Jeff Inlo - Chain of Bargains

Scouting near fires burning across the western edge of Ashlan, Holli located Ryson just as it appeared he was ready to take off toward the center of the city.

"Ryson!" Holli called out, not wanting to have to chase the delver through the streets.

"I was just about to go to the town hall," the delver announced, as he greeted the elf. "I thought you might need help."

"The town hall has been destroyed."

"The draevol?" the delver asked.

"Gone… for good. What about the inferns?"

"All of them are gone as well." Ryson turned to look at the blazes burning around them. "It's the fires, though. I can't do anything about them. What about you? Some magic maybe?"

"I have very little energy left. Defeating the draevol took most of it, but I can try."

The elf managed to conjure a small storm, but it amounted to little more than a shower over the city. It could not douse the existing flames, but it helped slow their progress.

"That is all I can do, for the moment."

"It's better than nothing. I could try to get buckets of water on the fire. What do you think?"

Holli looked to the blazes that engulfed several buildings.

"I think you will be wasting your time."

"Yeah, not much good I can do against that." The delver looked back at Holli and revealed an embarrassing truth. "I'm happy to see you, but I have to tell you, I thought you made a mistake fighting the draevol alone."

"It almost was a mistake," Holli agreed, "but just as it was necessary for you to face the inferns, I had to face my own demon."

After spending many days with the elf following the paths the valleys offered, Ryson believed he understood. They had struggled to find answers, and he saw the frustration Holli faced. Every trail led to another question and they often had to double back to get past the deceit. It was a greater challenge than he expected-simply to get to the truth-but Holli seemed to view it as a personal affront.

It was good for him to face the inferns and to realize the magic within him was not there to put him in harm's way. He guessed Holli found the same measure of fulfillment in defeating the draevol, facing the demon that challenged her.

As he contemplated the extent of what they accomplished, he realized the goblins, the inferns, the draevol, and even to some degree Prilgrat had all been defeated. The valleys had been spared, just as it was indicated by the prophecy revealed to them. Still, there appeared to be a small inconsistency and the delver made one more admission as he considered the events in full.

"I'm thinking about the prophecy… the way Rachael told it. I still find it a little unsettling that all of this was some how predicted. Makes me wonder about what else we might have to face, and even why, but I guess it missed a few details."

Holli appeared surprised by the declaration.

"How so?"

"I thought the wizards of white magic were going to defeat the twins. Turns out it was an elf guard who cast green magic that defeated at least one of the draevols."

Holli smiled, but then corrected the delver.

"The prophecy stated the wizards would defeat the twins' plans, not the twins themselves. At least that is what I recall. Jure sent the goblins back to the dark realm and Enin stopped the plague."

Ryson didn't doubt the elf, or Enin's ability to defeat the other draevol, but he wanted to confirm the good news.

"You know that for sure?"

"Yes, I do. I also believe that Jure is meeting with success, but I base that on nothing more than a feeling."

"Then it looks like we really did win." Ryson then looked back at the fires. "Well, at least we saved most of the valleys. I'm not sure how much we can do for Ashlan now."

They rested for a while and as Holli's magical energy slowly recovered she continued to feed the small squall overhead. The clouds remained fixed above them, blocking out the stars and adding to the darkness beyond the glow of the flames, but eventually, the sky began to glow in the east.

"Looks like it's almost dawn," the delver noted.

With that, the storms above strengthened and the showers turned into a great deluge of rain. The water poured down from the sky and rushed directly into the largest fires.

"Enin?" Ryson asked.

"Yes," Holli acknowledged. "He just teleported back. He saw my storm and added his power to it."

"I guess Ashlan won't burn to the ground after all."

The wizard flew toward them, encased in a small shield that blocked out the rain. When he reached them, he expanded the magical field to extend over the elf and the delver.

"You shouldn't stand out in the rain," he exclaimed with a smile.

"It was only a small shower before you arrived," Ryson noted.

The wizard looked back and forth between the two of them.

"Everything handled?" he asked.

"As much as I can tell," Holli reported. "The draevol is gone."

"As is the one in Huntston," Enin added.

"The inferns have been defeated, thanks to Ryson. I am not certain as to the extent of Jure's success, but I do not believe the valleys are in any further danger."

"I checked on that before I returned here," Enin offered. "He has the situation in control. I imagine he will be here shortly."

"Then I guess everything has been handled," Ryson acknowledged.

As if to punctuate that sentiment, the last of the fires flickered out under the heavy rains. Both Enin and Holli ended their spells and the storm clouds overhead disappeared.

Just as the sun began to rise, Jure walked toward them, coming from the center of town.

"I'm glad to see you're all alright," the elder wizard exclaimed. "I just saw the town hall. I was worried."

"Nothing to worry about," Holli proclaimed. "The demon's last gasp. Nothing more."

"The inferns around the valleys have been removed," Jure acknowledged. "I assume everything else has been taken care of?"

Enin nodded.

"So what do we do now?" Ryson wondered.

It was Jure who considered the tragedy amid their success.

"If there are no other threats here, I'd like to get Heteera back to Connel," the elder wizard requested as he looked to Enin.

Enin grimaced and then explained everything that had happened in Huntston.

"You did what you had to do," Jure stated.

"I'm thankful you understand," Enin acknowledged.

"I just wish we didn't have to lose her in all this," the elder wizard admitted. "She had so much potential. Well, at least we dealt with everyone that was responsible."

"Not all of them," Holli announced. "There is still one last matter we must resolve."

They all knew what she was referring to, and they all understood that while the valleys had been saved, their work was not quite finished.

With that thought, the delver scanned the burned out buildings around them. Ashlan had not been completely destroyed, but it had suffered. The demon fires consumed many blocks of the western portion of the city, and it served as a stark reminder as to just how much danger they had all faced.

"What about Ashlan? Jure was able to use his magic to restore the damage done by the goblins. Should we do something about the damage caused by the fire?"

It was Enin who answered quickly.

"No, the people of this city chose their leaders, and they did not choose well. Let them deal with at least some of the consequences of their decisions. Let them rebuild. It will be a good lesson for them."

Queen Therese Folarok, ruler of Dunop, entered Sterling through tunnels reserved for dwarf royalty and their escorts. She arrived with an extremely large contingent of dwarf royal guards, but rather than enter the palace directly, she bypassed the castle entrance and walked across the open streets of Sterling.