New Life, New Hope (2)

Ulicoth raised his hands and suddenly two extremely large caverns appeared in the mountains at either side of him. In them were thousands upon thousands of Lores, Goblins, Cave and Mountain Trolls, Imps, and Wroulwert Trolls, which were like Mountain Trolls, only of normal size.

The alliance members were once again running back to where Henkot and a handful of volunteers were doing their best to heal the wounded. And this time Delsani was with them. The sight of Ulicoth's true army had them all running scared.

"RUN LIKE THE LITTLE ANTS YOU ARE!" shouted Ulicoth triumphantly, for to him that was what they looked like, frightened little ants scurrying away. Ulicoth did not give his troops the order to move. He thought it pleasurable to watch them for the moment anyway, knowing that it was he and he alone that held the power to decide whether to let them live or to destroy them in a few last minutes.

"Having fun?" asked Kilamen, who had just come through the door.

"You know me. I like to watch them squirm," said Ulicoth. "Where have you been?"

"Putting Cellock back and seeing to his injury," replied Kilamen lengthily.

"And?" asked Ulicoth.

"He was dealt a harmful blow," replied Kilamen. "I thought that the only way to hurt or kill a Dragon was to hit it in the chest, stomach, or eyes. For their wings are as tough as their scales."

Ulicoth said nothing.

"So when do we move on them?" asked Kilamen briskly.

"Let's let them stew for a little longer," replied Ulicoth calmly.

At that time, the allies had no idea how they would defeat such a force.

"What do we do now, Delsani?" asked Avelan and Bacnil together.

"Why is it always up to the Wizards?" asked Eiaten angrily. "After all, their great Prophecy was false. And here you both still ask them for advice."

The Wizards were furious that the Dwarf had called the Prophecy false, even though most of them had thought the same thing, though they never would have said it out loud. The Wizards were staring at Delsani, wondering what words he would have for the Dwarf lord.

However, the Wizard said nothing. He walked over to Henkot, who was comforting Saren. He soon moved away from his distraught wife and struck up a conversation with the old Wizard. Then when they had finished, each went to their own people. Some looked shocked at whatever they had to say. Most of the Witches and Wizards were shaking their heads, and others shouted in disbelief. Others just stood with their mouths ajar in shock. 

Delsani merely ignored them and walked back and stood with Bacnil, Avelan and Eiaten, unmoved by what was going on around him. For he was now deep in thought and casting his mind back to the last time he saw the Prophecies, trying to see if there was anything that he had missed. After a few more minutes, he slowly raised his head and said, "The second Prophecy is not false. It just hasn't happened yet."

"Nor shall it, or are you forgetting that the one that you said would be the one to fulfil the Prophecy is dead?" said Eiaten anxiously.

"No," said Delsani, staring down at the Dwarf, "I haven't, nor will I ever forget the Wizard-Elf Jastark, for he was like a second son to me. Nor will I forget that it was I who persuaded him that he was the one in the Second Prophecy or that he alone faced the evil Ulicoth and Kilamen combined and paid with his life."

Eiaten now felt sorry for the Wizard and said no more of it.

"I would like to remind all of you that there are two Prophecies, and we tried to bring around the second because we didn't want to sit and wait to be attacked," said Delsani loudly so all could hear. "And may I also remind you that in the first Prophecy it states, and I quote, 'the dark shadow of Salith would return by the fault of another evil, and this evil would assemble an enormous and destructive force. And the races of Dorminya would suffer terrible losses of life, and this would plunge our world into darkness.' And if I do say so myself, it doesn't get any darker than this."

"So what you're saying is that by coming here, we have brought around the First Prophecy instead of the second?" said Avelan.

"Exactly," said Delsani.

"There is still the matter of the death of John Stark, and you said that he was the last in the line of Thoucil and Dragdani. If that is true then, who is left to fulfill the Second Prophecy?" asked Bacnil curiously.

"Think," whispered Delsani, so that only Avelan, Bacnil, and Eiaten could hear him. "John is dead. Therefore he obviously cannot be the one. But he was married. And only someone with his blood could be the one."

"A child," whispered Avelan, looking as though he had just won first place in a quiz.

"I hope so," said the old Wizard. "I think that Ulicoth somehow knows, and if so. Then Helen and the child could be great in danger. I will need to leave you all," said Delsani just as a letter landed beside him and was now running on its bottom corners as if they were feet. It was jumping up near Delsani when the Wizard grabbed it and ripped it open.

Delsani I regret to inform you that Helen Stark wife of the late John Stark has been attacked by one of our people who had been somehow controlled by Ulicoth.

However, she has been treated for the wounds she sustained and is responding well to her treatment. She and her unborn child should fully recover without any further trouble.

Your friend,

The Grand Wizard,

Jaucal

S.

I have enclosed something you may find useful.

Good luck, old friend.

As soon as Delsani had read the letter, it turned into a small plant.

"There is a child," said Delsani brightly. "And Ulicoth knows it." And before anyone could say anything, the Wizard ran to the Witches who were gathered around a small dented old copper cauldron.

"Quickly, tell me, have you added the substitute ingredient yet?" said Delsani hastily.

"No, not yet," said Henkot. "Why? Is there something wrong?"

"No, on the contrary, everything's right, for now anyway. We no longer need it; we have the real thing," said Delsani as he handed the plant to the Warlock. "How long until it's ready?"

"That depends on whether we put the right amount in the potion," said Saren.

Delsani pulled Henkot to one side. "Are you sure that Saren is all right to make the potion?"

"I'm not sure, but I do know that Saren is the best potion maker I've ever known. Besides I think she needs to do this."

Delsani nodded. "Fine." He walked back to the other Ves-guard generals, and again it looked as though he was trying to convince them of something that seemed to upset them. Nevertheless, they all walked over to the Witches.

Delsani went and stood with Prince Bacnil, Avelan, and Eiaten again.

"What's going on?" asked Bacnil loudly.

"I may be an old Wizard, Bacnil, but I am not deaf," said Delsani.

"You said that there is a child, and that Ulicoth knows about it," said Avelan. "My question is why then, did he not attack the mother and child? And why all of this?"

"First, he did attack Helen Stark and her unborn child. The attempt failed, and both mother and child are fine. That was what the letter was about," said Delsani in a low voice.

"And second, the reason for all of this is simple. He needed to steal the power of a Wizard-Elf to make himself strong again. And as the person in question would most likely never fully recover, he could not use Kilamen. So when his spy had told him of John, Ulicoth saw his chance and took it.

"The third reason is also simple. Ulicoth wanted us to leave Helen and her unborn child almost defenceless by luring most of the Wizards and Witches that work in the towers here. Thus he could order his spy to kill the real target and threat. And then there is the fact that Ulicoth is so vain that he wanted us to see this great knew force that he alone commands. But his vanity shall spell the beginning of the end for him.

"For as they say, New Life, New Hope"

"What do you mean? How can we possibly defeat such an enemy even if he were to let us go? We still would not be able to raise a force to even half of his," said Eiaten grimly, "or have you forgotten that the other cities of men didn't want to join us in this?"

"No, I've not forgotten, and if you had let me finish, I would have told you that there is a way to stop Ulicoth's army before he can release them upon our world," said Delsani. "Remember the letter that turned into a plant?"

"Yes, it looked like Huerpul," said Avelan.

"Huerpul," repeated Eiaten fearfully; "is forbidden for Wizards or Witches to even possess, by the treaty that my father and the leaders of the other races signed in the towers of Telian," stated the Dwarf angrily.

"I know. You sound frightened and a little angry, but you must understand that if there were any other options, I would gladly hear them. However, there is not, and we do not have the time to think of one, for Ulicoth will grow weary of us and will most certainly destroy us, and then all of our worlds, one after the other. This will be our only opportunity to hold Ulicoth back, to give the child of John and Helen Stark time to grow and fulfil the Second Prophecy," said Delsani.

"If you are proposing that we make death mist. Then I'm with Eiaten. I do not want to be partly responsible for introducing that horror back into our world," said Bacnil.

"This version of the death mist that we are creating will be temporary. We couldn't produce the real thing even if we wanted to. For we do not, nor would we want to know too much about the dark arts of Salith," said Delsani. "But we do know how to defend against the dark arts."

"But are you sure that you can defend against the death mist?" asked Avelan. "Although I agree with the other two, I see that there is no other option. Not that I'm questioning your abilities or the abilities of the others."

"As I said, it will not be the real thing. Therefore it will easily be dispersed," said Delsani slowly, as though it might help them understand.

"Will Ulicoth not be able to disperse it as easily?" asked Bacnil.

"No. Before we release it, each Witch and Wizard will put protection spells on the potion, which will mean that only we can defend against it. And without knowing what spells were used, it would take days, perhaps even weeks to break through them all, and by then we'll be long gone," said Delsani.

Before any of them could say anything else, Henkot shouted, "IT IS ALMOST READY. ALL WE NEED IS YOUR PROTECTION SPELL!"

Delsani turned and waved. Then he looked back to the other leaders. "I will not do this without your approval. It's now or never."