and it forced Ryson to look away.

For long, painful moments, the delver fought to adjust his sight after the fire died away. Spots filled his vision. He jumped back to his feet, slammed his eyelids closed and placed all of his focus on what he could hear and smell. He sensed nothing nearby, which caused him even greater distress.

At least one of the half-demons had targeted him twice with exact clarity, yet he was certain no infern was anywhere near. How could they locate him? And if they continued to succeed, how could he fight them?

He decided not to stay still for long. He raced down the side of the alley, turned up an empty street, and then leapt to another narrow alley between two taller buildings. There was less space for him to move, but he hoped the greater cover would conceal his presence. He slowed to a mere walk, but continued to move forward.

Just as he reduced his pace, he sensed another charge of flame. He jumped forward and then broke into a full sprint. The entire alley lit up as if the sun had risen directly overhead. Ryson could feel the heat on his back as he surged forward. He ran out of the alley into a main avenue of the city.

There were more people about on this busier street, and that simply added to his dilemma. If he ran like a delver, they would notice him immediately. One might call out and further expand his predicament. He would not, however, mix with the crowd. He didn't wish to endanger anyone, but he still could not fathom how the inferns were able to locate him so precisely. He could not simply trust that the half-demons would refrain from risking casualties to innocent people nearby.

He reduced his speed, which he knew was a risk, and he walked alone in open space which compounded that risk. In a heartbeat, he smelled it again-the putrid stench of demon fire-just as he felt the crackling charge of energy throughout the air around him. He took one instant to ensure there was no one in his path before he leapt with all his might toward another narrow side street. The pause almost cost him his life as he felt the searing heat explode across his back.

He dove to the ground and rolled furiously through the dirt. The scent of burning cloth-smoke from his own shirt-filled his nose. He coughed once, but realized quickly the danger had not diminished. He jumped to his feet and dashed down the side street just as another flash of white fire burst across the ground.

The people on the avenue screamed and ran for cover. They did not know the stranger who had been targeted by the inferns, but a few had seen what happened to flesh when it met with demon fire. They didn't wish to see it again. Those that hadn't seen it had heard stories, and there was no desire within them to actually witness the incineration of another living being.

Back to sprinting through empty alleys and narrow streets, Ryson began to wish he was once more being trailed by a streaking infern. At least then he would know the true location of his enemy. Flames appearing out of no where left him with little hope of escaping. Facing the harsh truth, he knew that whenever he stopped or even just slowed into a casual run, he invited an attack. He needed to keep moving, and moving at a delver's speed.

That in itself was not the end of his worries. While he could run at great speed for extended periods of time, he also needed to avoid the inferns that patrolled the streets as well as other humans in order to keep them from harm. His options dwindled.

Trying to understand the heart of his dilemma, he focused on his encounter with the lead infern. The half-demon had said it searched the delver… that demons could see through more than just the dark. They could also taste his trail. If that were true, it was possible they could locate him at any point within the city. It would also explain why he could not locate his enemies nearby.