Oz ran for over an hour before the hill fort came into view. The cursed oath never let him slow down or stop to rest, but the oath to Andebert kept the cursed oath from overwhelming his mind. Over the long run, he had little to do other than think. It seemed to Oz that the two oaths were competing but would not come into conflict directly unless he revealed one of Andebert’s secrets or violated an order. He was not able to resist the compulsion from the cursed oath.
Oz was sure that he could not defeat Andy in a fight, and he didn’t want to. Oz didn’t know for sure that Andy would attack the delvers, but the cursed oath seemed completely sure of it. Oz didn’t know what he would do when he ran into Andy. Perhaps he could ‘protect’ the delvers by begging Andy to not attack and listen to an explanation? As he drew closer to the hill fort, Oz discovered an additional concern. He felt sure that he should have run into Andy by now if Andy was heading to the delvers’ location. If Andy wasn’t on the road, where was he? Would Oz violate the cursed oath just by choosing the wrong route?
Oz ran by several people on the road. Most stared openly at his glowing spear and his sweat drenched clothes, but none stopped him until he reached the foot of the hill. The woman who had escorted Oz in the dungeon several months ago stepped out in front of him and motioned him to stop. Oz felt the cursed oath demand that he fight or run past her to find Andebert, but he frantically forced an idea out from his mind and into the oath: I need to know where Andy went. She will know. He stumbled to a halt in front of the woman and gasped out a question. “Where is Andy?” He repeated the question a few times until the woman understood him.
“The Hill Lord isn’t here.” She said. She had a confused expression as she examined his spear. “He left to deal with something.”
“WHERE?” Oz nearly shouted.
She frowned at him. “Why do you ask?”
This question caused a bit of an issue with the two oaths. The cursed oath wanted to stop Andebert but also didn’t want any new enemies to find the delvers. The System oath wouldn’t allow Oz to reveal his secret orders to infiltrate the delvers. Oz’s thoughts spun. He tried to answer with only a vague truth.
“I have to stop him.” That was true, the cursed oath was forcing him. “It’s not safe.” That was also true, for several reasons. Oz desperately hoped this would be enough.
The woman’s expression cleared a little, but she didn’t seem concerned. “The Hill Lord will be fine.”
“NO!” The cursed oath shouted at the woman and pushed Oz to attack her. He managed to hold it off long enough for one more word. “Please!”
The woman showed the first sign of concern. She took in his exhausted and sweaty condition as well as his odd spear and desperate expression. She gave a small shrug and pointed back the way Oz had come. “He’s responding to an alert from the wizard. A danger from some group of people.” She described the location of the delvers’ roundhouses but Oz cut her off.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
“I just came from there, I didn’t meet him on the road.” The cursed oath was impatient.
“He would have left the road and circled around to approach undetected. You probably just missed him if you ran the whole way here.” She started to say something more, but Oz had turned and dash away. Before he got out of range, however, she sent a cast of Haste towards him.
----------------------------------------
Oz nearly couldn’t breathe due to a pain in his side. His legs and feet burned and he shuffled down the road as quickly as he could. The Haste had helped him make the return run much faster, but it had worn off about halfway back to the roundhouses. The cursed oath couldn’t force his body to move any faster now but did not relent or allow him rest. Oz worried that he would collapse before he got back to the delvers. If he couldn’t ‘protect’ the delvers, he couldn’t keep the oath.
Finally, he passed by the roundhouses and started on the path to the cave. The small hill with the cave came into view around a patch of trees. Andebert stood on the top of the hill with his bow drawn, aimed directly at the wizard just outside the cave. The delvers floated between the wizard and the hill lord, forming a shield with their bodies. They were wrapped in red light and seemed unable to move. Andebert shouted something down to the wizard, but Oz couldn’t hear it. His breathing was ragged as he limped along the path to the cave. The wizard turned his head as he heard Oz. Andebert leapt sideways to try and exploit the wizard’s distraction, but the shield of bodies moved automatically to stay between the two men.
The wizard laughed loudly as Oz drew nearer. He shouted up at Andebert. “Here comes my final pawn! I suppose I was overly optimistic to hope he could surprise you and stab you with that spear. Poor boy seems to be in rough shape.” The wizard’s mocking sing-song voice was high and clear. “Here is what will happen. You will kill these innocent persons.” He gestured at the delvers. “You will kill your dear cousin.” He pointed at Oz. “And then I will kill you.” The wizard laughed again.
Oz, exhausted and near his breaking point, felt hot hatred fill his mind. He struggled up the path towards Andebert and the wizard. The wizard had forced Oz into this awful oath and now intended to throw away the lives of the delvers. A part of Oz was surprised to find that he was offended that the wizard had planned the assassination so poorly that Oz had to run to the hill fort and back.
Andebert shouted down at the wizard again. “Why would I kill Osmund?” He paced sideways along the hilltop, trying to find a gap in the shifting shield.
“He has no choice but to try and stop you!” The wizard cackled. “The fool swore an oath to me! Here, let me help you get started.” The wizard gestured and Tarka’s body shot towards the hill lord. Andebert easily dodged, and Tarka screamed as he flew over the hill.
Oz continued his scramble up the hill, nearly to the cave. He glared at the wizard’s back. This wizard was a danger to everyone, even the delvers. Oz stumbled and fell as black lightning hit his brain.
The wizard wasn’t a delver.
Oz got his knees under himself and grabbed his spear.
The wizard wanted Andy to kill the delvers.
Oz levered himself to his feet, breathing hard.
Andy is trying not to kill the delvers, even now.
Oz stepped forward. The wizard shifted to the side to allow Oz to continue up the hill toward Andebert.
The wizard was an enemy of the delvers.
The cursed oath, the oath to Andy, and Oz all shoved the spear through the wizard’s back.
Three things happened at once. The light on the spear flashed brighter than the sun. The delvers fell to the ground. Andy’s arrow took the wizard in the eye.
Oz felt the cursed oath snap and the pressure around his heart vanished. He slumped to the ground. Several System messages flashed through his mind as he lost consciousness.
_ You have Gained a Level _
_ You have Gained a Level _
_ You have Gained a Level… _