Delver Magic: Book 06 - Pure Choice by Jeff Inlo

every fiber of his being felt as if it was
being consumed by the fire of a white hot star. He tried to pull away from the
sword, but the cursed delver could counteract his every retreat. Desperate, he
swung a free hand at the glowing blade, hoping to knock it away.
    Ryson countered by pulling the
blade away at the last instant and then stabbing at another vulnerable section
of the goblin's body. He danced about the monster's form, twirling about like a
whirlwind constrained to a localized area. He stabbed with deft accuracy,
always slicing the goblin's hide just enough to engulf the creature's soul with
enchanted fury but never thrusting the blade to cause an egregious wound to its
body.
    As Okyiq wailed in absolute
anguish, the surrounding goblins stared in disbelief. It appeared as if their
leader was being consumed by magical fire, a flame of glory that caused the
enormous goblin unimaginable pain. If their formidable leader could suffer in
such a manner, they could only envision what they might endure if the blazing
blade fell upon their own vulnerable bodies.
    Unwilling to face such a fate,
every goblin within Burbon raced toward the gate. They rushed forward, dropping
their sacks, many even dropping their simple weapons. They wished only for the
sanctuary of the forest and to free their ears of the horrible screams of their
suddenly abandoned leader.
    When the last goblin fled through
the gate, Ryson pulled his sword from Okyiq's skin but held the sharpened tip
menacingly toward the large goblin's face. The delver had a prisoner, one of
great value.
    With the raid over, Ryson's
curious nature bubbled to life. Questions erupted upon his consciousness. He
considered everything he faced on that turbulent evening, and he wanted
answers.
    "Why did you attack?"
    Okyiq looked with grave misgivings
at the point of the glowing blade, but he found the inner strength to ignore
the question. He turned his stare to the delver and remained in stony silence.
He did not wish to face the searing pain of the sword again. He would rather
slit his own throat, but he despised the delver and would not submit to the
demand.
    Ryson ignored the monster's
resolve. He realized the first question was too obvious. He saw the sacks, many
lying around the large goblin, dropped by nearly a dozen goblins that decided
to retreat without their leader. The delver could smell the contents, and so,
he knew the creature was there to steal food. With questions still feeding his
curiosity, Ryson turned his attention to the rest of the night's commotion.
    "Did you send the
rogues?" Ryson demanded in a voice just above a whisper, and he watched
the monster carefully.
    Okyiq had not known about the
river rogues, but it did not surprise him. He was well aware that something had
invoked the fear of the humans, something pressed them into greater concern.
From the delver's question, he finally knew what forced the odd human behavior
even before his raid began.
    Ryson immediately noticed the
goblin's sinister smile, but it only confused him further. It was not surprise
or denial he sensed within the expression of the monster, but something more
akin to sly satisfaction, as if Ryson had unwillingly revealed a secret. The
reaction served to elevate the delver's curiosity.
    "What do you know about the
rogues?!"
    Okyiq said nothing. He held up his
chin in pure defiance, stared into the eyes of the delver with pure hatred.
    Ryson feigned a light jab, but
never touched the goblin with his glowing blade. He made the threat of his
sword clear as he stared back with equal determination to learn the truth.
    The bulky goblin did not even
flinch. Okyiq inflated his chest as he snarled in total defiance. He would not
answer.
    Frustration exploded in the
delver's mind. He knew he couldn't force the goblin to speak, but he wanted
answers, needed answers. He decided
if he could not compel the monster to respond to threats, perhaps he could
persuade it... with the right