SWNOVELS Chapter 17: Preparing For The Worst
Those who fought alongside me, including Micah and Hector, returned to Goblin Goods. “We did it!” cheered Micah.
“Down with the Council!” cackled Hector.
“Indeed, we were victorious,” I stated. “But now, more than ever, we must keep a watchful eye. The remaining council members will want blood for blood spilt. So, we celebrate our victory tonight...for tomorrow we begin preparing for the worst.”
Some gave looks of worry, knowing that what I said was true. Punishment for our victory will be on its way soon, in the form of William Griffin and his Inquisitor task force. “You believe they will find us, here?” asked Hector concernedly.
“They will find us...and it won’t take them long. However, I ask you this...have I failed you thus far?”
Some spoke, “Of course not, Dark Lord,” while others nodded their head. They all agreed that I have been a wizard of my word. “Then, fear not my friends,” I continued. “I will handle what is to come...so, worry no more and let’s enjoy this day.”
I watched as the concern faded from everyone. They realized we have handled ourselves pretty well so far and will continue to face our enemies together. With the fear cast aside, we proceeded inside.
For our celebration, I conjured us a feast, with a whole roasted boar as the main course. I also conjured a few barrels of popular alcoholic drinks of the magical world, Honey Grog and Cosmic Champagne.
We ate, drank, laughed, and truly embraced each other’s company. It was like sitting with the family I longed for most of whole life. I raised my glass of champagne, that I had just for show. The liquid resembled the cosmos, dark and starry.
“To you, my family,” I saluted. “None of this would have been possible without you.”
“On the contrary my lord,” started Hector as he stood up. “None of this would have been possible without you...and that is why we live to serve.”
As Hector raised his pitcher of grog to me, the others stood up and did the same. “To you, Dark Lord,” Hector proudly toasted. They rest repeated his words.
“I think...” began Micah. “I think you should name our family.”
“Name?” I asked.
“Yes, the Inquisitors are to the Council of Magic. What are we to the Dark Lord?”
I thought on her question. “You are my Harbingers...”
She smiled, “I love it.”
“Then, here’s to you also, my Harbingers,” I toasted back. As the day turned into night, I said my farewells for the evening. I needed to meditate on a plan for our upcoming Inquisitor ambush.
In the middle of the night, as I devised a solid strategy, I was interrupted by lantern light. “Who is there?” I called out to the intruder in my tent.
“Gemma,” she spoke softly. “Should I come back in the morning?”
“That is alright...I am finished.”
“Meditating?”
“That and planning.”
“For the Inquisitors...”
“Yes, I expect them to be here within the week. What they’ll do, is weed out the weakest of us. They will find those with poorly managed identities. They will interrogate them, harshly. Then, they will come.”
“And you have a plan for this?”
“I do...” I said standing up. “All will be revealed in the morning.”
“Good,” she said stepping further into the tent. She placed her hand gently on my shoulder. “I-I am glad you are alright. I could see your duel with Wynonna from city hall. When she attacked you from the head of the statue, I feared...”
I turned to face her, “Do not think on it.” I brought my hand up, brushing her rosy cheek lightly. “I am here, with you, now. That is all that matters.”
“Corvin...” she spoke softly.
“Yes...”
She lifted my mask up, staring me right in the eyes. “I-I love you,” she said with a gasp, as if saying the words freed her in some way.
“I...” I hesitated at first, causing sorrow to enter her eyes. However, I quickly realized that my heart was pounding in my chest. I grabbed her hand and placed it on my chest, this surprised her.
“My heart...” I started. “It beats this way for you, Gemma Gorgon, and you alone. You are a guiding light through all this darkness and...I love you.”
She hopped into my arms, wrapping mine around her waist as she placed hers around my neck. Emotions soared as we kissed, my heart still dancing away. Gemma stayed the rest of the night with me.
The following morning I woke her, for she still needn’t to rest even though I didn’t. “Rise my dear,” I whispered to her. “It is time that I speak with everyone.”
“I’m up,” she yawned with a stretched. I waited for her to get up and get ready, before we both left my tent together. Everyone was still in their tents, but I could hear movements from within.
I unsheathed my wand and used Spara. As I put the wand up to my throat, “Come, we must meet to go over some things,” I said with an enhanced voice. Shortly after, many started to come out and join us.
Once everyone was present, I began to lay out the plan. “Within the week, we will have William Griffin and his task force at our front door,” I started. “But what he doesn’t know, is that I have already anticipated this...which means the element of surprise is switched into our favor.”
“We are going to fight them?” asked Micah in excited surprise.
“Not just that, we are going to turn their ambush around against them. Goblin Goods is lost to us, so why not go out with a bang.”
“I like the sound of that,” she grinned.
“They will attack in the dead of night,” I continued. “Therefore, I will set up a series of enchantment traps a long the perimeter. They will sound alarms, that only we can hear, if our enemies trigger them. I will also make sure they cannot teleport too close to the warehouse, giving us time as they approach.
Meanwhile, we will rig Goblin Goods to blow. We can make a small hole in the back wall, that we can flicker out. When they enter and the building blows, we will be gone.”
“But, where will we go?” asked a common follower.
“Micah and Hector will head out today and find us a suitable place to move. We will move most of our, important, possessions there tomorrow morning. Then, the rest shall proceed as follows...We will a have a new home already set up, the night they attack.”
“They won’t know what hit them!” said Hector happily.
“Yes, and they will think twice before attacking us again. So, most of you just go about your normal days...for now and know that everything is handled.”
As they returned to their daily routines, I began immediate preparations. As I walked out of the warehouse, I noticed there were footsteps coming from behind. I looked over my shoulder and saw Gemma, standing radiant in the morning sunlight.
“Do you need some help?” she asked.
“Your company will never be turned away,” I replied charmingly. This produced a smile on her face.
She stepped toward me,” Then, what are we doing first?”
“Anti-teleportation enchantments on the building. We are using a particular enchantment called Dysruption, that prevents our enemies from teleporting within twenty meters of where they’re placed. I will show you how to cast it.”
We walked to the middle of the front of the building, standing a few feet away. I unsheathed my wand, holding my arms out at my sides. As I brought them in closer to the center of my chest, “Dysruption,” I spoke.
A big symbol appeared, in a glow of green light. The symbol was of a tringle with three dots in each of its corners. I had successful placed the anti-teleportation enchantment.
Gemma helped me place the enchantment on the other three walls of the building. Then, we ventured out into the surrounding forestry. I stopped walking about five yards from Goblin Goods.
“This is where the first alarm goes,” I stated. “Use Tripliary with me.” I showed her how to cast the Trip Wire Enchantment. You had to draw the tripwire as you spoke the spell. She walked beside me, following my same path.
“Tripliary,” We both invoked. A tripwire of light appeared for a brief moment before vanishing. The spell, however, was still active and set to send off a high pitched noise when triggered. We created a few more before moving on.
We moved further into the woods, ten yards away from Goblin Goods. We made more tripwires here and some at twenty yards. This would instantly alert when the Inquisitors teleported in and we would know, from the other tripwires, as they get close to the warehouse.
After our preparations were complete, Gemma and I returned to Goblin Goods. We informed the others of our countermeasures, before joining them in relaxation. Micah and Hector eventually went off in the early afternoon to find us a second hideout. All was going according to plan...