Chapter 6

Leaving Jovis to settle the situation with the Elves, Darras proceeded to investigate Treenock, though not expecting to find any shadows. Again, he was observed, though not interfered with by bow-wielding Elves.

“There’s definitely something not right here,” Darras murmured. “It’s not all the work of Lamdras, either.”

‘I agree, my love; I suspect some other god causing mischief.’

“Doubt it’s Darmelans; they’d see it as chasing away a customer base if Kelnerim acted against any migrants.”

‘True enough, though I wouldn’t rule them out.’

Darras picked up his first clue at the smithy: ore supplies of various types had been delayed, and the Elven merchants hauling them had blamed banditry from Human migrants.

“How likely is this?” Darras asked Albon, a follower of Pelegard.

“To be honest, I suspect it’s something else. There are no mines I know of in the area where the Humans are settling,” Albon replied thoughtfully.

“Are the merchants Darmelans?”

“They are, though I sensed no deceit amongst them in pricing,” Albon shrugged, alluding to the Elven sensitivity regarding falsehoods.

Darras moved on, calling in at the local healer, who gave Darras the name of a merchant at the centre of various anti-Human rumours. The surprise for Darras was, upon questioning others, that the merchant wasn’t a Darmelan, though none of the Elves he asked in the now reduced tension of the village could tell him who the merchant followed.

‘Hmm, Elves tend to follow me, Hallis and Pelegard; they also respect Doriel and Osruit, ’ Erren mused. ‘Minor factions are Darmelans and followers of Colanthus, though this would be unusual for either of those.’

“Time I had a chat with this merchant,” Darras replied.

‘Please do so, my love.’

The merchant, known as Fellenoa, lived in a residence on the outskirts of Treenock. Erren, though, pulled Darras up before he got too close.

‘There’s a subtle but powerful aversion field around it; please wait until I examine it, ’ Erren advised.

“Of course, my love,” Darras smiled.

‘Interesting, ’ Erren said after a few moments. ‘It won’t affect you like most magics, but it will keep anyone else out who isn’t of ... similar views to whoever cast it.’

“Such as anyone who isn’t of the view of Elven superiority?” Darras asked.

‘Yes, though unlike the usual variety of aversion spells, even a magic user, unless very skilled, would not know it was there.’

“Well, I think I’m about to shock whoever cast it, assuming they are in there,” Darras chuckled.

‘Oh yes, ’ Erren giggled.

Setting off again, Darras approached the house, seeing a couple of Elves observing him, looking rather shocked. Both were armed with bows, as were most of the Elves Darras had seen. Relying on Erren to warn him should they draw their bows, Darras continued approaching the residence, noticing an odd glow around his whole body.

‘That’s the effect of your body dispelling the magic, ’ Erren confirmed. ‘Duck!’

Darras dropped as an arrow hissed over his head before charging the Elf who had fired it, catching him by surprise as he tried to draw another arrow in his bow. Wrenching the bow from the Elf, Darras used his strength to snap it in two before slamming the remaining parts into the Elf’s head, dropping him on the spot.

“Care to take your chances against a Human?” Darras asked the Elf’s partner, who looked stunned.

“You are not welcome here, human!” the Elf replied in apparent bravado.

“I know, but it’s not going to stop me from dealing with this nest of vipers,” Darras replied. “I suggest you take your friend to a healer and leave me alone.”

Glaring, the Elf took the hint and grabbed his companion, semi-dragging him away. Darras approached the residence again, seeing the glow reappear until it suddenly dissipated.

‘You broke it, ’ Erren chuckled.

“Did it affect the caster?”

‘It likely did, yes.’

Reaching a door, Darras hammered on it with his fist, though he did not expect a reply. To his surprise, however, the door was pulled open, and a creature bearing a sword tried to stab Darras, only for the sword to be deflected by Darras’s armour and the creature to collapse when Darras’s fist crushed its head.

“What do we have here, my love?” Darras asked, examining the body of the creature.

‘A Goblin variant, known as a Hobgoblin, ’ Erren replied. ‘Taller and stronger than normal Goblins and usually only develops in a major tribal grouping as a defender.’

“Unusual place to find one,” Darras murmured.

‘Yes, be careful.’

Darras nodded and moved silently past the still-twitching corpse of the Hobgoblin. The first room he came to had been used as a sleeping chamber for the Hobgoblin. It only showed signs of one resident, though it stank of rotting food and other bodily substances.

‘A magic screen keeps the stench in, ’ Erren informed Darras, who quickly backed away to the hall.

The other rooms showed no signs of use, with a layer of dust coating most surfaces and only the footprints of the Hobgoblin visible.

‘There’s a magic user around, and they know you’re in the house, ’ Erren warned.

“Let’s hope I survive this then,” Darras chuckled, climbing the stairs.

‘You will, I believe in you.’

The upstairs area was clearly lived in, though Darras could sense no signs of life as yet. All rooms were elegantly furnished and open to view. There was one closed room, and that was where Darras expected to find the magic user. Darras turned the handle and cautiously opened the door, standing to the side so as not to be open to an attack coming through the door. His caution paid off as a massive fireball came through the doorway, scorching the woodwork and setting aflame the carpet. Taking this as his cue, Darras dashed into the room, finding two Elves, and with Erren’s guidance, closed the distance to the magic user, knocking the Elf out with a powerful blow. Darras then turned to face the other Elf, who faced Darras holding a sword.

“So, care to explain yourself?” Darras asked.

“Explain myself?” the Elf spat back. “You’re the one who broke into my house!”

“Your guards fired an arrow at me, and your pet attacked me as I came to the door,” Darras shrugged. “I tend to take issue with things like that.”

“It matters not; I’ll kill you, and Lamdras will cover it up for me,” the Elf smiled coldly.

“Lamdras has been deposed,” Darras chuckled. “I doubt Jovis, his replacement, will be sympathetic.”

“Impossible!”

“All too possible, I saw to it myself,” Darras replied. “Now, what is a servant of the Dark Lord doing here, apart from feeding into Lamdras’ obvious paranoia about Humans?”

‘I think they are running out of shadows, plus this is an Elven Kingdom, so a possessed might be spotted, ’ Erren informed Darras, who nodded as the Elf, in a burst of speed and agility, attacked.

Unfortunately for the Elf, and fortunately for Darras, the Elf was unskilled with a sword and overextended his thrust. This enabled Darras to grab his arm, twist it and make the Elf drop the sword. Darras then forced the wildly struggling Elf onto a padded chair, stopping the struggles with a knife to the Elf’s throat.

“Now, let’s talk,” Darras said cooly.

“I’ll tell you nothing, agent of a weak goddess!” the Elf snarled.

“One who easily dealt with your ... accomplices,” Darras chuckled as Erren’s ghostly arm reached from his body to slide into the Elf’s head.

‘Ah, a follower of my brother, but with a talent for hiding his thoughts and feelings from his fellow Elves, ’ Erren informed Darras.

“Irredeemable?”

‘Yes, though dispensing of him now when witnesses know you’re here would not be wise.’

“The magic user?”

‘Not a nice person, but not irredeemable.’

“Best go then, but I’ll inform Jovis of the snake in the grass here,” Darras replied.

‘That should be enough to deal with the issue here, although you’ll undoubtedly run into Kervak in the future.’

“Is that his real name?”

‘Yes.’

Carefully backing away, Darras moved swiftly down the stairs and out of the house, returning to the village of Treenock and the large building the Elves were using as a temple.

“So, this merchant Kervak is a servant of the Dark Lord?” Jovis nodded sagely after Darras briefed him. “And a feeder into Lamdras’ paranoia.”

“Yes,” Darras nodded. “Erren recommends a purification ritual to cleanse the village and its environs.”

“That won’t affect him, surely?”

“Him personally, no,” Darras replied. “His ability to influence anyone here, yes.”

“Ah, right, I’ll also set watchers on him.”

“He has accomplices; the local healer will identify them for you.”

“I’ll ask.”

“Be careful of them; they tried to shoot me with an arrow.”

“That’s all the reason I’ll need to ban them,” Jovis smiled coldly.

“I’ll be back if you need help,” Darras nodded, taking his leave.

“Hopefully, we won’t, but that’s good to know,” Jovis acknowledged.

“Land-King Trissal will return soon; he’ll need guidance to become his own person, not someone manipulated by an evil Elf.”

“This I know; Leandomus will help in this, too, I believe.”

“May Wenderos, lady of light, bless you in your endeavours, Jovis,” Darras said in his final benediction.

Darras made his way to the gateway, noting a lessening in the suspicions of the Elves he passed. When he arrived, Trissal was leaving the building, and Darras greeted him politely, suggesting that he see Jovis at his earliest convenience.

“I will go there now,” Trissal promised. “I’m glad you came.”

“Just be yourself, Trissal,” Darras smiled. “Wenderos will assuredly guide you.”

‘I will, ’ Erren confirmed.

“Welcome back, my love,” a smiling Erren greeted Darras.

“Not exactly a satisfactory situation I left behind,” Darras replied, accepting a hug.

“I know, but despite being my agent, settling with Kervak would have caused the local Elves to react and see you banned from Treenock and likely Kelnerim.”

“Yes, his ability to hide his nature could be an issue,” Darras nodded, reaching, and slipping into the pool.

“Definitely,” Erren agreed. “Though I’ll be able to monitor him for a while.”

“Good, if he becomes a nuisance again, I’ll find a way to end him.”

“I’m pretty sure he will; his nature will always be to cause mayhem on any target my brother sets him at.”

“Will the purification of Treenock work?”

“Yes, I’ll take personal care of it,” Erren replied. “He won’t be able to hide his nature in Treenock afterwards, same with his accomplices.”

“Knowing Elves, he’ll likely have to leave town in the dead of the night,” Darras chuckled.

“He will,” Erren smiled.

“Our attempts to cause issues in Kelnerim have failed, great one,” one of the Ubaids reported to Casal.

“What went wrong?” Casal hissed.

“The agent of the weak goddess turned up, removed the Priest-King and then targeted Kervak.”

“Kervak is dead?”

“No, but the new Priest-King has purified the environs with the goddess’s blessing, and Kervak can no longer mask his presence,” the Ubaid replied.