Read Online Hunters (Spirit Blade Part 1) by M. A. Nilles - Free Book Online
Authors: M. A. Nilles
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goblin returned with only a light splattering of dark liquid glinting on his clothes.
"They smell flesh," the goblin said in a voice deeper than she expected but no less grating on the ears.
"You can speak." Kaelen stood aside where he could watch the trees and the goblin.
"Demonlords far enough now."
"Then tell me what you came to say, before they get too close," Nadia said.
"Wark came not for High Lord of Je'Gri. This message for Guardian from Magworsh clan leader."
"Guardian?" Nadia looked to Kaelen for an answer, but he only shrugged.
"Leader sends warriors to find Guardians, First Ones."
"First Ones? Do you mean Old Ones?" The goblin Skar had referred to what humans called the Master Race as the Old Ones. Could this goblin, Wark, have another name for them?
"First Ones guard lesser races. Old Ones no more."
That was more unclear. If the Old Ones weren't the First Ones…"Who are the First Ones?"
The goblin's shoulders rose and fell with a heavy sigh, and he shook his head. "You must pass message to demonlords to reach Guardians. We observe bad things possible and First Ones needed to stop like long ago. Goblins observe, keep promises to Old Ones and Guardians."
Kaelen stepped back and pulled his hood away from a face displaying the surprise she felt. "Old Ones?"
"The Master Race," Nadia answered and turned back to Wark. "Is that why the goblins serve the demonlords?"
"Yes," he said as relief washed over him. "Goblins are keepers of ways of Old Ones, you call Master Race. You must tell demonlords. I travel to Gung Horsh clan."
"Who are the Guardians?" Kaelen asked.
Wark looked from him to her. "Leader does not know."
Kaelen stepped closer, his eyes spitting fire on the small demon. "Tell me."
The goblin stared at him, his eyes lulling into the familiar emptiness of a demon dispirited. "Demonlords."
"What demonlords?"
"Wark not told."
Kaelen glared at the goblin for several seconds but the goblin said nothing, until Nadia broke the spell by pushing Kaelen aside. The fool should have known better.
"He can't tell you what he doesn't know. Do you think their leaders would be stupid enough to reveal that for an Adept to discover? It's enough that he told us this much without—"
A rustle of grass drew her attention to where the goblin had stood.
Not a trace remained.
"You let him escape. We could have learned more," Kaelen growled.
"No, we couldn't," she argued, despite the guilt that she had broken the spell for the goblin to escape. She shouldn't have let him slip away like that, but at the same time, she wanted him to get away from Kaelen. If his purpose was to contact the Guardians he mentioned, maybe they were meant to stop the spiral into darkness she saw coming in the conflicts among demonlords and the Adepts who hoped to use it to their advantage. Maybe that's what the goblins also saw. It both relieved her and scared her that she might be right.
Kaelen directed his burning glare at her and returned to his horse. "Our leaders will need to know this."
"Great. Return to tell them."
"Not until…" He swung into the saddle. "…I get that dagger."
Nadia led her horse away to wait for the demonlords' return in the open, where any natters that approached would be easy to spot and destroy. "Then it looks like I'm stuck with you a while longer."
"I'm not complaining."
She was, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her upset.
"Start cutting up some wood if you're staying. We could use a fire."
He made no move, nor did the horse. Nadia waited as the song of the night played softly over the land with the gentle rustle of the wind through the grass, insects chirping, and occasional bird or ground squirrel squeaking faintly.
But she saw no indications of the demonlords returning yet.
They would return. Lord Je'Kaoron wouldn't abandon her, unlike the man left with her.
After a long silence, the creak of leather preceded the thump of feet on the ground. Steps shushed through tall
"They smell flesh," the goblin said in a voice deeper than she expected but no less grating on the ears.
"You can speak." Kaelen stood aside where he could watch the trees and the goblin.
"Demonlords far enough now."
"Then tell me what you came to say, before they get too close," Nadia said.
"Wark came not for High Lord of Je'Gri. This message for Guardian from Magworsh clan leader."
"Guardian?" Nadia looked to Kaelen for an answer, but he only shrugged.
"Leader sends warriors to find Guardians, First Ones."
"First Ones? Do you mean Old Ones?" The goblin Skar had referred to what humans called the Master Race as the Old Ones. Could this goblin, Wark, have another name for them?
"First Ones guard lesser races. Old Ones no more."
That was more unclear. If the Old Ones weren't the First Ones…"Who are the First Ones?"
The goblin's shoulders rose and fell with a heavy sigh, and he shook his head. "You must pass message to demonlords to reach Guardians. We observe bad things possible and First Ones needed to stop like long ago. Goblins observe, keep promises to Old Ones and Guardians."
Kaelen stepped back and pulled his hood away from a face displaying the surprise she felt. "Old Ones?"
"The Master Race," Nadia answered and turned back to Wark. "Is that why the goblins serve the demonlords?"
"Yes," he said as relief washed over him. "Goblins are keepers of ways of Old Ones, you call Master Race. You must tell demonlords. I travel to Gung Horsh clan."
"Who are the Guardians?" Kaelen asked.
Wark looked from him to her. "Leader does not know."
Kaelen stepped closer, his eyes spitting fire on the small demon. "Tell me."
The goblin stared at him, his eyes lulling into the familiar emptiness of a demon dispirited. "Demonlords."
"What demonlords?"
"Wark not told."
Kaelen glared at the goblin for several seconds but the goblin said nothing, until Nadia broke the spell by pushing Kaelen aside. The fool should have known better.
"He can't tell you what he doesn't know. Do you think their leaders would be stupid enough to reveal that for an Adept to discover? It's enough that he told us this much without—"
A rustle of grass drew her attention to where the goblin had stood.
Not a trace remained.
"You let him escape. We could have learned more," Kaelen growled.
"No, we couldn't," she argued, despite the guilt that she had broken the spell for the goblin to escape. She shouldn't have let him slip away like that, but at the same time, she wanted him to get away from Kaelen. If his purpose was to contact the Guardians he mentioned, maybe they were meant to stop the spiral into darkness she saw coming in the conflicts among demonlords and the Adepts who hoped to use it to their advantage. Maybe that's what the goblins also saw. It both relieved her and scared her that she might be right.
Kaelen directed his burning glare at her and returned to his horse. "Our leaders will need to know this."
"Great. Return to tell them."
"Not until…" He swung into the saddle. "…I get that dagger."
Nadia led her horse away to wait for the demonlords' return in the open, where any natters that approached would be easy to spot and destroy. "Then it looks like I'm stuck with you a while longer."
"I'm not complaining."
She was, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her upset.
"Start cutting up some wood if you're staying. We could use a fire."
He made no move, nor did the horse. Nadia waited as the song of the night played softly over the land with the gentle rustle of the wind through the grass, insects chirping, and occasional bird or ground squirrel squeaking faintly.
But she saw no indications of the demonlords returning yet.
They would return. Lord Je'Kaoron wouldn't abandon her, unlike the man left with her.
After a long silence, the creak of leather preceded the thump of feet on the ground. Steps shushed through tall
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