The Rage : Forgotten Realms The Year of Rogue Dragons, Book 1 By Richard Lee Byers

[Music] this is audible audible frontiers presents the rage the year of rogue dragons book one written by richard lee byers narrated by melissa risian frank the rage is nearly upon us all the portents say so those of us with the proper gifts can see it in the shape of the clouds or hear it in the murmur of the rivers every divination points to it many of you can feel it in your restlessness and ill-temper in the vile pictures that rise unbidden in your mind i witness it in my dreams whenever i can bear to sleep a rage is surely coming the greatest ever a madness that will overwhelm every one of us as completely as it will our evil kindred we must protect the small folk from our fury prologue 12 flame rule the year of moon fall 1344 dr the world changed in an instant before that moment it seemed to dawn grey brook that life was perfect the nine-year-old boy rarely escaped his round of chores in the master's cheerless house and it was only to run errands through the city with its surly crowds and high gray walls that blocked the sun today though open expanses of tall grass shimmering in the summer heat rolled away on either side of the dusty road the snow crowned dragon spine mountains rose far ahead and sometimes dorne caught a glimpse of the purple blue waters of the moon sea to the north he was outside truly outside and he loved it the best thing of all though was the change the journey evoked in his parents at home they often seemed sad and weary worn down by their years of servitude mother who'd opted to walk for a time among the half dozen guards sang songs as father drove the wagon he joked with the boy seated beside him and told him things about the countryside sometimes the balding bondsman with the wry intelligent face even let doran take the reins and guide the two dappled horses himself priam said look he pointed up at the western sky the leader of the guards priam was a lanky mercenary with a fierce trap of a mouth he'd slain many a bandit and goblin in defense of the master's trade goods and everyone admired his courage but his voice was subtly different as if he had to struggle to keep it steady dorne peered upward at first he couldn't see what the fuss was all about then he spotted the specks streaking along against the blue when he squinted he could make out the long tails serpentine necks and beating wings are they dragons father asked reigning in the team his voice was different too quavering higher pitched and though he was a clerk not a warrior like priyam somehow his fear alarmed dorne even more than the mercenaries had yes priyam said the other guard started babbling all at once weeping ill mater father said what do we do get off the road mother suggested her braided red hair glowing like flame she seemed a little calmer than the men hide in the tall grass and keep quiet the grass isn't likely to hide us from something soaring overhead priem replied still it's worth a try the storm lord knows we can't outrun the things he cast about then gestured with the broad steel head of his spear that spot looks as good as any everybody move they moved and dorne saw that priyam was right it was a bad hiding place people could crouch down in the grass but the horses and wagons stuck up over the top father applied the break then climbed down to stand with the team he stroked them and crooned them trying to keep them calm every few seconds he fingered the hilt of the broadsword hanging at his side he always wore it when he traveled but dorne had never seen him practice with it or even draw it from its bronze scabbard mother led dorne away from the wagon to hunker down on the ground now she said to dorne you just have to be very still the boy's heart pounded in his chest and his mouth was dry he had to swallow before he could speak are we going to die no she said the dragons may not come this way even if they do they probably won't notice us or take any interest in us we're just being safe all right he said though he could tell she was acting more confident than she felt one of them swinging this way said a black bearded spearman bugger this said another guard a sharp featured young man named jenks let's scatter it can't catch all of us yes it can priyam said it's fast enough so would you rather fight it by yourself or with your comrades beside you i'll wind up just as dead either way said jenks but he stayed put the next minute or two crawled by and everything started happening very fast or at least it felt that way the approaching dragon changed course again to fly directly at the travelers it swooped lower shivering despite the hot sun dorne could make out the color of its glinting scales red like blood when i tell you mother said i want you to run away through the grass and whatever happens don't look back prim said that we mustn't scatter but you're small and you'll have a head start the creature could easily overlook you what about you and father we'll be fine she lied he thought she'd never lied to him before that day and suddenly she was doing it over and over we'll find you when the trouble's over you aren't guards you could run too just do what i tell you like some terrible shooting star the dragon plunged down to just a few yards above the ground until then doran hadn't been able to tell how huge it actually was huge enough to make the humans before it looked like mice scurrying about below a scarlet lion its amber eyes shone like molten lava and its neck frills and wings were ash blue at the edges its stank of sulfur and burning despite father's efforts the horses went mad they wrenched themselves free of his hold and nearly knocked him over as they wheeled to flee dragging the wagon with its locked front wheels jolting along behind them he let them go and unsheathed his sword a couple of the guards panicked and likewise tried to run the red dragon turned its wedge-shaped head almost lazily regarded them then puffed out a jet of yellow flame at them they dropped instantly without so much as a scream to lie withered and black among the beginnings of a crackling grass fire priyam through his spear it bounced off the scales on the worm's neck bring it down he shouted to the other guards and they started casting their own lances now mother said run she gave dorn a shove and he obeyed her he was too scared to do anything else yet he didn't run far perhaps he didn't have it in him to abandon the only people he loved in the whole world the only people who loved him in any event after a few strides panting and shaking he turned back around to see what was happening the scarlet dragon was on the ground but not as best dorne could tell because anyone had brought it down no one had yet succeeded in hurting it at all it had simply chosen to land it slashed with its claws and pulled jenx's insides out of his belly its gigantic jaws bit prim's head off after that there weren't any more guards just father holding his sword in an awkward two-handed grip and mother sprinting to join him without any weapon at all spending their lives to buy their son another moment to run dorne couldn't bear such a sacrifice on his behalf he had to stand with them die with them he ran back toward his parents and the dragon he was a fast runner but not fast enough before he could close the distance the worm caught father in its fangs it chewed him up and swallowed him down spitting out the broadsword a moment later the blade bent from the pressure of its jaws mother snatched up the ruined weapon and hacked at the dragon with it the reptile puffed malodorous flame into her face she staggered a step and collapsed her hair burning the flesh of her head and shoulders running like melted candle wax fists clenched dorne hurled himself at the worm he never got a chance to hit it it met him with a flick of its talons and hurled him to the ground to his surprise he wasn't dead but when he tried to get up he couldn't the throbbing pain started a second later he'd fallen with his face pointed toward his mother he watched the dragon eat her not gobbling her all at once as it had his father but rather picking her apart and devouring her a piece at a time he could have shut his eyes he still had that much control over his damaged body but he chose to watch something had changed in him agony and grief racked him but he wasn't afraid of the dragon anymore terror had given way to hatred and he glared at it as if in the hope that his malice alone could kill it when it finished with his mother it pivoted toward him chapter 1 16 hammer the year of rogue dragons 1373 dr cara jerked upright and her wounded arm and shoulder throbbed how long had she dozed long enough for the air to grow cold despite the miserly fire dying in the fieldstone hearth or perhaps it was the bleeding that made her feel a chill blood had soaked her tattered velvet sleeve and dripped down to spatter the sawdust strewn around the floor the smell of it mixed with the ambient odors of eye stinging smoke and stale beer hoping to discover some sign of imminent assistance the willowy woman with the flowing silver blonde hair peered around the tap room no one was there but the same six surly looking men she'd observed before sipping their ale and watching her from the shadows alarmed she raised a numb trembling hand mandel the taverner a gaunt man with spiky grizzled hair ambled to her table he gave her a smile that didn't quite reach his shifty eyes patience made he said the healer is surely on his way well he ought to be kara thought she'd promised mandel a ruby brooch from her pouch if he would find help for her still she was starting to wonder are you certain she asked you saw the messenger leave to fetch him but it's been a long while perhaps i should seek the temple myself she tried to rise the dizziness assailed her she might not have made it to her feet even if mandel hadn't gripped her shoulder and held her down you're too weak to walk anywhere he said you don't know your way around you'll refund and these dark streets are freezing cold just wait it will be all right very well in her dazed depleted condition acquiescence was easier than resistance and in any case maybe he'd offered good advice perhaps it was simply fear that made her feel it was folly to stay there though she'd suffered serious injury before she had little experience of dread and the way it could unsettle one's judgment many things were changing and none of them for the better more mulled wine he asked she shook her head the drink might warm her and ease her pain but she was reluctant to dull her senses any further mandel shrugged and wandered off to huddle and whisper with his friends then at last the door creaked open cara wrenched herself around so quickly it gave her torn flesh an excruciating twinge an instant later she felt an even crueler pang of disappointment two strangers stood framed in the doorway the halfling no larger than a human child his heart-shaped face framed by curly black lovelocks wore leather armor and carried a war sling and a curved broad-bladed hunting sword the tall and brawny man behind him sported what amounted to half a suit of iron plate armor affixed to the left side of his body the uppermost portion conformed to the contours of his head but lower down the sleeves of metal encasing his arm and leg were so massive it was a wonder even such a giant could bear the weight it made him look lopsided with the knuckle spikes and claws jutting from his gauntlet further contributing to the appearance of grotesque asymmetry they looked around the grubby cheerless tavern as if inclined to turn up their noses and go elsewhere then however the halfling noticed cara and frowning hurried toward her what happened he asked concern evident in his clear tenor voice i was attacked on the road just outside of town she said she hoped he wouldn't press for details she felt too weak and muddled to weave any more lies you need help he said and right now we already took care of it said the taverner a priest is on the way you're sure i have a friend we're sure mandel said well even so it will do no harm to fetch pavel also i told you the taverner said she's going to be fine so why don't you run along and let her rest i'm not keen on being told to run along the small stranger replied as his hand eased toward the staghorn hilt of his sword what i'm telling you is this place is closed to give the poor injured maid some peace and quiet chairs scraped and squeaked as the taverns other patrons pushed back from their tables plainly if the halfling opted to defy the host he'd have to reckon with the rest of the men as well the halfling looked to his companion and asked what do you think plainly they're lying the man in the iron armor said they mean the last ill which is none of our affair but i reckon you want to make it so well up to now it's been a dull night the halfling turned back to the denizens of the tavern and said if you choose you can turn the lass along with her coin and belongings over to us and live for a moment the knaves were silent then they whooped with laughter and why not the huge man presented a bizarre daunting appearance but it didn't change the fact that the outlaws outnumbered the intruders seven to two you really should think about it the halfling said my friend is dorne greybrook and i'm will turnstone mandel sneered and said never heard of you will glanced at dorne i told you we should have bribed a few bards to spread tales of our exploits said the halfling if you insist on doing this dorne rasped let's do it dorne yanked his bastard sword from its pewter scabbard the blade was long and heavy designed so a strong warrior could wield it with two hands or one doran opted for the ladder tactic using the arm that merely wore leather to the weapon behind him the one sheathed in iron he extended toward his foes meanwhile will pulled his war sling from his belt it seemed a poor weapon with which to fight long odds at close quarters just as the halfling himself looked puny compared to the human scoundrels but if will was frightened cara couldn't tell it he grinned as if relishing the chance to prove his medal kill them mandel said the outlaws charged and as they scrambled forward they changed the transformation happened fast still cara glimpsed thin black gray fur spreading over skin faces jutting into beastial snouts front teeth swelling into chisel-like incisors whiskers and thin hairless tails springing into being in an instant her captors those still scuttling on two legs and capable of gripping weapons had cast off a goodly portion of their humanity and become a mix of man and rodent the transformation from man to wear rat dispelled any lingering doubts kara might have had as to whether mandel and his cronies truly did mean to hurt her she had to help the strangers fight on her behalf she groggily heaved herself to her feet called a spell to mind and an earthen jug smashed against her forehead one of the rat men had seen her rise and had thrown the missile at her she collapsed to the floor in a shower of shards and pungent spirit stunned she tried to flounder onto all fours but her limbs wouldn't obey her she could only lie and watch the fight unfold her would-be rescuers looked unfazed by the rap men's metamorphosis dorne stood motionless as the shape-shifters rushed him then just as they were about to close he sprang forward it was remarkable that such a hulking heavily armored man could pounce so quickly and it caught the wear rats by surprise he swung his fist in a backhand blow and the knuckle spikes on the gauntlet crunched into a lycanthrope skull evidently the iron glove was enchanted for the creature's normal resistance to any but silver weapons did nothing to protect it flung backward it sprawled inert its head bloody and battered out of shape three more shapeshifters hacked and stabbed at dorne it seemed inevitable that one of them would penetrate the big man's guard but he swept the gauntlet back and forth blocking and parrying the attacks for as long as it took to bull his way out of the center of his remaining foes that accomplished he came back on guard as he had before armored hand extended before him sword poised behind carr appeared to see if will was faring as well for a moment she failed to spot the little halfling himself just the three rap men scrambling in pursuit that was because he was taking evasive action dodging behind or ducking under furniture using his size to his advantage making it difficult for his screeching chattering manifestly frustrated foes to close with him indeed he was so adept at the tactic that for a moment they lost track of him altogether as they crouched to look under one table he leaped on top of another then gave a piercing whistle they lifted their heads and he spun the war sling cara didn't see the stone fly but it was obvious from the way two of the lycanthropes jerked that the missile had hit one then skipped to strike the other swords raised beady scarlet eyes blazing the rat men rushed forward will stood his ground long enough to hurl another rock which made a double crack as it impacted not just one skull but two evidently like dorne's gauntlet the stones were enchanted for one shapeshifter swayed and crumpled sideways overturning a rickety chair as it fell alas that still left two assailants who finally lunged close enough to strike will however somersaulted off the edge of the table before the leaping blades could touch him he landed on the floor as neatly as a tumbler in a carnival then ran tails dragging through the sawdust the rat men scuttled after by then dorne's gauntlet was bloody from claw tips to wrist evidence of the vicious efficiency with which he employed it he snatched and a rat man with a gashed gory chest frantically sidestepped only to discover that the mauling grab had merely been a faint the human swung his hand and a half sword at the creature's shoulder and sheared its long skinny arm off the rat man went down gore pumping from the stump one of its comrades pounced desperate to drive its dagger into dorne's back before the human could come back on guard dorne somehow sensed the attack coming and snapped his elbow backward into the creature's ribs weighted with iron the blow caved in the wear rat's chest that left the biggest of the pack who snarled and drove in hard foam flying from its gaping jaws will was down to a single opponent too but that one had finally managed to push him into a corner still smiling the halfling drew his hunting sword the weapon seemed sized for a human and cara assumed a smaller fighter would have to wield it two-handed but it wasn't so apparently the sword was one of the small folks enchanted horn blades so light and exquisitely balanced that its relative largeness was no impediment but the rap man's broadsword was longer still as were its limbs it poised itself at just the proper distance to exploit its advantage in reach then began rather cautiously cutting and slashing will parried but couldn't reach the shapeshifter with a repost after a moment he darted forward it was what the werewt wanted him to do the creature hopped backward and swung its blade in a low murderous stop cut will dived under the blow rolled back to his feet and raced on into striking range before his amazed opponent could recover the hornblade ripped open the shape changer's belly at almost the same instant dorne caught his remaining opponent's blade in his armored fingers gave it a cunning squeeze and twist and snapped it in two disarmed the lycanthrope recoiled dorne bounded after it and gripped the long wire wrapped hilt of his sword with both hands his final stroke flung the wear rat's severed head tumbling through the air both dorne and will took a look around evidently making sure all their foes were dead or incapacitated then they came to check on cara and she goggled in amazement she recognized that dorne wasn't really wearing plate on the left side of his body rather someone had replaced his limbs of flesh and bone with appendages of iron cast all in a single piece and granted mobility by enchantment below the neck it was impossible to tell precisely where artifice ended and nature began his done leather brigandine and breeches hid the joins but his square heavy-jawed green-eyed face displayed the vaguely sickening dividing line where metal fused to skin noticing cara's astonishment he scowled or maybe that was simply his habitual expression will knelt beside her and asked how are you holding up she tried to answer but slid into darkness instead as gorstag helder stepped out into the night freshly fallen snow crunched beneath his souls soon enough his feet would be cold for his thin sheep boots wouldn't keep out the chill he hadn't possessed enough silver to pay for both warmth and the latest style he wouldn't mind chilled feet if he could finally slip out of town his report was more than a 10-day overdue he let the sal door swing shut behind him sealing in the clatter of practice blades the babble of conversation the music of glaur longhorn and hand drum and the shrill laughter of a and surveyed the benighted street his heart sank because fervendal eastmere was sitting on the edge of a frozen horse trough awaiting him gorstag couldn't figure out whether his brothers thought they needed to keep an eye on him or were simply making an effort to bring the newest initiate fully into the fold either way the effect was the same they sought him out so relentlessly he could scarcely visit the jake's unsupervised let alone sneak out into the countryside well he mustn't let his frustration show he arranged his narrow long-nosed features into a smile and hurried toward his comrade who rose and met him with a mushy hand clasp both men were young and wore their capes thrown back defying the cold to display their fashionable slashed doublets and their equally motive rapiers canted at just the proper angle but in other ways they made a contrast fervendal had a plump frame waxed curling mustachioes and flaunted genuine velvets and gems gorstag was thin he hoped it made him look athletic rather than like someone who periodically starved for want of funds clean shaven and a creature of cheaply woven tripe and paste well met gorstag said how was the fencing fervendal replied fine did you and tegan nightwind have a chance to talk yes they'd spoken at some length in fact but gorstag would rather have cut out his own tongue than attempt to entice his teacher into the same corruption he himself had seemingly embraced i felt him out again and i must tell you he simply isn't interested why should he be he's already prosperous and renowned notorious anyway inwardly gorstag bristled even though he had to concede that fervendal had a point in recent years a new breed of fencing master had sprung up in impilter to teach swordplay to anyone with coin and a good many commoners proved eager to learn and to lionize their instructors the knights and paladins who constituted the kingdom's traditional martial elite however disdained the maestros as a source of public disorder fo mentors of duels brawls and blood feuds it perhaps didn't help that a good many of the sals shared space with taverns gambling halls ratting pits or as in tegan's case body houses still fervendal continued why wouldn't he jump at the chance to be a lord in the impulter to come are you sure there's no hope of him joining us i'm sure fervendol's mouth tightened and he said so be it then stroll with me why don't you they set off wandering the broad cobbled elm lined avenues of lyrabar queen sambrol city though it was late many a shop shown bright with lamplight to lure customers laughing and singing sometimes racing one another revelers traveled from one entertainment to the next in ornately carved brilliantly painted carriages and sleighs signs of wealth and bustling commerce abounded on every side as if in mockery of those who lived in need i fear said fervendol while fat snowflakes started drifting down just as they had in fits and starts all day that you aren't making a very impressive start i can't reach inside my strotagan's head and change the way his brain works by the nine hells i've accomplished every other task you gave me fervendal shrugged and said routine chores not really enough to prove your commitment or usefulness gorstag felt a pang of anxiety drew a calming breath and replied i have the feeling you're about to set me a test not me the wearer of purple she said that if you could make no headway with your mentor i was to give you a different errand whatever the job is if it will prove my loyalty i welcome it i'm tired of being the new man mistrusted and kept in the dark good you know hezza the pawn broker on lootmaker street vaguely in truth he knew heza and others like him depressingly well he'd often pawned one or another of his meager belongings to put bread on his table we've learned he took possession of an emerald pendant just a few hours ago said fervendal the stones of the highest quality gorstag saw where fervendal was going the cult had been procuring jewels of the highest quality for some 10 days you want me to steal it gorstag said yes we do it's rare luck that such a prize is sitting in heza's shop the place isn't nearly as secure as it ought to be to protect such a treasure it's surely locked though and i'm no burglar with a light and a crowbar you'll do fine what does the brotherhood need with all these gems anyway you'll find out at the proper time will you do it the spy nodded and said anything for the cause so it was that gorstag made his way to a neighborhood displaying little sign of lyrabar's general affluence a district of crumbling brick tenements and rookeries like the one where he'd grown up and where to his shame he still resided nearing the scene of his intended misdeed he abandoned the customary swagger of a rake to skulk through the shadows he had a certain practiced knack for it over the years as legitimate ways of bettering himself had eluded him he'd occasionally resorted to petty thieving to make ends meet he suspected his employer somehow knew and that was why he'd sought him out to be his agent grateful to find it deserted gorstag crept down a narrow twisting alleyway to the rear entrance of the pawn shop he pulled his hood up to shadow his features took another look around then brought the hooked iron pry bar fervendal had provided out from under his cloak he stuck the end between door and jam then threw his weight against it the lock held for a moment then broke with a snap to gorstag the noise seemed hellishly loud and when he pushed the door open he half expected to hear hezer rushing to investigate but the dark space beyond the threshold was silent gorstag slipped through the door pushed it shut behind him and removed fervendall's other gift from its black cloth bag strung on a leather thong it was a wooden bead enchanted to shed a pale luminescence and gorstag couldn't help thinking that by itself it was a niggeredly sort of help for the cultists to provide in view of the potent magic they claimed to command but apparently it was all an unproven recruit could expect the ghostly light revealed a large room cluttered with tools furniture flutes porcelain dolls display cases full of cameos bracelets and tortoiseshell combs and countless other dusty objects the pawn shop took up the entire first floor of the house hezza lived upstairs holding the bead aloft like a lantern gorstag cast about where would hezes stow a valuable emerald surely he wouldn't leave it sitting out with the junk he'd stash it somewhere safer gorstag found a strong box under the counter it was harder to pry open than the door had been because his crowbar was too big for the job finally he managed to open it to discover only an assortment of coins at that it was coin that could feed and clothe him and pay his rent and for a second he considered pocketing it but he was better than that or at least he aspired to be and he left the gold and silver where it lay where was the emerald it occurred to him that heza might have taken such a valuable item upstairs with him but he flinched at the prospect of looking for it in such close proximity to its keeper he'd conduct a thorough search of the shop first he found the second strong box built into the wall behind the grubby hanging the steel hatch yielded grudgingly bending a fraction of an inch at a time every metallic rasp and groan jangled his nerves and made him glance over his shoulder but still hesita failed to appear and finally gorstag widened the gap enough to work his hand inside he groped about found something that felt like a pendant and drew it forth even in the dim illumination the emerald seemed brilliant flawless it was far more enticing than the coins had been but that temptation too he would resist he'd keep faith with his employer hand the gem over to fervendal and better himself in an honorable way he turned and hezza was there barrel chested tufts of his curly brown hair sticking up every which way the pawn broker was still in his night shirt but had taken the time to equip himself with a falcion he used it to chop at gorstag's head gorstag avoided the stroke by leaping backward irrationally perhaps in that moment he was less worried about the threat of the curved sword than that heza would recognize him but the pawn broker didn't seem to evidently gorstag's hood provided sufficient disguise in the feeble light he tossed the bead away and dodged around a display case interposing it between heza and himself that gave him time to draw his rapier though the gods knew he didn't want to use it he couldn't use it as it was meant to be used not against a tradesman who was only trying to protect what was rightfully his please stop he said you don't understand no has a grunted as he kept maneuvering trying to work in close enough for another attack gorstag wasn't supposed to babble his employer's private business but it would be better than killing an innocent man wouldn't it i serve the harpers he didn't actually know for a fact that his contact was a member of that altruistic secret society but he suspected it they set me the task of infiltrating a nest of traitors to the queen i have to borrow the emerald to do that i swear you'll get it back oh said heza that's fine then would you like me to wrap it up for you or give it a polish he faked a shift to the right dodged left instead and there was nothing between him and gorstag he rushed in cutting and slashing heza was no expert swordsman like maestro tagan but he was competent gorstag had to parry and retreat frantically to preserve himself from harm he saw openings for reposts and counter-attacks but he couldn't bring himself to exploit them he had to do something hes it was rapidly taking his measure figuring out how to penetrate his defense the pawn brokers cuts only fell short by a finger breath or else gorstag only managed to block them at the last possible moment if he didn't do something soon has it would surely cut him down he waited for heza to lift the falcion for a head cut then sprang forward it was risky to plunge straight into an opponent's attack but he proved quick enough to leap safely inside the arc of the stroke he bashed his surprised opponent in the jaw with the rapier's bell guard then hammered his forehead with the pommel the pawn broker fell unconscious i'm sorry gorstag panted but it was necessary maybe the wearer of purple fervendal and the other mad men gorstag thought will finally tell me about their grand design pavel shimov fanned out his cards to see what the dealer had wrought when he found the sun the king and queen of staves and the knights of staves coins and blades it was a struggle to keep his tawny handsome brown-eyed face from breaking into a grin ever since he'd sat down at the table he'd drawn one dismal hand after another and watched his stakes dwindle until he could almost have wished he was a priest of tamora goddess of luck instead of his own beloved lay vendor the cards he held however constituted an excellent hand headed moreover by the morning lord's own emblem it was inconceivable that he could lose the trick was to make the most of it it wouldn't do to scare the other gamblers out when the dower shaggy bearded ruffian on his right opened for ten gold pieces sembian nobles and cormerian lions mostly the cleric made a show of pondering then contented himself with a modest raise at which point will burst through the indoor admitting a gust of frigid air in the process he spotted his comrade and shouted pretty boy i need you i'm busy pavel replied the halfling strode across the hard packed earthen floor peered at his comrades cards and announced he's got a royal marriage under favorable aspect with a full honor guard the other players threw in their hands pavel rounded on will and grumbled you poxy son of a then he registered the honest urgency in the halflings face it wasn't just the usual game of insults and pranks they played with one another what's wrong a human lass wounded and in need of healing dorne standing watch over her in case any more rat men show up where rats wounded her pavel asked if so she might have contracted lycanthropy herself no at least i don't think so just get off your festering arse and come with me all right very well he raked what remained of his coin off the table then picked up his mace by the time he finished rare and snow steeler had come to join them as far as superficial appearances were concerned will and pavel were the normal members of their small fellowship raron like dorne turned heads wherever they went for in the land surrounding the moon sea arctic dwarves were as rare as half golems scarcely taller than the halfling raron was squat and burly almost as broad as he was tall his goatee and unbound waist-length hair were white and it was hard for the eye to separate them from the polar bear fur of his tunic in contrast the sun had burned his exposed skin to what for a human would have been an excruciating red he carried his ice axe in one stubby fingered hand let's go the dwarf said will led them out into the muddy streets of a town that even in the dark presented the raw unfinished appearance of an outpost newly carved from the wilderness a good many settlements in the region had the same air it was in a sense misleading civilized folk humans mostly had dwelled around the moon sea for untold centuries as countless weathered standing stones and crumbling ruins attested unfortunately wars and rampaging beasts had time and again obliterated the works of man requiring him to erect new habitations on the rubble of the old of course ill refon was rough even by local standards standing on the eastern shore of the dragon reach the channel linking the moon sea with the sea of fallen stars it was an important way station for freighters and caravans moving in either direction but also notorious as a haunt of brigands and pirates a number of navis looking characters were prowling about in the dark but none who cared to give pavel will and rare in any trouble the slim long-legged priest supposed they looked too formidable himself included when he'd left damara he'd naturally worn his red and yellow priestly vestments but piece by piece they'd worn out over the years until only the gold-plated sun amulet set with garnets remained he'd come to effect the sturdy wool and leather garments of one who roamed the wild he thought he'd changed in other ways too he moved like the hunter he'd become wary and confident at the same time with his weapons always ready to hand as they hurried along will explained what was afoot in more coherent fashion i don't understand said pavel at the story's end if the wear rats meant her harm why not just stick a knife in her why sit around waiting for her to bleed out my guess said will is they really did send for someone but it wasn't a priest it was their leader they were waiting on him to decide whether to kill and rob her and be done with it ransom her or sell her into slavery the three companions came to a disreputable looking tavern at the edge of inhabited ilrefon beyond stood only charred gutted shells of buildings destroyed in whatever calamity had last befall in the port that no one had yet bothered to raise or restore when pavel stepped inside he found more or less what he'd expected dead whererats a wounded and unconscious young woman uncommonly lovely even with her face ashen and her gown soaked with blood and dorne glowing at him what kept you the big man snapped i set forth as soon as the half-wit bothered to come and tell me i was needed pavel replied he crouched over his patient tore away her shredded sleeve then winced the gashes were even deeper than he'd expected still by lavender's grace he could save her though it was likely to take the most potent healing magic at his command he recited the incantation and his hands glowed golden he pressed them to the lass's gory wounds his own flesh seemed to burn albeit painlessly as the spell did its work when the sensation ebbed the wounds had closed halting the flow of blood indeed they dwindled to mere pink lines on her ivory skin as if they'd been healing for ten days and a blush of color had returned to her lips and cheeks she'll be all right he said so you were finally good for something said will given their perpetual mock feud it was as close as he could come to commendation the woman's eyes fluttered open large lustrous and a unique shade of violet they were as striking as the rest of her they gazed up at pavel's face for a moment then shifted to the sacred pendant dangling from his neck did you heal me she asked even after her travail when her throat must have been dry as dust her soprano voice was clear and sweet thank you and laythunder too will grinned and said don't bother thanking the charlotte in there generally he botches the curing and kills the thick folk and anyway dorne and i did the real work you remember i'm will turnstone well will a mac really but will to my friends thank you to will turnstone she said pavel helped her off the floor and into a chair and you goodman grey brook as pavel might have predicted dorne merely grunted and averted his eyes the stranger looked puzzled at the seeming rebuff but didn't question it she said my name is cara well that will do it's been a while and many a mile since i bothered with the rest of it raron and pavel completed the round of introductions and the cleric moved to investigate the stock behind the bar and fetch kara a restorative drink the dwarf said good to meet you lass how may i ask did you fall among vermin such as these he tipped his bone-handled axe toward a couple of the dead shape-shifters i was attacked on the road just outside of town cara replied wounded i fled to the first place that seemed to offer refuge i imagine will told you the rest of it more or less raron said clambering up to perch atop a stool his stubby legs in their knee-high deerskin boots dangling but he didn't know who attacked you i don't either really men with spears and swords bandits i suppose pavel felt a pang of mingled surprise and curiosity he appropriated a bottle of what appeared to be the best vintage the tavern had to offer something red from sembia an armful of dusty pewter goblets a rag to wipe them and headed back toward kara and his friends did the outlaws kill your companions raron asked no i mean i was traveling alone the dwarf arched a shaggy white eyebrow and asked in these lands in the dead of winter you're brave and lucky to have escaped those who waylaid you i'm a bard she said i have my songs to protect me as they would have saved me from the robbers if they hadn't taken me by surprise as it was i still drove them off but not before they hurt me i wanted to use magic to help dorne and will against the rat men but once i took that final blow to the head it's all right the halfling said he plainly liked her well pavel could sympathize he too found her charming despite what he knew i've seen the toughest warriors fall helpless after taking the wrong sort of wound it's no reflection on your courage enough chitchat dorn growled made if you're up to it we can all clear out of here my friends and i should go to the council of merchants and explain what happened before somebody else stumbles on all these bodies especially since they look to be melting back into human shape we'll take you as far as a safe inn easy pavel said the lass was injured nigh unto death a moment ago he set his burden on the table between cara and raron then drew his knife to dig the cork out of the bottle give her a little time to recover i'm sure she needs it will said considering that we didn't have a real healer to tend her i do need it cara said she straightened her arm and hissed in pain it's far better than it was i'm sure it will be all right eventually but it's still weak and sore most likely pavel said it will remain so for a while well perhaps it's no worse than i deserve for your right good man snow stealer even if you were too tactful to state your opinion in so many words i was a fool to travel alone yet it's urgent i reach lyra bar as soon as possible and so i wonder you four have the look of wandering sell swords could i hire you to escort me no said dorne i can pay she said she opened the pouch on her belt and removed a slim silver bracelet set with pearls after a moment of silence will whistled once again pavel understood how his comrade felt the exquisitely crafted ornament was plainly worth hundreds if not thousands of gold pieces and he glimpsed more gems and pieces of precious metal glittering in her purse so many that he surmised the pouch was one of those enchanted receptacles larger inside than out is this enough cara asked i told you said the half golem we're not interested speak for yourself will said we're hunters said dorne not bodyguards the halflings snorted and said we've done all kinds of work when times were tough they aren't tough now we have a job the one the council of merchants hired us to do accompanying the lass on her journey strikes me as pleasanter work than slogging around in a frozen swamp looking to get our heads bitten off i gave my word said dorne that we'd help ill reform pavel handed him a goblet the half golem took a token sip then set the cup aside he often pushed pleasure away as if it might somehow weaken him what about afterward cara asked were not bodyguards dorne reiterated nor inclined to journey all the way to impilter under winter skies we resolved to spend the season in fincha yet you left there to come here said the bard dorne shrugged had he so chosen pavel could have explained they'd forsaken their winter quarters because the city fathers of ilraphan wanted them to kill a dragon and dorne would have crawled ten thousand miles naked through incessant blizzards for that raron tossed back a mouthful of wine then smacked his lips in appreciation and said it's all right maid you don't need us anyway even at this time of year ships and caravans occasionally travel east find one with an honest reputation book passage and you'll be fine i might do that cara said but i'd still prefer to make the journey with protectors who've already proved their courage and integrity we're sorry pavel said we're simply not at liberty to say yes will looked up at the faces of his comrades then sighed shook his head and grumbled you're a trio of idiots stupidest stones in a ditch pavel was certain he'd hear variations on the same theme for days to come chapter 2 21 hammer the year of rogue dragons at some point the cultists had discovered a system of ancient catacombs beneath lyrabar and adapted them for their own use equipping many of the vaults for the supplication of infernal powers and the practice of necromancy the dank crypt gorstag and fervendal currently occupied however they'd merely furnish to create a space where conspirators could pull over in relative comfort or relax when they had nothing else in particular to do gorstag was trying to wheedle secrets out of his companion when he sensed a presence he turned in his chair beheld a stranger standing in the doorway and felt a pang of terror which made no sense revealed by the greenish light of the ever burning torches the newcomer was just a man albeit one the spy hadn't seen before tall and pale he wore a woolen robe and mantle and he carried a blackwood staff unruly strands of dark hair flopped over his high forehead and his narrow shouldered frame was gaunt enough to make even a scarecrow-like gorstag feel momentarily well fed his face with its sharp planes and blade of a nose bespoke intelligence and fervor and all in all he appeared to be another of the cult's wizards little different than the half dozen such folk gorstag had already met a person to be reckoned with certainly but no immediate threat yet something about him inspired dread or maybe it was just gorstag's jitters that were to blame the gods knew the dangers and necessities of his deception were taking a toll on him he took a deep breath and the fear ebbed hello said the stranger in a strangely accented baritone voice evidently realizing the newcomer's presence for the first time fervendal spun toward the door he scrambled to his feet pressed his palms together bowed deeply and held the position separating his hands just long enough to gesture frantically presumably for gorstag to rise and make the same obeisance the spy obeyed though his moment of irrational panic had passed he was eager to ingratiate himself with anyone who commanded such deference from his normally arrogant comrade during his indoctrination gorstag had learned that lyrabar's traitorous fraternity was only one of many such cabals scattered across faerun in general the cells labored in ignorance of one another so that even if their enemies destroyed or infiltrated one its downfall posed little threat to the cult as a whole but plainly the conspiracy must possess at least a few commanders who possessed knowledge of the entire enterprise and thus could formulate an overall strategy to achieve its goals he suspected that such a leader stood before him if so then the horseand could supply the answers to gorstag's every question rise the stranger said it's nice to see you for vim doll been practicing those spells i thought you yes sir fervendal replied have you met with the wearer of purple the stranger shook his head i just arrived i know where she lives fervendal said i can fetch her later i have an errand to run and then each to get it done before i sit down for a lengthy conference with your chief i just need a couple trustworthy fellows to watch my back are you game of course fervent all beamed as if he was a small child and the gaunt man the father who had just invited him on some fascinating outing but i don't know how much use i'll be what can i do for you that your magic couldn't do better perhaps you can do it more discreetly when a person wishes to pass unnoticed it's often counterproductive to fling thunderbolts about well i'll do my best for you no doubt the mages dark eyes shifted to gorstag for an instant the spy felt a renewed surge of fear or maybe simply recalled the panic of before either way it only lasted an instant and he managed to bear the stranger's gaze without cringing i don't know you a recent convert yes sir my name is gorstag helder are you a full initiate he's proved himself fervent said then you can tag along too gorstag knew a thrill of exhilaration for the first time since he'd stolen the emerald he felt he was making some actual progress toward the completion of his assignment yes sir i'm honored he hesitated may i know your name the wizard smiled and said that's a more difficult question than it seems i've used many it would be reasonable enough to call me scorned forsaken or betrayed but perhaps seer would be best or speaker gorstag blinked like every initiate he knew who the first speaker had been the founder of the cult and the author of the deranged prophecies it sought to fulfill but that speaker had perished long ago and if by some evil miracle he yet survived he wouldn't much resemble a common human being then again if the tales were true the prophet had returned from the dead before and it almost certainly commanded magic that would have allowed him to look like whatever he wanted but no gorstag refused to entertain the notion he was tense enough already without allowing such an unlikely fancy to rattle his nerves speaker it is then get ready the wizard said and we'll go for once you gallants might consider floating fashion and wearing your capes closed it's quite chilly tonight or perhaps it only seems that way to me this morning i was in tether a thousand miles to the south gorstag and fervendal strapped on their rapiers donned their cloaks then accompanied speaker out of the tunnels and the derelict tannery above as the mage had warned the temperature had plummeted the membranes inside gorstag's nose crackled when he drew a breath yet speaker himself bore the chill without the slightest sign of discomfort they walked quietly for a time on a hike that took them from one of the city's poorest precincts to one of its wealthiest where grand and ostentatious structures stood tall against the starry sky a good many were imposing cathedrals one adorned with gonfalons bearing the bound hand sign of ilmater another marked by the eyes and stars emblem of celune rendered in stained glass above the entrance for that was the other face of larabar it was a pious city its devotion paradoxically existing cheek by jowl with the burgers frantic pursuit of gold and the countless luxuries and entertainment the coin bought speaker looked at the temples and made a spitting sound as if the gods were poor and contemptible things for men to worship a little farther on he peered down the wide straight avenue ahead and exclaimed aha behold our objective and about time too you lads need to get in out of the cold before you catch your deaths when gorstag realized where speaker was looking he felt a stab of dismay the boulevard led up to a castle on a hill a bewildering tangle of keeps and spires rising above massive walls it was in fact queen sambrals residence within the city fervendal swallowed and started i don't worry speaker chuckled we're not going to try to invade the royal bedchamber and strangle her majesty she's just a figurehead anyway the council of lords makes all the decisions we're going to call on someone more interesting if less well-guarded feigning a confidence he was far from feeling gorstag said sir if you say you can sneak us in that's good enough for me good man speaker said eliciting a momentary scowl of jealousy from fervendal the mage led his minions on into the pocket of shadow between two buildings the frigid snow was almost knee-high there no one had bothered to shovel or sweep it away now keep watch said the mage if someone happens by and notices what i am doing kill him with as little commotion as possible gorstag prayed it wouldn't come to that for he'd have no choice but to disobey speaker if it did for his part fervendol looked nervous but excited too as if he'd welcome the chance to spill some blood and prove that he too was a good man speaker extracted a roll of parchment from a pocket in the lining of his cloak ordinarily this can take hours even for me he said but when you have this spell on a scroll you can cast it quickly seemingly unhindered by the gloom he read a short trigger phrase the air shimmered and gorstag felt a prickling on his face speaker stood and stared at the palace for a time finally he swayed and grabbed gorstag's shoulder for support the spy thought the wizard's fingers felt wrong somehow too hard perhaps but gorstag's layers of clothing made it difficult to be sure are you all right he asked yes speaker said releasing him it's just that that particular bit of magic takes a toll on a fellow stamina even if it comes off a sheet of vellum what did it do it showed me all the wards intended to keep intruders like us out having noted them i should be able to suppress them gazing at the castle he muttered an incantation and swirled his hands in a complex pattern the air around him made a grinding sound that's got it now lashing his hands back and forth he rattled off another spell and on the final percussive word grabbed hold of both his comrades fervendal let out a yelp and they were falling or hurtling in some direction anyway flashing through a void of writhing shadows an instant later that dark emptiness spat them out in a courtyard paved with hexagonal flagstones walls and towers loomed on every side proof they were inside the fortress now i understand course tag whispered shaking how you could start the day in the south and end in the north i'm sorry i didn't warn you speaker said sounding if anything amused by their discomfiture but i had to get us in quickly before the wards reasserted themselves what now fervendal asked now said speaker we skulk on cat's feet our destination isn't far and most of sanbril's servants are surely indoors huddled up to their fires so with luck no one will spot us when we get where we're going i'll palaver and you'll stand guard as you did before they crept onward down the passages that ran between the keeps and along the shadowy edges of the baileys that lay between them at first they encountered no one and gorstag dared to hope their errand whatever in mask's name it was would come off without a hitch he thought the sentries on the battlements posed little threat their job was to look outward not in and even if they did happen to notice three men prowling in the murk below they might well mistake them for more of the queen's retainers but just as he was starting to relax an adolescent girl bundled up in a fleece-lined cloak with an upturned collar stepped through a door with an embroidery basket in her hand from her disgruntled frown it seemed likely she was some ladies maid sent forth into the freezing night to fetch the needles and thread her mistress used to pass the time she peered at the trespassers and frowned gorstag said good evening as he commenced he didn't yet know what lie he was going to tell but plainly someone needed to say something quickly to set the maid's mind at ease snarling words that surely had their origin in some demonic language speaker swept his hand up from his hip as if pretending to draw a sword a shaft of utter darkness as long as a rapier blade seethed into existence in the air before him the girl opened her mouth to scream but never had the chance the manifestation leaped across the intervening space and plunged into her breast her knees crumpled her form grew cloudy and vague and she vanished gorstag stared in horror he'd seen people slain before sometimes for the basis and stupidest of reasons but that was the most cold-blooded slaughter of his experience and somehow the fact that even the lass's body was gone scoured from existence like a sand painting in a gale made it even worse he shivered with the desire to draw his rapier and drive it into speaker's heart but it was an impulse he had to resist the poor girl was gone he couldn't help her anymore if he lashed out it would only preclude any possibility of his ever completing his mission besides he was reasonably certain speaker could annihilate him as easily as he had the maid fervendal had his rapier halfway out of the scabbard and he shoved it scraping back inside i would have killed her for you i know speaker said but with luck no one sensed my spell contorting space and i thought it better to silence her without leaving a corpse behind this way folk may well assume she simply ran away come along we are almost there they sneaked onward the black blade drifted along before them for a few seconds then faded out of existence after another minute they came upon several domes each possessed of a chimney fuming smoke and a doorway high and broad enough to pass the largest wagon in or out inside those openings saddles their girths longer than any horse required dangled from the high ceilings suspended by ropes and pulleys from their presence another trespasser might have concluded that the complex was a sort of stable but gorstag who realized precisely where speaker had led him knew that wasn't really so for the occupants of the domes were no mere beasts of burden they were personages dignitaries of the realm no less than the knights and paladins they deigned to carry on their backs they were also likely to attack speaker fervendol and their ilk as soon as they recognized them for what they were gorstag couldn't imagine what the wizard hoped to accomplish there surely even a madman would have better sense than to attack all the queen's bronzes at the same time and on their home ground the intruders slipped through one of the doorways the corridor on the other side curved following the outer edge of the dome part way around no doubt to protect the inhabitants privacy at the end of the arc gold and silver coins littered the floor and the inconstant light of a fire gilded the wall the fire's heat warmed the air in the passage his heart hammering gorstag had to concede that speaker had kept his promise he'd gotten his henchman in out of the cold the only catch was that death by freezing seemed a kinder fate than the one that likely awaited them instead you lads keep watch here speaker said while i conduct my business he ambled on to the far end of the hall and something came to meet him gorstag couldn't see the creature itself the inner wall of the passage blocked his view but the fire abruptly cast the gigantic shadow of a horned reptilian head with a jagged rough and a long flexible neck with a fin like protrusion on the dorsal side a musky scent tinged the air gorstag clenched himself against his fear fervendol actually whimpered and fearful the cultist would bolt the spy gripped his shoulders to steady him speaker said you the creature's voice rumbled deeper than any humans yet it possessed a sibilant quality as well the lurker from my dreams dreams i sent to prepare you for this parley why would you wish such a thing do you chase your own death i'm a bronze speaker shrugged and replied metal color gem once it didn't matter and in a new guise that time is coming around again i don't believe you of course you do you feel change nibbling away at everything you are but you can endure i'll help you if you earn it why must i earn it when others need not quell sanders said you may imagine to make up for all the trouble your kind has given me in the past but that's not really it i have an important venture underway in impilter most likely the lords will never learn of it but if they should i need an agent in place to stye me any attempt they make to interfere why choose me because i have looked into your soul and i know you are different than the others the shadow reared and curled cocking its head backward like a serpent poising itself to strike you think me cowardly ask the dragon or disloyal merely sensible sensible enough to want to survive as something better than a beast who are you quelsanda said show me your true face you've already determined who i am speaker replied however if you wish it the mage waved his hand and his features shriveled chapter 3 23 and 24 hammer the year of rogue dragons in dorne's estimation the flooded forest had proved to be a particularly unpleasant swamp a place of dead trees spotted toadstools grimy drifts of snow sluggish channels of murky water and boggy treacherous earth all of it stinking of decay unfortunately it was where the dragon menacing wayfarers in the vicinity of ilrefon made its lair and so the hunters had to seek it there that simple truth failed to keep will from complaining as they slogged along tracking their quarry as best one could track a flying creature swiping at a fat buzzing fly that evidently thrived on winter's chill the halfling said we could be lounging on the quarter deck of a nice galley munching grapes drinking beer and listening to a comely maiden sing sweet songs but no not us we're too manly for such soft work we live to flounder through filthy freezing bug-ridden quicksand bogs enough pavel said at first it was amusing to hear you gripe and grouse with never a clue as to why the rest of us decided as we did but it's become annoying so listen up cara lied to us she said it was bandits armed with swords and spears who hurt her the truth is her wounds were claw marks with some singes and blisters thrown in will snorted and said as if you could tell the difference he's right raron said the dwarf was wearing all his armor and carrying much of his gear including a number of magical implements supplied by the company's business partners among the wizards of thencia indeed he bore such an arsenal harpoon with coiled rope attached bow quiver fighting knife and ice axe that the small hunter was nearly lost behind the weapons still he moved with the live sure-footed tread of a born ranger i noticed too that wasn't the only strange thing pavel said why wouldn't she give her surname and why would anyone travel these lands alone in deep winter particularly with a fortune in jewels in her purse why was she plainly so afraid someone would attack her again well said the halfling i don't know but say she is a shady character her treasure would still spend like anybody else's by the mother's smile we've even worked for jens a time or two when they had a beasty that needed killing at least then raron said we knew what we were getting into we have no idea what kind of trouble hides in kara's cloak but we could have made a bundle finding out said will maybe we still can no said dorne aren't you even no that pretty much quashed any further conversation for several hours thereafter and dorne was just as glad hunters didn't catch their quarry by chattering their way through the wild that was how they became prey in their turn perhaps an hour before dusk as dorne was considering halting to make camp they came upon another open space sufficiently large for an enormous flying beast to light at the edge of the clearing stood a willow with a section of its bark charred away and the wound still bubbling and steaming slimy gray green scales littered the ground beneath it it's set down to scratch whispered raron and recently did it take flight again ask dorne the ranger studied the marks on the ground then said no it scuttled off that way he pointed with the barbed head of his harpoon we could be close said will so i guess i'd better stroll ahead and take a look he pulled off his calfskin glove wet a finger and held it up to ascertain which way the breeze was blowing if at all possible he wanted to approach their quarry from downwind after the halfling vanished into the undergrowth his companions had nothing to do but watch and wait the passing minutes gnawed at dorne's nerves finally will came scurrying back it's there he said just a bow shot from where we're standing i mean if all the trees weren't in the way what's it doing asked dorne that's the strange part muttering to itself like a cranky old granny what's it saying pavel asked since when do i speak draconic that's you or so you claim do you want to sneak up and have a listen as long as it didn't seem to be casting spells doesn't matter what it's grumbling about it's on the ground and within reach let's get ready said dorne they shrugged off their packs they didn't want their gear weighing them down in combat they drank the elixirs intended to protect them from the acidic secretion slathering the dragons hide then it was time for pavel brandishing his sun-shaped pendant to work magic from past experience dorne knew the first prayer was a blessing to brace and invigorate the four of them it cleansed the fleshly part of him of the aches and heaviness of fatigue even as it cleared and sharpened his mind the second invocation engendered no such sensations but in some subtle fashion he didn't pretend to understand would make it more difficult for the worm to strike them the third spell was for doran alone the world fell silent as pavel shrouded him in stillness in theory the rest of his comrades might have benefited from the same treatment but will was too vain of his thief craft to admit the magic might be of use to him and neither pavel nor raron wanted to dispense with their voices and thus their ability to recite incantations the latter possessed his own store of cantrips wilderness lore handed down from ranger to ranger not as formidable or versatile as the clerics divinely granted powers but useful enough in certain situations after that they were ready dorne nodded signaling it was time to go they crept in single file will in the lead rare and second door and third and pavel currently the noisiest as well as the least adept with mundane weapons bringing up the rear each kept several yards back from the hunter in front of him even if a dragon had no breath weapon and if they were right about its species the one they were stalking didn't it was good tactics not to bunch up that way the creature couldn't rear up and fling itself down on the whole hunting party pinning and crushing everyone with a single hop as he drew nearer to the quarry dorne's eyes started to water and sting it hardly inspired confidence in the efficacy of the potion he'd just consumed he wondered if old firefighters had brewed up a weak batch then he caught his first glimpse of the worm hunkered down among the trees as expected it was one of the bog dwelling creatures called ooze drakes smeared with a vile looking whitish slime its dull green body was lanky and serpentine and even the idiots who claimed to consider other breeds of dragon beautiful would have found nothing fair or graceful in its proportions its claws were gray and door knew that when he saw them its fangs would be the same as usual the sight of the thing gave him a pang of dread but he reminded himself why he hated them and he was all right the ooze drake jerked and a stone rebounded from its flank leaving a bloody pock behind it seemed miraculous that such a small missile could penetrate the creatures scales but will was a master of the war sling knew the spots where the dragon's hide was thinnest and had hurled an enchanted missile all in all it was sufficient to give the beast a sting the creature whirled in the direction of its attacker pale yellow eyes blazing it opened its jaws roaring surely though dorne couldn't hear it another stone caught it on the end of its snout and it charged dorne drew back his composite longbow and sent an arrow streaking through the trees he too knew where to aim and the shaft plunged deep into the base of the dragon's neck it stumbled then its sweeping tail obliterating a stand of blue spotted mushrooms lurched around in the archer's direction will immediately hit it in the shoulder with another stone the ooze drake spread its bat like wings if it took to the air that might give it a crucial advantage even against foes who took care to remain beneath the sheltering trees or if it was feeling timid it could simply soar away and leave its attackers behind it was raron's job to keep that from happening he scrambled out from behind a stand of brush and through his harpoon trailing rope behind it the lance drove into the worms belly most dragons were at least as intelligent as men this one clearly had the wit to surmise that the white bearded dwarf had nodded the other end of the line to a tree perhaps it even realized the harpoon was barbed and that if it simply yanked it out it risked giving itself a far more serious wound than it had taken hitherto in any case it made the right move twisting its neck it reached to bite the rope if dorne was lucky he could prevent that but not by sniffing away with his bow he gripped his bastard sword and charged out into the open had it been possible he would have shouted a war cry to attract the ooze drake's attention not that he needed to the reptile could hardly miss such a hulk of a man body half made of iron and long straight blade in hand sprinting to engage it and it obviously realized that if it simply ignored him he was likely to drive the sword into its eye while it chewed at the rope because it swung around and pounced dorne sprang aside just avoiding the scaly foot and talons that would otherwise have eviscerated him and smashed his mangled body to the ground he cut at its foreleg but scarcely nicked it the creature spun around to face him when dorne had nightmares they were about dragons and conducted in utter silence as it was the duel that commenced had something of the same eerie quality certainly seen up close the ooze drake was nightmare incarnate its gnashing slate-colored teeth were like swords while the citrine slit-pupiled eyes shown with demonic rage its body long as a tree and big as a house coiled and struck with appalling speed so far its wounds weren't slowing it at all dorne fought as he generally did the almost indestructible iron portion of his body forward to perry or when unavoidable bear an enemy's attacks the soft human half behind the ooze drake caught his metal arm in its fangs bore down realized it couldn't bite through and settled for whipping him up and down the action slammed him to the ground instantly the reptile raked at him he thrust and the point of his sword drove into the flesh between two of the creature's claws the worm snatched its foot back away from the pain and for an instant the pressure of its jaws slackened fortunately dorne's artificial limbs had sensation of a sort though it wasn't like a normal human sense of touch his master had seen no reason to make a tool meant purely for killing susceptible to pain the half golem felt the loosening and wrenched his fist free the knuckle spikes caught on one of the drake's lower fangs and ripped it from the gum he heaved himself to his feet and the reptile lunged at him once more as they fought drops of the drake's corrosive slime spattered him they stung his face and he wondered again how well the potion was protecting him smoking and smoldering the pasty stuff burned holes in his brigandine and even pitted the blade of the hand and a half sword enchanted though it was only the iron parts of him proved entirely resistant finally after what felt like an hour of frenzied struggle even though it had only been a few seconds raron charged in on the dragon's flank and chopped at it with his ice axe from that point forward though his attention stayed focused on the worm dorn nonetheless caught glimpses of his comrades raron drove the axe into the creature's body it pivoted jerking the weapon from his grip and clawed at him he jumped back avoiding that attack but the reptile wasn't done it kept turning and its tail lashed the dwarf across his barrel chest raron flew through the air and slammed down hard hard enough by the look of it to break his bones but he scrambled up and grabbed for the hilt of his dagger will darted under the reptile's belly and jammed his curved sword through the scales making a long incision as if he was gutting a deer the worm slammed its stomach flat on the ground sending a jolt through the earth its weight would have pulverized anyone caught beneath but the halfling flung himself clear a translucent mace sprang into existence and as if wielded by an invisible warrior battered the rough of jagged bony plates behind the dragon's blazing eyes and snapping jaws having seen the trick before dorne knew pavel had conjured the effect a few seconds later the priest himself advanced on the creature the mace of steel and wood in his own fist shining like the sun dorne did his best to stay in front of the drake and attack relentlessly trying to keep the reptile's attention fixed on him while his friends hacked bashed and stabbed it from the sides and rear he gradually cut its mask into a cross hatch of bloody gashes still the worm wouldn't even falter much less go down eaten away by acid the bastard sword snapped in two as he fumbled for the long knife he carried his back up or for fighting in close quarters a column of dazzling yellow fire hurtled down from the darkening sky to strike the drake between the wings dorne knew pavel wasn't sufficiently learned or wise or saintly however it worked to cast such a powerful spell from his own innate capabilities he'd used a precious scroll divine magic the arcanus of thanchia couldn't replace because in his estimation it was the only way to put the dragon down the ooze drake convulsed but only for a second then it rounded on the man it had plainly identified as the principal spellcaster among its opponents its head shot forward and caught pavel in its jaws teeth gnashing it reared high on the brink of chewing him up and swallowing him down no time for the knife now dorne thought as he lunged in and ripped with his iron claws heedless of their own safety raron and will attacked justice furiously at last wreaking of burned flesh the worm collapsed the three hunters scrambled backward to keep it from landing on top of them then rushed to its head to determine if pavel was still alive they couldn't tell until they pried the fangs apart and pulled him free then they saw he was breathing shallowly but might not be for long his wounds were deep bleeding profusely and he was the healer who then would heal him well they had restorative potions if he wasn't too far gone to swallow dorne grabbed the one he carried in his belt pouch pulled the priest's jaws apart and poured clear liquid into his mouth pavel coughed most of it back out but a little evidently went down because his brown eyes flickered open and he guzzled the rest of the pewter vial it served to stanch the worst of the bleeding afterward he gestured weakly for dorne to step back for a moment dorne didn't understand why his friend was shoeing him away then he recalled the bubble of silence pavel couldn't recite any incantations while dorne was crouching over him once he withdrew a few yards the cleric cast one healing spell after another until his wounds closed and he was able to stand upright then he wiped away the enchantment he'd cast on dorne and sound popped back into the world you know panted will to dorne and raron if we'd moved just a little slower we would have been rid of the charlatans useless arse you all have acid burns on your faces pavel said they don't look serious but i have a few spells left i might as well see if i can fix them he grinned at the halfling though regrettably i have no cure for simple ugliness or ugly simpleness once the priest had eased the sting of their blisters raron said what do you say we make camp and chop up the worm in the morning a few teeth and talons should suffice to prove we killed it fine said dorne it occurred to him that he ought to be elated at the death of another dragon but as was often the case the feeling eluded him instead he felt a glum mood settling in what i want to know will said is why we never catch the worms in their lairs seize one treasure horde and we could live like kings for the rest of our days they hide the lairs so folk like us won't find them raron replied they build snares too and arrange the ground so that if they do have to fight any intruders will find themselves at a serious disadvantage trust me it's better this way you say that because you have humble tastes said will a mug of lager a bowl of stew and you're happy as a crow in a cherry tree i suppose it looks like luxury compared to the way you lived on the great ice but i was meant for finer off to the north something roared an instant later elsewhere in the swamp another voice answered with a similar harsh sibilant cry a third responded and a fourth startled the hunters peered wildly about what is this pavel asked we knew other dragons lived in the flooded forest but what could make them all screech like that when judging by the sound of it they're nowhere near one another or to us for that matter i've never heard the like i have listen to it carefully see if you can make out any words in it snapped dorne just as the clamor was subsiding the priest's eyes opened wide oh no he said the town dorne turned to rarin and asked how far are we from eeruff on he thought he knew but the dwarf's sense of direction was infallible a few hours out raron said as we trailed the use drake we looped back around i take it we're going now he plainly understood the gravity of the situation for he didn't question the wisdom of setting out when they were already so weary or point out the hazards of marching over such treacherous ground at night yes dorne answered i don't understand said will what about the fangs and claws leave them they don't matter anymore the apprentice scurried up a staircase leaving the hunters in a work room that took up the entire ground floor on their left were piles of crates and bags of salt for packing fish on their right screw presses and amphory for rendering them into oil after a time s vel green gate wrapped in a quilted dressing gown a night cap a skew on her graying curls descended the stairs with the apprentice in tow at first glance she looked motherly a plump harmless dumpling of a woman then one noticed the hardness in her eyes goodman greybrook she said what's all this if you killed the dragon i'm happy of course but you didn't need to haul me out of bed to tell me i certainly can't pay your fee until the whole council approves it in the morning the used drake is dead said doran but you've got a bigger problem do you know what a dragon flight is her eyes narrowed and she said i've heard of them once in a while a pack of worms assembles and goes on the rampage altogether why it's happening the rest of the drakes in the flooded forest are uniting to descend upon irrefund s-vel frowned and said if this is some ploy to inflate your price forget our price dorn snapped keep every copper we've got coming from the corner of his eye he saw will throw up his hands in mock despair before they gather the worms of a flight call out to one another they're doing it now can't you hear it even here in town i heard something she said i didn't know what to make of it are you sure you do yes i've made a study of such matters it's why you hired me true but even if the dragons are becoming aggressive who's to say they'll come here i am said pavel i speak draconic and i heard them declare their intentions it makes sense doesn't it they go on these rampages to kill people and ilrifan is the town closest to their territory well said s-vel say they do attack how much would you charge to protect us from them all you don't understand said dorne when my friends and i are fresh and have a chance to make the necessary preparations we can kill one dragon one how many men at arms can you muster ten on the town payroll then depending on the nature of their wares some traders employ guards to ward off thieves and some folk will volunteer maybe fifty it isn't enough you have to evacuate everyone who can't fight send some out on the reach in boats the rest can hike south and east those folks who can brace the spear or draw a bow will stay behind as rearguard if we're lucky all the non-warriors will get clear before the worms come then the rest of us can run away too just abandon the town surely there's another way if this was a great city with a standing army and stone fortifications maybe as it is your only other option is to die but she shook her head won't the dragons just chase us down even if they do some folk are likely to escape it's a better chance than staying here and the dragons may not pursue they might linger to level the houses or tear off in another direction altogether ordinarily they're sensible in their way but when this fit takes them it's difficult to guess what exactly they'll do esvel turned to the apprentice and said run to the other members of the council then to the captain of the watch tell them i need them here immediately she glanced back at the hunting party and added you'd better be right about this or we're all going to look like idiots the next two hours offered up a little taste of the hells as dorn and his comrades made the same arguments over and over again often to merchants more skeptical than esvell gradually though the bullying and pleading had an effect a ragtag little militia gathered other folk began to flee the town though far too many remained either because they disbelieved were wasting precious time packing their valuables or simply hadn't yet heard that anything was amiss up until that point dorne had thought of ill refon as a hard scrabble outpost populated by rugged men loggers trappers and outlaws but it gave him a pang to see how many frightened bewildered women and children were scurrying through the frigid dark finally after he'd talked himself hoarse he wound up leading a band of what an optimist might call men at arms with will at his side to serve as his lieutenant raron and pavel were commanding another squad to the west closer to the harbor dorne had considered assigning each member of his band to direct a different troop of militiamen the hunters were after all the only people there who knew anything much about dragons but he was loathed to order any of his friends into peril without even one trusted seasoned comrade to watch his back they didn't owe ill refon that much valor come to think of it having slaughtered the ooze drake as per their contract they didn't owe the place anything they could have hidden safe in the flooded forest while the dragon flight had its bloody way with the town no one not even will had so much has suggested the possibility warsling dangling in his hand the halflings studied the sky above the swamp looking for the bat-winged shapes that as they beat their way south might momentarily cut across celine's silvery crescent or block the light of one or another star i don't see anything yet will said nor do i said aylin finch the balding heavyset cloth merchant's voice sounded a little strangled he'd squeezed himself into a queer ass a couple sizes too small a family heirloom perhaps and his neck and arms fairly bulged out the openings i think this is all foolishness we're going to catch our death standing in the cold waiting for dragons that never appear they'll appear said will we explained that's why the ooze drake was acting strangely it was slipping into frenzy it's also why the other worms called out they're not roaring anymore because they don't need to they've already found one another just then dorne saw a shadow blotting out a section of the sparkling moats trailing the moon the bright haze people called her tears he pointed and said get ready it was dark and the onrushing worms were still some distance away human eyes could barely make them out still the sight panicked some of dorne's command screaming they broke from the blind they'd built at his direction a makeshift fortress of stacked crates timbers barrels and empty carts their terrified flight caught the notice of a worm which swooped after them as dorne might have guessed it was a black dragon another marsh dweller like the ooze drake even in the dark he could tell the species from the bony almost skull-like appearance of the head and the spikes jutting from the lower jaw the black spat a stream of liquid the targets shrieked as the acid seared the flesh from their bones some of the men clustered behind dorne moaned and sobbed in horror shoot it the half golem yelled the worm was still moving still on the wing but had dived low and close enough that dorne hoped his remaining troops had some slight chance of hurting it some of them obeyed his order others stood frozen the volley of crossbow quarrels arrows and slingstones hurtled upward dorne loosed a shaft he'd carried in his quiver for five years just as pavel had saved the scroll that called flame from the sky the black worm lurched as the missile struck it dorne prayed it would plummet he was sure he'd hit it and if so that one injury might be enough to kill it all by itself for that was what the arrow had been enchanted to accomplish but no such luck the reptile was evidently too hardy to succumb the great wings kept beating as it wheeled and lit on a rooftop something in the way the creature crouched and wove its leprous looking head warned dorne that it was casting a spell he loosed another arrow and will slung another stone those among their frightened troops who'd managed to ready a second missile followed suit dorne's instincts warned him the stinging barrage hadn't been enough to shake the blacks concentration it was going to complete the conjuration get down dorn shouted he and the others crouched behind their improvised ramparts will noticed one idiot still standing paralyzed with fear the halfling grabbed him by the belt and pulled him down alas it didn't help the black had opted for magic that barricades didn't hinder at least if the spellcaster had the high ground and the fortifications were open at the top dorne's vision blurred and he felt faint but only for a second and the effect lost its grip on him others were less fortunate i'm blind welled aylin finch dorne peered over the top of the barricade just in time to see the dragon launch itself into the air having blinded its foes or many of them at any rate it likely meant to plunge into their midst and slaughter them with tooth and claw it wouldn't waste any more sorcery or another blast of corrosive breath on men it had already incapacitated if you can't see run dorne bellowed the gods only knew how sightless men were supposed to manage that but there was nothing more he could do for them he barely had time to snatch up the new hand and a half sword he'd commandeered from the watch's little armory it was a lackluster weapon compared to the enchanted blade he'd lost the ooze drake but there was nothing to be done about that either the black worm crashed down in the midst of its adversary's defenses its pounding wings and lashing tails scattering the component parts in an instant men screamed crushed and impaled beneath its talons up close like the ooze drake the black gave off a vapor that burned the eyes and nose and dorne had no potion to shield him from the worst of the discomfort bearing it as best he could he hacked at the dragon's ribs then when it spun toward him came on guard in his usual manner iron limbs forward the black struck he leaped backward just out of range and clawed furrows across its snout it hissed and raked at him with its right forefoot horribly it had the still-living aelin finch jammed on the talons of the left one the wretch shrieked every time the reptile took a scuttling step dorne didn't dodge quickly enough the strike shredded his brigandine but failed to breach or even scratch the iron underneath it slammed the wind out of him though and flung him reeling backward the dragon's jaws surged forward reaching to snap his head from his shoulders the fangs might not penetrate the metal armoring the left side of his neck but they'd have no difficulty cutting everything else he struggled to recover his balance got his feet planted and swung the sword with all his strength if little skill the blade sheared deep into the worm's lower jaw the pain made it recoil and will was underneath it thrusting his own newly acquired short sword repeatedly into its chest it screamed and went into convulsions thrashing and rolling shaking the earth crushing crippled and dying men it nearly flattened will too before he scrambled clear we won the halfling gasped dorne supposed they had yet the judgment seemed a mockery an obscenity for the dead lay everywhere there was however neither time to mourn them nor berate himself for leading them to their doom he glared at the survivors who were still fit to fight form a column he said this worm's finished now we have to find the next they stared back at him as if he was insane surely one of them quavered we've done enough while we were killing this drake the rest of them entered the town some of your women children and old folk are still there or so close it makes no difference we have to buy them more time to get clear a man with a pox guard face shook his head and grumbled not me metal man i'm done he turned and ran toward the edge of the swamp two others followed leaving half a dozen dorne supposed he ought to be grateful that any of them were still brave or foolish enough to remain will gave them a grin and said thanks be to brandoberrus now that we're rid of the weak and gutless the rest of us can really have some fun with the halfling ranging ahead the company skulked through streets reverberating to a cacophony of roaring screaming and crashing dorne felt alert he was so tense it could scarcely be otherwise but under the frazzled tautness lay grinding fatigue how many more battles would he have to fight how many more worms were there he'd made out four separate dragon's voices screeching across the flooded forest but there could be even more a lot more he told himself to forget such questions to concentrate on meeting the requirements of one moment at a time he'd fight the cursed drakes as he came to them and if he died doing it well what did it matter it was how he'd always expected to perish the sounds of destruction and terror grew louder will peeked around the next corner then raised his hand signaling a halt he crept back to join his human comrades who clustered around to hear what the halfling had to say another black he whispered bigger and older than the last which meant even more powerful it's hunkered down outside a temple of tear from the sound of it some fools tried to hole up inside instead of running away like we told them has the worm broken through the wall asked dorne no maybe the priest said a prayer to hold it back for a moment dorne turned to his militiamen and said we're going to sneak up on the thing and do our level best to be quiet it doesn't matter that can't see us around the corner or that the folk inside the shrine are making a racket the drake could still hear us if we're not careful when we get up there we'll spread out so it can't target us all at once then start shooting our arrows didn't kill the last one a man armed with a crossbow and a boar spear said they softened it up dorne replied and that's usually what it takes it's hard to slay a worm the way you'd kill a man with one solid stroke to a vital spot you have to chip away at them but you can kill them said will brushing one of his love locks away from his eye as you lads ought to know since you've done it once already so shall we go bag another the militiamen's eyes were wide with fear but the cowards had either perished or fled already and those who remained muttered their ascent the hunters led them creeping forward when dorne peered around the corner he winced the black was even bigger than he'd expected so huge it filled the street like a stopper in a drain he tried to find a shred of comfort in the thought that its size made it virtually impossible for it to take flight swiftly from its present position the surrounding walls would prevent it from spreading its wings the skull-faced worm lifted its foreleg and batted at the face of the temple an unassuming structure built of logs chinked with mud with the god of justice's scales and warhammer emblem painted on the door the wall shattered go said dorne he and his comrades scrambled forth formed a ragged line and as fast as they were able started shooting at the behemoth the skull dragon rounded on them and the darkness deepened around it cloaking it in murk to spoil their aim fortunately will was ready for that particular ploy he whirled his sling and hurled a stone pavel had enchanted for him a pellet shining as bright as a tiny sun the missile landed at the reptile's feet where its radiance countered the unnatural gloom the black glared however and a second obscuring haze rose between it and its attackers for a second dorne imagined it was simply more conjured darkness then he heard the buzz and felt the first stab of pain as a swarm of stinging flies enveloped his little band once engulfed dorne could scarcely think for the relentless harassment and could see no farther than his arm could reach as he stumbled forward to escape the cloud he was certain the dragon was poised to deliver a follow-up attack to whoever emerged sure enough the instant he will and a couple of others blundered into the clear the black hissed and snarled in incantation on the final word the surface of the dirt street convulsed crumbling away beneath dorne's feet and shooting up before him plunging him and his comrades into a steep walled trench long neck arcing the dragon peered over the top of it the half golem could tell from the black's attitude that it was about to spit acid and floundering in the loose earth at the bottom of the hole its targets would find it all but impossible to dodge somewhere up above a soprano voice saying the sound was clear and sweet utterly unlike the skull drake's rumbling sibilant conjuration yet dorne sensed that it too was spell casting and when the black spread its jaws wide nothing jetted out it simply made a wretching sound as if the corrosive spew had caught in its gullet its head spun around clearly seeking the impudent soul who'd robbed it of one of its greatest weapons the other sang a lilting arpeggio and a barrage of snowballs streaked up and battered the black dragon it seemed to puny an attack to affect such a horror but the worm roared stung or perhaps simply even angrier than before dorn and will sent an arrow and a stone hurtling up out of the pit they each hit the dragon but probably fortunately failed to draw its attention back to themselves it wrenched itself around its tail sweeping across the top of the ditch and spilling loose dirt over their heads then they couldn't see it anymore said dorne and he and his comrades started climbing the side of the pit will his burglar skills standing him in good stead reached the top in advance of the others dorne crawled out second his iron claws had proved useful for scooping handholds he scrambled to his feet and peered down the street forked tongue flicking in and out the dragon was casting about twisting this way and that seemingly still seeking the spellcaster who detached it by some chance dorne saw her instantly it was kara crouching low inside the window of a post-in beam house uselessly dorne suspected if he'd spotted her the worm likely had to it was simply making a show of searching while it eased into striking range at which point it would try to pounce and take her by surprise he opened his mouth to shout a warning but was too late the black dragon pivoted and hurled itself against the facade of the house the impact smashed the wall and brought a goodly portion of the roof tumbling down cara vanished buried in clattering rubble the reptile scrabbled at the wreckage dorne readied his sword and dashed forward bellowing to draw the dragon away will charge two half pausing every few strides to sling another rock the worm wheeled and sprang to meet them no one could simply stand and receive that charge the creature's momentum would bull him over but as dorne had already noted the black was so huge it virtually filled the street he scarcely had any place to dodge too he flattened himself against a wall then flailed at the dragon first a backhand blow with the knuckle spikes then a cut from the bastard sword meanwhile will dived and rolled past its stamping four feet and under its belly reared up and thrust his blade in the dragon spun around toward dorne it didn't seem fair that something so gigantic could turn so fast in such close quarters but almost as nimble and flexible as a serpent it managed its jaws snapped at him and he met them with iron and steel he managed to cut it three times while arrows and crossbow bolts slammed into its scales a couple even penetrated instead of glancing off the militia men were still fighting albeit from a distance he didn't blame them for that given a choice he wouldn't have closed with the leviathan either it bit at him and he sidestepped then sensed the attack was a faint he tried to avoid the true attack but it was hopeless he'd already dodged right into it the worm reached around the metal part of him to slash at the vulnerable flesh behind its talons jerked him to his knees before ripping free it didn't hurt not yet but he knew the drake had cut him deep possibly so deep that he had only a few heartbeats left before he lost the ability to fight so he'd better make them count no longer bothering to shield himself gripping his blade with both hands he threw himself forward in an all-out attack maybe the dragon didn't expect such savagery from someone it had just mauled for it failed to snatch its head back quickly enough and the hand and a half sword bit deep into its neck the worms eyes opened very wide then its legs slowly gave way laying it down with a sort of ponderous softness his strength slipping away doran collapsed alongside it will scurried up to him gritting his jaw with pain the halfling cradled what was usually his sword arm against his chest but still carried his blade in his off hand the weapon was bloody from point to guard bruised and filthy yet still lovely cara limped along behind the small hunter a pinyard made of crimson flame burned in her hand evidently she dragged herself clear of the half-demolished house and resumed attacking the dragon with her magic will crouched over dorne inspected his wounds then awkwardly uncorked and held a flask of healing elixir to his lips the half golem gulped the bitter lukewarm liquid down he didn't feel the surge of renewed vitality he sometimes did but presumed the stuff was doing him some good you're cut bad will said but pavel will fix you up we just have to reach him dorne heaved himself to his feet the world spun for a second but he found his balance we've still got dragons to kill the half golem said don't be a jackass said will we're in no shape for another fight and we barely have any men left when the bugs swarmed on us half of them ran off in the wrong direction listen to him cara said you saved some of the townsfolk at least now it's time to save yourselves all right doran said as he turned to the militiamen we're done fighting drag yonder imbeciles out of tyr's house and chewing them out of town hide in the flooded forest if you think it wise it's probably as safe as any place now that the worms have passed through right and archer said and thanks doran turned to cara and said stick with us if you want the hunters had agreed that once they'd done what they could to help the folk of ilraphan they'd rendezvous at the harbour where will had appropriated and hidden a skiff to use in their own escape alternately creeping and scurrying he the bard and dorne made it close enough to catch a whiff of salt water for folk who'd spent their last while breathing air tinged with acidic dragon breath the smell was as sweet as nectar sweet as the hope of actually making it out of the settlement alive dorne filled his lungs and another drake crawled into the street just a few yards behind them it was the biggest yet larger than any building in town an immense lumpish wingless thing with webbed claws and a modeled hide its head snapped around toward dorne and his companions the pale yellow eyes shone and the three allies froze the land worm as such reptiles were called crawled in their direction dorne still understood what was happening and that he will and kara were all going to die if he didn't do something about it but he couldn't as if the dragon's gaze had severed some essential link between his mind and his limbs then kara sang three vibrant words and the paralysis was gone his was anyway when he looked down will still stood slack-jawed and trembling in desperation he grabbed the halfling's injured arm and gave it a vicious jerk will yelped ow demons take you you oaf dorne spun back toward the swamp dwelling land worm it was close so close it seemed to fill the world i have a few songs left cara said i'll hold it here well don't be stupid dorn snarled he grabbed her and manhandled her into an alley will scurried after them they sprinted down the narrow passage and the dragon pursued its tread jolting the earth and making them stumble it advanced with a constant crashing sound for it was far too huge to negotiate the path and one could only make headway by plowing through the shacks on either side that was precisely why dorne had opted to flee in that direction but when he glanced over his shoulder it didn't look as if the tactic had done any good obliterating walls as easily as a man could swipe away a cobweb the land worm was still gaining on its wounded exhausted prey then however it roared he looked back the dragon had caught fast between a pair of houses evidently sturdier than the ones it had already destroyed it threw itself forward and the buildings shattered but in so doing strewed heaps of tangled broken planks around its feet it took another stride then slipped and floundered in the litter the mishap slowed it down enough for dorne and his comrades to reach the far end of the alley then bolt down a winding side street after a time it became clear the reptile was no longer pursuing them onward panted dorn by the time they reached the rickety little dock pavel and raron were already in the long narrow skiff ready to cast off it must have surprised them to see kara but neither wasted time saying so hurry said the dwarf there's a worm just to the south of us it could turn this way anytime dorne cara and will scrambled aboard and raron shoved off everybody grab an oar the dwarf said my arm's broken said will the little sherker always has an excuse pavel said he crouched beside dorne inspected his wounds and frowned in dismay i only have one spell left i'll just have to hold you until i can pray for more he murmured the sacred words and his hand glowed as if the bones were made of fire the healing touch didn't ease dorne's pain or flush away his fatigue but as with the potion he assumed it had had some effect with luck he wouldn't go into shock or bleed out he sat upright on the bench and grabbed a sweep you should rest pavel said dorne shook his head we have to get clear they rode as quietly as they could out onto the rippling black waters of the dragon reach and eel refon or what remained of it gradually fell away behind them first the shanties and waddle huts faded into the murk and the roars hisses crashes and shrieks dimmed away to nothing raron lifted his sweep out of the water and said we have a little wind i'm going to raise the sail paville commenced a prayer giving thanks for their escape dorne reluctantly turned to cara so he said you need us to take you to lyra bar chapter 4 mid-winter the year of rogue dragons for worshipers of lathander god of the dawn midwinter was an important feast a declaration of faith that in time warmth and green leaves would return to the frozen north accordingly on that day pavel always performed his sunrise rituals with considerable panache with kara helping out on the hymns they were especially evocative many of the hard-bitten sailors who'd gathered for the observance watched raptly or even blinked back tears for his part dorne felt morose and left out the morning lord's message of optimism and fresh beginnings had never seemed relevant to his own bitter trudge from womb to grave yet he stood with the rest of the assembly out of respect for his friend and to give the god his due for granting pavel the powers he exercised on the band's behalf the ceremony concluded with impeccable timing the scarlet edge of the sun appearing over the horizon just as cara reached the climactic notes of the final anthem taking it for a good omen the worshippers cheered the first mate permitted the crew a final moment of reverence then started barking orders the hands scattered to take up their duties and dorne wondered how best to pass another cold tedious day at sea neither he nor any of his comrades was mariner enough to relish the prospect of sailing a small boat all the way down the dragon reach and east across the sea of fallen stars especially in winter fortunately it hadn't come to that two days after their flight from ilraphan a merchant galley overtook them whereupon they hailed it and negotiated passage as usual the others seemed to enjoy shipboard life pavel divided his time between ministering to the crew's spiritual needs and striving to fleece them at cards raron fished over the side with bow and harpoon and will rather to the sailors annoyance displayed a penchant for climbing to the top of the mast where he'd perch for hours taking in the view but dorne who rarely felt much inclination to trivial amusements in any case had never found any comparable pastimes to divert himself maybe he thought he should just try to find a quiet spot on deck and see how much of the morning he could sleep away then cara resumed singing and he lingered to listen it wasn't a sacred song but the rollicking tale of a good wife the clever mouse who filched food from her pantry and her fanatical efforts to catch the thief increasingly mad elaborate schemes that always ended badly cara milked every drop of humor from the story and dorne realized he was grinning it made him feel strange self-conscious and he scowled the expression away next the bard sang about flying and beholding all the rivers mountains forests and cities of faerun spread out beneath her it was a children's song devised to teach them their geography but no less charming for its pedantic intent cara's sweet throbbing voice truly conveyed the exaltation of soaring like an eagle on the wind she'd continued singing on the foxel where pavel had performed his observance dorne was loitering just below the elevated deck by the first of the rowers benches vacant since a favorable wind was blowing he didn't think she knew he was there but when she finished she surprised him by peering down and giving him a smile sorry he said turning to go aft she laughed and said you don't have to slink away do you think you were eavesdropping on something you weren't meant to hear everyone on board could hear or at least i hope so otherwise my voice has grown puny still he said and started to limp away the timbers groaning beneath his iron foot it saddens me that you dislike me dorne thought it would be better simply to ignore her but for some reason he turned back around and said you're mistaken the steep little companion way you didn't want to escort me to lyra bar when i first asked she said and you'd still rather not it's just that after i helped you you felt an obligation even though you saved me first when the rap men wanted to kill me my refusal wasn't based on dislike it was just that you smelled like trouble because you kept things back things you still haven't told us raron and pavel had the same worries but they also liked the shimmer of my jewels ultimately they looked to you to decide and you said no was it because you dislike all women of course not i suspect kara murmured you avoid women because you fear they find you ugly and that pains you she was exactly right and pretty ones bothered him the worst saying so however would only encourage her to keep on chattering and that was the last thing he wanted though he still couldn't quite muster the rudeness to away i've been ugly for a long time i'm used to it he said how did it happen none of your business was what he thought he should have said my parents were the indentured servants of a wizard in hillsfar dorne replied instead when i was nine he sent them on an errand to yolash they took me along bad luck for all of us we wandered right into the path of a dragonflight reds out of the mountains to the west one of them spotted our wagon and tore us apart it ate my mother and father and my severed arm and leg too but then it flew away i guess it wasn't quite hungry enough to finish me well i would have bled out soon enough except that the mage knew a spell for jumping from place to place in an instant and i guess he also had a way of keeping track of us maybe to make sure he wouldn't run away at any rate he knew when the drake attacked though he had better sense than to come immediately and encounter the creature himself he waited until it cleared off but then he showed up to salvage as much of his property as possible property kara repeated meaning you partly my parents still owed him many years of service by the laws of hillsfar if they couldn't pay the debt it became their child's responsibility the wizard just had to figure out a way to turn a one-armed one-legged into something useful so he made you a pair of enchanted iron limbs several pairs before he was done i was still a child remember whenever i outgrew a set he had to slice it off and graft on a new one and weeping ill made her it hurt then he invested a fortune in conjuring time and spell components to make you as you are said cara the bard's tone was matter of fact perhaps she sensed he wouldn't welcome a show of pity either he loved you or he saw a way of making a great deal of gold from you from the way you speak of him i gather it was the latter in hillsfar they're mad for the arena people wager huge sums on the fights as the mage once told me he'd already picked me out as a likely gladiator because i used to get in a lot of fights with the other boys and would take any stupid dare they tossed my way he figured that with iron claws i'd fare even better so he fitted me out and found me a trainer the teacher decided i'd do best as a bestiarius a killer of wild animals and abominations so he steered me in that direction before long you declared me ready for my first match when the spectators saw i was still stripling they gave long odds against me the mage cleaned up she shook her head and whispered to force a child to battle for his life well i liked the fighting he said with a crooked smile what i didn't like was doing it on command to enrich somebody else unfortunately it took years before i could make a change it's not easy to murder a wizard if he's cautious but eventually i found a way then fled the city i wouldn't call it murder dorne shrugged and said you can probably guess the rest of the tale once i was free i had to earn a living and slaughtering beasts was the only thing i knew so i set up shop as a hunter for hire it wasn't long before i figured out that being able to kill a creature did no good if i couldn't find it so i joined forces with a tracker after one or the other of us got mauled a few times we decided we needed a healer a couple years later we met will and realized he'd make a useful addition too and here the four of us are plying a trade that lets you slay dragons i don't deny hating them in my place wouldn't you i hunt for coin i'll bring down any brute a client wants dead but it does please me when the quarry said drake any drake she asked behind her the sky was brightening the sun floated round and complete above the hills on the eastern shore you mean have i ever gone after one of the metal colored variety the ones people claim are kindly and wise no but only because nobody ever hired me to a worm's a worm to me you know hate can be as cruel a master as the one you left behind in hillsboro he scowled and said if i want moral instruction i have a priest who can dish it up to order good morning to you maid please she said don't walk away i'm sorry i didn't mean to preach i simply want to be your friend why because you feel sorry for me don't bother because i like you don't bother about that either he said you're right about me she said i do have secrets i mustn't share but i'll tell you this i'm terrified and i see something in you i just like your companionship is all spurn her he told himself otherwise you might grow fond of her and say so then you'll have to endure her replying that yes she likes you too but not in the way a maid fancies a man will shouted from the top of the mast those huts on the beach can anybody else make them out barely said dorne squinting what about them i'd like raron to climb up here and take a look at them captain maybe you could lend him your spyglass the master of the vessel a squat man with sigils of good fortune and fair weather tattooed above his eyes frowned for the brass instrument was valuable still something in will's tone must have persuaded him that important matters were afoot because he handed it over be careful with it he said i promise the dwarf stowed the telescope in his belt pouch then clambered upward he studied the specs on the shore for half a minute then said will's right right about what demanded dorne the village is dead torn apart dragons killed it at least three of them i see the tracks dorne tried to wrap his mind around the idea it was possible the worms of the flooded forest had laid waste to the tiny hamlet without the hunters or mariners noticing the creatures making their way south but it seemed unlikely the alternative however would appear to be two dragon flights occurring simultaneously and if that was the case might there be even more the flights were rare events but history told of calamities rarer still seasons of madness when all the worms in faerun ran amuck at once such rages as they were called could result in the slaughter of countless thousands annihilate entire kingdoms and scar the world for generations to come the prospect was horrifying yet likewise filled dorne with a guilty sort of eagerness naturally he didn't want folk to die but the thought of all the dragons in the world rushing recklessly forth into reach of his arrows and sword he gave his head a shake and told himself to reign in his imagination even if the rages were something more than a myth it didn't mean one was happening without so much as a comet or some other important to herald it surely there was another explanation he glanced at cara as she stared at the ravaged village tears slid from her lavender eyes she'd seemed so bold and cool-headed during the fracas in ilrefon that the open display of sorrow rather surprised him but evidently she had a tender nature and no compunction about indulging it when she wasn't fighting for her life dorne resented her weeping because somehow it meant he couldn't rebuff her after all it condemned him to be her friend he awkwardly put his human hand on her shoulder chapter 5 8 alturiak the year of rogue dragons nervous as on the night he'd stolen the emerald gorstag skulked through the chilly torch-lit catacombs he had been given free run of the entire complex ever since he'd accompanied speaker into queen sambral's castle but the spellcasters were performing a necromantic ritual their chanting echoing through the tunnels and the wearer of purple expected everyone who wasn't busy elsewhere to attend it wouldn't do for gorestag to be caught skipping someone might suspect correctly that he was up to no good he'd learned a great deal during the past couple of ten days from both speaker himself and the cabal's lesser officers who assumed that if the great man had seen fit to trust him he must be all right yet he still feared he didn't know enough he had some notion of what was happening but not how to stop it if indeed that was possible he didn't even have any proof of what he discovered and wondered if his employer would believe such a wild tale without it so he lingered to find some the cult kept him so busy aiding in various jewel thefts that it would have been difficult to disappear in any case but how he wanted to from the first he'd known the brothers were dangerous men but at least it had been easy to dismiss their beliefs as mad delusions he'd come to fear that the nightmarish tomorrow of their ambitions might truly come to pass unless he himself prevented it at times he felt as if the responsibility would crush his mind into a lunacy as profound as theirs since gorstag had discovered who the wizard actually was the worst moments were those he spent in speaker's company he couldn't shake the feeling that the cult leader would have absolutely no trouble reading in underlings thoughts if it simply occurred to him to make the effort in which case he'd find it equally easy to destroy a spy a heartbeat later or more likely incapacitate him for interrogation and torture the day had started particularly bad not because anything special had happened but simply because gorstag's nerves were fraying fast he'd been certain he was on the verge of making a slip and giving himself away then he'd learned speaker had set forth on another journey the mage seemed to like lyribar but spent only a fraction of his time there he had affairs to manage and called enclaves across faerun gorstag decided his chance had come he'd search speaker's quarters to see what he could find and whether he turned up anything or not flee the city to make his long overdue report to his employer it seemed as good a plan as he was likely to hit upon but when he reached speaker's chamber he hesitated as far as he could tell the spacious crypt with the tunnel vaulted ceiling harbored no threats simply the ornately carved cherry desk chairs bookshelves and tapestries the brothers had fetched down into the tunnels to furnish it but as everybody knew spellcasters liked to set magical snares to catch intruders gorstag might summon a devil or set himself on fire simply by stepping across the threshold but maybe not speaker was busy and regarding himself as the wisest and noblest of leaders clearly assumed his followers shared his opinion it seemed likely he simply counted on their awe and devotion to protect his privacy in any case gorstag wasn't making himself any safer or less scared by hovering at the entrance worrying about it he took a deep breath calming himself as maestro taygan had taught him then he stepped through the basket arch nothing happened breathing a sigh of relief he turned and peered about the shelves were full of tomes loose documents and rolled up sheets of parchment so many the smell of old paper threatened to make him sneeze he was going to need luck to find what he needed in a reasonable amount of time he just hoped he'd recognize it when he saw it then he spotted a volume with the flamin claws sigil of the cult stamped in gold leaf on the spine standing in the middle of a shelf the sickly greenish light of the ever burning torch in the wall sconce made it difficult to distinguish color but the rich purple of the leather binding was unmistakable the book was the tome of the dragon the compendium of arcane secrets and apocalyptic prophecies that had guided the conspiracy since its inception steal that and gorstag realized he would accomplish relatively little the harpers and their allies had waged war against the cult for centuries surely somebody had seized a copy of the tome already besides the spy had learned that several months back when speaker first revealed his current plan it had come as a surprise even to lyra bar's wearer of purple that plainly meant the book didn't cover the scheme gorstag had to keep searching he turned his attention to the desk if any of the papers littering the writing surface or stuffed into the cubby holes was of critical importance he was too thick to realize it but one drawer the top one on the left was locked as he drew his main gauche he thought again of magical traps and the conjured blade of darkness that had with a single stroke erased the maid from existence refusing to let such reflections deter him he worked the dagger into the crack between the drawer and the rest of the woodwork then pried the action failed to bring any hellish spirits leaping forth or to rot his flesh on the bone the sturdy lock simply resisted him until he feared the parrying blade would snap or break loose from the hilt finally though the drawer lurched open he slid it all the way out inside was a battered brown leather folio he turned back the cover and flipped through leaves covered in tiny script having looked on while speakers scribbled a note or two he recognized the wizard's handwriting that had to be it he started to pick it up then heard a tiny rustle of cloth at his back instinct prompted him to fling himself sideways out of speaker's chair as he slammed down on the cold stone floor he saw the out thrust rapier that had nearly pierced his back fervendal was at the other end of it are you mad gorstag said the wearer of purple sent me liar fervendal pounced after him in thrust gorstag rolled and the point missed him to rasp against the floor traitor another stab unbeliever another fortunately the fat youth wasn't agile gorstag managed to dodge every attack and eventually heave himself to his feet his back was to the wall and his main gauche was still on the desk where he'd set it down but at least he had his rapier he jerked it from the scabbard put it in line and fervent all hastily backed away from the threat that was bad if the merchant's son had kept on rushing forward gorstag could probably have spitted him as it was the spy thought he could still kill fervendal but probably not before he called out for help calm down gorstag panted i swear to you the wearer of purple sent me here do you think i'm an imbecile fervendal asked his double chinned face mottled and sweaty i guess you must since i'm the one you picked to flatter and befriend to persuade me to sponsor you in the brotherhood but i'm not stupid i saw how hard you work to win the prophet's trust and something about it troubled me we all try to serve speaker however we can said gorstag you know that it just irked you that he took a liking to me when i was only a neophyte it made you jealous and that affected your judgment nonsense i spotted you for a spy i just couldn't denounce you right away not without proof not when i vouched for you myself how would that have looked so i bided my time when you didn't show up for the ceremony tonight i came searching to see if you were getting into mischief and now i have you maybe you do said the spy but have you really thought about what you're doing your father's rich everything the cult promises you already have it makes no sense for someone like you to conspire against the crown my family is rich and deserves to be for it's the merchants who bring prosperity to impilter that's why we ought to be the masters yet the old chivalry the paladins and cavaliers make the laws and turn up their noses at us as if we were no better than the rabble the brotherhood will change that weeping ill mater man you'd still have rulers set above you even if the prophecies came true at least we'll be first among human beings not really because it's never going to happen every time the cult puts some grand scheme into motion people like the night step in and break it up it's different this time don't you see that i see it's time for you to think about practicalities gorstag said like how you yourself can survive the next few minutes you fluffed your chance to murder me and now i've got a rapier in my hand and i'm the better duelist you can scream for help and probably it will come but not in time to keep me from killing you if you want to live you'll have to creep quietly along with me while i make my escape once we reach the street i'll let you go fervent all hesitated then said you you wouldn't dare harm me if you think that you really are stupid at this point what do i have to lose one thing's for sure i can't afford to stand here arguing until somebody else happens by so this is how it will be i'm going to give you to the count of three to be sensible and after that i'll kill you who knows maybe i can drive my point into your heart before you even get off a yell or maybe that wretched chanting will cover the noise one two all right fervendal yelped i surrender throw away your sword and point gorstag commanded the weapons clanked on the floor now go stand in that corner once he had fervendal where he wanted him gorstag grabbed and sheathed his mane gauche then stooped to collect the folio it was big and bulky and the papers were loose inside it it was going to make an awkward burden but he realized fervent all was whispering gorstag jerked his head up just in time to see the cultists spin his hand through a complex figure like a wizard casting a spell only then did he recall that speaker had alluded to teaching fervendal magic gorstag threw himself forward intent on killing the pudgy youth before he could finish the incantation too late like a wave rearing from the surface of the sea a pale luminescence shot up and raced across the floor it smashed into gorstag like a giant's fist bore him backward and slammed him against a bookshelf before blinking out of existence jolted loose by the impact volumes tumbled down around him one banged him squarely on the head and he fumbled his grip on the folio it fell and bumped open scattering the pages inside as tegan had taught him he refused to let the shock of being hit paralyze him he charged once more fervendal jabbered words of power and stuck out his hand a crackling tendril of white light leaped from his fingertips to gorstag's blade the power burned down the length of the weapon into the spy's hand his whole body shuttered spastically only for a moment but that was all the time it took for fervendal to recover his own rapier he lunged and thrusted his adversary's chest off balance gorstag nonetheless managed to parry but didn't trust himself to stand and fight after taking two hurts in a matter of seconds he needed a moment to gather his strength he jumped backward grabbed a chair and threw it it didn't hit fervendal but the pudgy rake had to dodge and that kept him from chasing right after his foe gorstag struggled to control his breathing came on guard and did his best to quell the fear shrilling through his mind he told himself that fervendal was no wizard not really he'd simply mastered a few rudimentary spells and was surely incapable of casting many more before he ran out of power he was no swordsman either that ought to mean gorstag was still more than a match for him the problem was that the spy's back ached fiercely and something inside his torso throbbed every time he inhaled his rapier trembled no matter how he struggled to hold it steady fervendall's magic had genuinely hurt him impairing his ability to fight maybe the fat youth knew it too maybe that was why he was so confident he hadn't seized the opportunity to run or cry for help or maybe it was just that his blood was up either way fervendal stood his ground hitching from side to side and back and forth looking for an opening gorstag decided to give him one when fervendal faked a step to the right then immediately hopped left gorstag pretended the clumsy deception had fooled him he pivoted in the direction the cultist wanted giving fervendol his flank fervendal charged gorstag whirled spitting his sword to sweep his foe's weapon out of line and repost until another spasm perhaps a residual effect of fervent miniature lightning bolt shook him uncontrollably it made him miss the parry fervendall's point drove into gorstag's chest grinning oblivious to the possibility that his foe might still pose a threat the cultist yanked his rapier free and cocked it back for another thrust that was when gorstag's own desperate attack rammed into fervent all's torso fervendal gaped stupidly then collapsed because gorstag was still holding the blade buried in fervental's flesh the cultist's weight dragged the spy to his knees the abrupt drop made the crypt spin and darken and gorstag realized he was on the verge of passing out he fought to cling to consciousness and finally the feeling of faintness abated though that had the unfortunate consequence of intensifying the pain gorstag couldn't permit it to him he had to flee trying not to bleed on them he gathered the leaves from the folio it took time the wretched papers had flown everywhere he tried to pull his rapier out of fervendal's corpse but it stuck fast he planted his foot on the body gripped the hilt with both hands and it slid free with a nasty little sucking sound alas the process proved so taxing as to convince him he no longer had the strength to wield a sword he couldn't bear to abandon it however and despite the handicap of shaking hands managed to slip it back into its scabbard was there any way to hide what he'd done gorstag couldn't keep the cult from discovering fervendol's body he was too weak to move it but maybe he could prevent their realizing he'd stolen the folio at least for a while he pushed the desk drawer shut then grabbed the purple bound copy of the tome of the dragon leaving an obvious gap on the shelf with luck the brothers would assume he'd come to steal the sacred text and not investigate any further time to flee but where his employer had charged him to tell no one of his mission the cult had agents everywhere perhaps even among the officers of the queen and in any case the harpers kept their affairs a secret yet gorstag had to seek help somewhere otherwise he'd never make it out of town alive he smiled for the answer was obvious maestro tegan would sucker him if his numb legs could carry him that far they bore him to the stairs leading up to the tannery anyway then the chanting ended in a ragged fashion as over the course of a couple seconds the cultists fell silent someone had apparently burst in and interrupted them probably someone who discovered fervendol's corpse in libra bar a sal was more than a school for instruction in the science of fencing it was a social club where the duelists often lingered long after the practice was through and the maestro presided over their revels as he had their training for he had to prove himself the epitome of everything the city's young hellions aspired to be knowledgeable not merely about swordplay but also wine gambling clothes horses hawking and venery moreover he had to render his judgments on such matters with eloquence and wit otherwise no matter how well he taught combat his academy would go out of fashion and his pupils would desert him accordingly tegan nightwind often found himself the center of attention from mourning until late into the night finally however a moment arrived when one or another distraction the a drinking contest or the snowball battle in the garden out back had lured every one of the winged elf's admirers away he seized the opportunity to slip off to his office on the top floor where another sort of work awaited him korkowry mindel was there too sitting in a circle of lamplight at a work table sized for halflings stooped and whizzened corkaori was small even by the standards of his own diminutive race which never prevented him from projecting an air of firm authority over the provosts maids cooks and bods who made up the rest of the staff you should have gone home hours ago tegan said your family will be worried i knew you wanted to review the accounts corkowry replied i could have puzzled them out by myself quarkowry made a derisive spitting sound tegan chuckled and said i could and you know it very well you probably fear that if you give me an hour alone with the ledgers i'll realize you're embezzling you found me out tegan pulled one of his specially made chairs up to the table when necessary he could manage a human seat with impeccable grace but he much preferred furniture crafted to provide room for his black feathered pinions well he said let's have at it and try to get you out of here by midnight as the crackling fire in the hearth burned lower and chill crept into the room the avario as winged elves were called and his assistant went over the entries line by line like every other aspect of city life coin had been a mystery to tagan when he'd first come to the human world he'd made a point of learning all about it because that too was necessary if he was to make his way in the city the alternative was to slink back to the dismal circumstances of his birth eventually the discussion drifted down a familiar path you realize core cowery said cormerian brandies doubled in price since the troubles there good if the other maestros are too miserly to pour it i look all the more munificent i suppose munificence is also the excuse for this yacht you're having built of course i have to toss coin around to attract wealthy patrons but you yourself aren't wealthy the cell brings in plenty of gold but it flows right out again to service your debts and pay for each new extravagance answer me this so long as the coin keeps coming will i stay afloat the elderly halflings scowled and said probably barring disaster there you are then you're fretting over mist and dew drops if you say so said korkowry let's at least make sure we take in as much gold as possible some of the students are behind on their fees they always are the names if you would be so kind odith amblecrown he's just absent-minded said the maestro he'll ante up if i drop him a hint provided it's not too subtle nalien fisher bugger his family's too prominent and he's too much of a brat if we squeeze him he'll leave in a snit and take his sycophants who do pay with him let it go for now gorstag helder still taken asked chuck him out i'll tell the porter not to admit him tegan arched an eyebrow he'd cultivated that particular mannerism like many of his gestures to make himself over into a perfect impilter in rake that's it he asked what else is there corkhowery replied on previous occasions you had more to say true i pleaded poverty on goodman helder's behalf whereupon you grudgingly granted him an extension i don't feel like covering the same ground again if he really can't afford to live like a swell with fencing lessons fancy clothes and all the rest of it that's his problem let him take up a trade like everybody else oh to the abyss with it said tagan give him another month maybe timora will blow on his dice the corners of korkauri's mouth quirked upward why the smirk taken asked i just wanted you to acknowledge that actually we keep held around the rolls because you're fond of him as you ought to be he idolizes you all the sheep idolize me that's what enables me to shear them are we done i suppose then take a sedan chair home and don't feel you have to scurry back at the crack of dawn stay in bed and wake up para in the way the wench likes best i'll thank you not to refer to my wife as a wench said the halfling anyway at her age she likes to wake to griddle cakes smothered in butter and cherry syrup spare me the lurid details are you going to turn in no tegan answered simply avarials didn't sleep and though they had their own sort of rest a trance-like meditation they only needed about four hours a night i have an itch to get out of this place of a while i believe i'll find what celine and the sea of night are doing with his wings protruding in the back and avarial couldn't wear ordinary cloaks but tagan possessed a number of specially tailored tabards that went a long way towards staving off the chill he opened an armoire selected a deep blue velvet outer garment trimmed with scarlet satin and pulled it on thus protected he strode to the casement with its panes of pebbled milky glass threw it open and sprang out into the night his wings spread and hammered up and down swiftly carrying him above the level of the gabled rooftops after a time they caught an updraft that hurled him higher still until he could gaze down on the entirety of lyrabar at once glittering with enough lights to rival the starry sky above queen sambro's capital sprawled along the shore for nearly a mile supposedly it was the largest city for hundreds of miles certainly it was the greatest tagan had ever seen and the sight of it stretched out beneath him could inspire a variety of emotions depending on his mood often he felt wonder joy and gratitude that he had come to dwell here other times though he would never have admitted it to another lyra bar made him feel ashamed and unworthy of its grandeur fortunately the humans whose city it truly was rarely behaved as if he didn't belong elves of any sort were a rarity in impilter and the surrounding lands avarials were virtually unheard of and because of their wings slender frames porcelain skin fine-boned features and large luminous eyes many folk in lyrebar regarded them as marvelous and exotic tagan had recognized that fascination early on and turned it to his advantage it had played a considerable part in making him one of the most popular masters of arms in town tonight the spectacle of the benighted port with its host of warships and merchant vessels either moored at the piers or sitting at anchor in the harbor lifted his spirits and made him want to play he climbed and plummeted swooped through the boulevards and alleys testing his ability to level out of a dive or make a turn at the last possible instant it was exhilarating and if people saw so much the better the gossip would bring in new students avarials weren't like dwarves or goblin kin able to see in the utter absence of light but their vision was sharper than that of men midway through another ascent tagan noticed the lanky man weaving and stumbling his way across a plaza at the intersection of five avenues it was obvious he was hurt and just as clear that the shadowy figures tailing him intended to finish him off he was probably leaving a trail of blood spatters for them to follow it was unfortunate but none of tagan's business he resolved to fly elsewhere and leave the distasteful scene behind then the human lifted his face as if praying to selenae to save him it was gorstag his long narrow countenance pale as the moon herself curse you taken thought i already did you one favor tonight isn't that enough he furled his wings and dropped like a stone as a result he landed hard but not hard enough to hurt himself up close gorstag wreaked of blood he gave tagan a dazed smile i was coming to find you the student said lucky me the maestro grumbled get down and stay there tegan shoved gorstag down into the dirty much trodden snow to make a smaller target it was the only way an adult human was too heavy to fly to safety the maestro pivoted whipped his rapier from its scabbard and reviewed the spells he currently carried ready for the casting in his memory most of lyrabar knew him only as a dualist for the simple use of weapons was the only art he imparted to his pupils it was all he had to teach that non-elves seemed capable of learning but during his youth he'd also mastered blade song a technique for combining swordplay and magic to lethal effect and he suspected he was going to need it very soon the question was which spell to cast first in the final moments before gorstag's hunters rushed into the plaza tegan decided to armor himself specifically against ranged attacks he trusted his fencing to protect him from foes bold enough to advance within reach of his rapier but even the greatest swordsman could fall prey to enemies who kept their distance and shot him full of arrows he rattled off the incantation swept a scrap of turtle shell through the proper pass and the first two of his foes darted into plain view he smiled because he'd guessed right they carried crossbows they faltered for an instant surprised to see him waiting there then lifted the weapons they knew how to use them too despite their excitement they took a moment to aim then the crossbows clacked and the quarrels leaped forth one shaft missed the other struck taken in the chest only to snap in two without penetrating it had however chipped away at the magic a few more such impacts and the protection would be gone it was a good reason not to give his attackers a chance to ready the crossbows for a second volley tagan charged them his wings beating augmenting the strength of his legs to close the distance in several prodigious bounds his opponents tossed away the crossbows and reached for their blades he killed the curly bearded one on the right before his falcion cleared the scabbard the other a thin man in a high crowned hat rushed in stabbing with a dirk in either hand the avario saw that he wouldn't quite have time to yank the rapier free and swing it around to present the point so he sidestepped and as the knife fighter blundered past bashed him in the head with the heavy steel pommel the human lurched off balance tegan thrust his sword into his back that was two foes down but tegan had glimpsed more he turned to meet the next ones and a nauseating stench assailed him as withered gray-faced figures shuffled out of the dark he cursed in surprise he'd assumed gorstag had simply run afoul of foot pads or come out the loser in a brawl yet that wouldn't explain someone setting zombies on his track it was astonishing that a spellcaster would even dare to create undead in lyrebar crawling with paladins and priests of the gods of light as it was tegan had never fought zombies but he had some notion of their weaknesses and capabilities they were slow and clumsy but strong fearless and difficult to slay the best way to deal with them would be to keep maneuvering so that only one or at the most two could come at him at a time and make his rapier a more potent weapon to let the animating force out of the walking cadavers that much more quickly he circled sidestepped advanced retreated and dodged thrust counter-attacked parried and reposted meanwhile he recited a rhyme and swept his off hand through a pass managing the sword play and spell casting simultaneously as only a blade singer could at the conclusion of the incantation he tossed a pinch of powdered lime and coal dust onto his blade magic groaned through the air and for an instant the weapon flared as if white hot he made faster progress after that every hit plunged the rapier deep into a zombie's body and a single such attack generally sufficed to dispatch it he disposed of a woman's corpse with the nose and jaw all black and mushy a broad-shouldered husk swinging a battle axe and a skinny old fellow's cadaver with bits of bare bone peeking through its flaking skin then another living man intent on creeping in on his flank tegan grinned only a fool risked his life except for profit which made him a fool at that particular moment but even so no one could deny the satisfaction of mastering an adversary or better still a pack of them for a few seconds the fight seemed an amusing game then the situation altered once again a human might not have noticed but a flying warrior learned to keep track of what was happening above and below him not just in front and behind even when he himself was battling on the ground thus tegan's ears caught the whisper of wings glancing upward he saw a huge dragon-like silhouette the wings 50 feet from tip to tip with a crooked stinger at the end of its long skinny tail and a rider straddling its back the beast was swooping at gorstag who held his rapier aloft in both trembling hands in a pathetic effort at self-defense a wyvern lacked the intelligence sorcery and breath weapon of a true dragon yet even so the reptile was far more formidable than any of tagan's other foes and he was accordingly surprised it hadn't revealed itself before but perhaps the rider was the sort of leader who'd rather send dozens of underlings to their destruction than face danger unnecessarily himself in any case since the bastard assumed his minions had the blade singer tied up he was racing to finish off the man he actually wanted to kill tegan spun and wings beating leaped into the air a blade bit into his calf he snarled against the shock flew onward and saw he couldn't intercept the wyvern in time not by flying anyway he rattled off words of power transported instantly through the intervening distance he was directly in the plummeting reptiles path he drove his rapier into its scaly chest then tried to dodge out of its way he was an instant too slow and the wyvern slammed into him the collision stunned him and he dropped tumbling toward the snowy cobbles waiting to smash his bones somehow he shook off the days and struggled to beat his wings to his relief they still worked the impact must not have broken any critically important bones as he leveled off then climbed he peered about to see how the wyvern was faring the unexpected injury had caused it to veer off short of rending gorstag with its talons but that was the only good news despite the flower of fresh gore blooming on its breast it was still airborne its master still perched atop its back it wheeled toward tegan leathery wings snapping and rattling gaining altitude all the while the rider clad in a dark robe shoulder cape and cowl swept a staff through mystic passes the shaft was made of jet black wood while the silver knob on top was shaped like a skull essentially it was the same situation tegan had already faced with the crossbowmen he had no intention of hanging back while the spellcaster hurled one curse after another rather he meant to close with the immense two-legged reptile and send it and its rider plunging to earth as soon as possible wings pounding and rapier extended like a lance he streaked toward it even as he flew his fastest blade song enabled him to weave another defensive enchantment for an instant the words of power sent rainbows rippling through the air around him the subtle illusion he'd called into being would make him look as if he was a foot or two away from his actual position it ought to hinder the wyvern's efforts to rip him to shreds whether it would hamper the rider's magic depended on which particular spell the son chose to cast a clawed shadowy and disembodied hand erupted from the silver skull and streaked at tagan he veered dodging the hand raked at empty air then withered out of existence so far so good but he might not be as lucky next time he had to get into sword range but realized that his shield of illusion notwithstanding it would be suicide to approach the wyvern at any but the proper attitude so he zigzagged back and forth making the reptile struggle to match him shift for shift the dragon-like brutes could fly faster than avariel's but were less agile in the air even so he'd nearly closed with it before he maneuvered it into the proper posture he put on a final burst of speed and fetched up under its belly where he grabbed a loose handful of scaly hide to anchor himself in place while he clung there it would have difficulty twisting its neck far enough around to snap at him or its tail to sting the man perched on its back wouldn't be able to target him at all still his position could scarcely have been more perilous the huge three talon feet scrabbled at him the great jaws with the slit-pupiled eyes glaring rage behind them bit repeatedly and the crooked venomous stinger thrust and thrust the wyvern thrash to shake him loose meanwhile he struggled to hang on twist out of the way of each new attack and drive the rapier home over and over again at last the reptile shuttered and rolled over it was falling and tegan had to get clear or it would carry him to the ground along with it he leaped away from it wings pounding and either by dint of a final murderous effort or simply because the wyvern was convulsing in its death throws the stinger leaped directly at him he twisted away from it the bony point came close enough to tear a feather or two from his left pinion but failed to pierce flesh or pump poison into his veins after that the reptile was too far away to threaten him the rider shrieked and for a moment tegan took a cold satisfaction in the doomed man's terror then he glanced down and saw the men and zombies closing in on gorstag ilmater's wounds was this fight never going to end he dived luckily when the wyvern crashed down with an earth-shaking jolt it startled the ordinary humans freezing them in their tracks the undead took no notice but they were lurching along more slowly than their living counterparts thus tegan reached the ground in time to interpose himself between gorstag and his would-be assassins he drove his rapier into a zombie's face and out the back of its head jerked the weapon free deflected a short sword with a thrust in opposition and pierced his attacker's solar plexus an instant later a mace whipped at his head he ducked and extended simultaneously and another animate corpse went down the surviving humans bolted leaving the last two zombies behind to cover their retreat tegan destroyed the creatures took a wary look around to check for other dangers then crouched over gorstag you'll be all right now the maestro said gorstag shook his head i don't think so the student murmured actually tegan marked the precise location of his pupil's wound and he didn't think so either nonetheless he insisted we'll find a priest to mend you no time just listen gorstag fumbled at his side after a moment tegan realized the wounded man was trying to produce something from inside his blood-soaked cloak but was too weak to bring it forth the elf folded back the cape to reveal a book with an odd sigil stamped on the spine and a folio stuffed with loose pages what are these the tome said gorstag and speakers notes what speaker gorstag made a little rhythmic wheezing sound it took taken a second to realize it was laughter you're you're right said the dying student i kept calling him speaker even after i found out it scared me to use his real name even in my private thoughts but you need to know it's sam master tegan wondered if his student was slipping into delirium sammaster was a villain in old stories perhaps such a human had really lived once upon a time but even if so he was surely dust i don't understand the maestro said has some knave taken to calling himself by the monster's name no gorstag replied he came back he's he's leading the cult again and this time the prophecies are going to come true he's found the way to make them all do what he wants tegan felt lost he dimly recalled that sam esther had founded a secret society known as the cult of the dragon which by some accounts still existed but beyond that he could make little of what gorstag was straining to tell him make who do what he wants it's why we had to steal all the gems gorstag replied that was you with the others i had to to keep them from suspecting i was a spy [Laughter] he panted out his ghastly crippled laugh blood ran from the corners of his mouth but he continued not a good spy though they caught me in here in the end i thought i could pull it off thought i'd finally found a way to make something of myself but never mind it's not important anymore keep the notes safe until the harpers come for them they'll find you somehow don't trust anybody else even a paladin even the queen if the folio is supposed to pass to someone else tell me how to find him gorstag didn't answer simply stared up at the heavens gazing after his ascending soul perhaps at that moment had it lain in his power tagan might have consigned the young idiot spirit to the infernal realms instead it was true the avario encouraged his students to revere him as a mentor and prize him as a boon companion it was good for business but that didn't mean he was keen to fulfill their perilous inconvenient dying requests he most emphatically was not curse you he said you didn't understand i only liked you in a casual sort of way and i certainly don't care about your wretched batch of papers you should have sought the aid of a knight i'm just an avario gorstag had nothing to say to that either tegan's side gathered up the book and folio and his leg gave him a twinge thus reminded of the gas he'd received he checked it and was relieved to find it shallow he decided to heed gorstag's instructions in one regard anyway he wouldn't trust paladins or any of the other royal officers likely to discover him if he lingered there he'd rather not try to justify his slaughter of several humans the carcasses of the wyvern and zombies might serve to vindicate him but it was by no means a certainty not when the authorities held his profession in such disdain he spread his wings and sword upward as he fled toward the sal he wondered if he could find a way to turn the burden gorstag had foisted upon him into coin the possibility blunted his resentment but only a little chapter 6 11 altruiak the year of rogue dragons will was no mariner but he and his fellow hunters had spent enough time sailing around the moon sea traveling from one job to the next for him to learn that many captains preferred to hug the coast during winter it gave them a fighting chance of finding shelter in a harbor or cove if a gale blew up nonetheless after sailing past the third ravaged village the skipper of the merchant galley had ordered his crew to the benches to row out into the center of the reach evidently he feared running up on a dragon flight more than getting caught in a blizzard as a result of his caution the rolling grasslands of the vast were simply a line on the eastern horizon and the earth fast mountains just a bump that didn't stop doran from spending hours in the bow staring at them the gray breezy afternoon of the 11th was no exception dorne had stood like a statue at the port rail since the midday meal of rock hard biscuits and pickled cod eventually cara wandered up to join him will had made it a point to keep abreast of the progress of their friendship someone should shouldn't he considering that back in the flooded forest his comrades had proclaimed the bard a duplicitous and possibly sinister figure besides it intrigued him to see a softer side of dorne emerging no matter how the big man himself struggled against it and while some folk affected to resent eavesdroppers the practice didn't bother them unless they caught you at it they rarely caught will the skills that had once made him the ablest guild thief in sir loon saw to that he descended the mast and sauntered forward fortunately the galley carried some of its cargo on deck including half a dozen crates stacked too high and lashed down to keep them from sliding just aft of the bow the metallic contents clinked and rattled when the ship rolled the pile offered plenty of cover for a skulker as small as a halfling will sat down with his back against it yawned and pretended to doze he picked up kara's rich soprano voice in mid-sentence wish you were ashore don't you hunting them we'll see you safely to lyra bar doran said as promised that's not what i asked the voyage is pleasanter than i thought it might be light work for good wages but i like killing dragons we talked about that already the previous dragon flight almost killed you your friends and me we were lucky to escape with our lives yes it's stupid to want to face another one but if you could find a way to split the worms up pick one off slip away regroup and return for the next he chuckled it was the sound will had rarely heard easier said than done i know i imagine that if anyone could figure it out it would be you cara said that killed the conversation dead at least for a moment dorne had never known how to respond to a compliment or a simple expression of gratitude for that matter i've spent a lot of time studying drake's he managed at last questioning folk who've seen them up close and live to tell the tale yet you have no idea why they slip into frenzy apparently nobody does not even wizards sages or priests it must be horrible for them dorne spat and said more like the kind of drunk where hurting people and breaking things seems like the grandest sport in the world but even if it was awful who could pity them dragons slaughter and pillage even when their minds are clear i know you'd slay them all if you could and considering what they took from you who could blame you i just wonder what you'd do afterward will peaked out in time to see dorne shrug since it's not going to happen why even think about it the former gladiator said his iron half mask gleaming dully in the pale winter sunlight i know you'd find something to do because i know there's more to you than hate i suppose i'd just gone hunting faerun would still have plenty of dangerous beasts and i'd still need to earn a living suppose you found one of the great dragon hordes will is always going on about then you wouldn't have to worry about coin i'd still hunt to help others because it's all i know oh nonsense you're clever enough to learn another way of living if you wanted to you could settle down and have the things most people want a home perhaps and someone to share it his rough base voice grew colder when he said you're mocking me no i've known only two sorts of women in that way those i paid and those who were curious to find out what it would be like or if i even could to discover whether the red drake left me my manhood some people think that different is the same as ugly and frightening but not everyone i don't how could i when i'm different myself because your eyes and hair are unusual colors spare me you're shaking the tree for compliments and you need to try your luck elsewhere i never learned to play such games i've offended you cara said i'm sorry i'll leave you alone will looked out from his hiding place and saw the slender barred her cheeks ruddy with the cold and her long straight white blonde hair whipping in the wind turned to go dorne reached out with his human hand to stay her almost touching but not quite please i'm the one who should be sorry i don't understand why you say some of the things you do but i know it isn't out of meanness he said i often don't know why i say them either she said with a smile perhaps simply because i'm afraid and it makes me babble once again dorne didn't appear to know what to say just kiss her thought will impatiently you'll both enjoy it and with any luck it'll gripe pavel's arse pavel had an amorous nature and since he served lathander who was among his other attributes a god of love nothing in his creed or vows constrained him from indulging it at the start of the voyage he'd spent several days making subtle romantic overtures to kara hints and invitations she'd ignored will hoped it would irk him to learn that where the handsome loquacious priest had failed to strike a spark his scarred surly comrade had succeeded the moment stretched out the two humans standing close together gazing into one another's faces then rare and bellowed got you naturally everyone the half gollum and singer included turned to see what was happening bear from the waist up his skin sunburned the angry looking red that evidently caused his kind no more discomfort than did the winter chill the arctic dwarf was standing on one of the rowers benches a short distance aft the muscles in his burly arms bulged and nodded as he hauled in a line at the end with a harpoon embedded in the plump glistening grey body of a tuna nearly as big as himself the fish thrashed and flopped about the deck until he pounded its head with the butt of his bone-hafted ice axe fitted with a new blade since the ooze drake's corrosive slime had ruined the old one afterward the dwarf recited the prayer-like formula he entoned after killing any game animal apologizing to its departing spirit and promising its body wouldn't go to waste then he gave his shipmates a grin the flash of teeth almost indistinguishable inside the tangle of white beard fresh tuna fillets for our supper said raron there's nothing tastier he wrenched the harpoon from his catch drew his knife and crouched down to clean it having determined what the fuss had been about the sailors went back to their duties will peered up at dorne and cara then frowned perplexed unlike everyone else the bard wasn't turning away she stared as raron's blood-smeared fist hitched the knife along sheering away slabs of moist pink flesh it didn't make sense surely she'd seen someone dress out a freshly killed animal before so why the fascination will couldn't believe she was squeamish and thus transfixed with horror back in ilrefon she'd maintained her composure with smashed shredded human corpses scattered all around yet she still couldn't take her violet eyes off the tuna doran saw it too cara he said kara she didn't answer she took a step toward the companion way leading down from the bow paused then took another will had a sudden premonition that he didn't want to see what she'd do if she made it all the way to raron and his catch it would be disturbing maybe worse than that cara wrenched herself around and staggered to the very front of the bow seemingly putting as much distance between herself and the dwarf as possible panting she clutched the rail as if she lacked the strength to stand without a prop or maybe as if to anchor herself in place dorne followed her what's wrong he asked shaking her head carr replied nothing i felt faint for a moment but its passing perhaps it was just hunger maybe i should have eaten my share of the cod repulsive as it looked dorne peered down the length of the ship then shouted pavel the shout brought the priest hurrying forward will fell in behind him and they clambered up into the bow she's ill said dorne i'm not cara replied i'll tell you whether you are or not said pavel his tone must have convinced her resistance was useless for she submitted to an examination without further protest he gazed into her eyes and mouth held her dainty wrist between thumb and forefinger to take her pulse and cast a divination apparently it revealed nothing helpful for he then proceeded to ask the usual questions physicians trotted out when they hadn't a clue what ailed the patient and lastly to inspect the wounds he'd first treated in the wear rat's lair as far as will could tell she'd healed up nicely with only faint scars remaining well asked dorne pavel directed his answer at cara you seem fine i told you so she adjusted her mantle and gown to cover her shoulder and added i would like to find a spot to lie down though i'll walk with you thorn began don't trouble yourself i'm all right once she was out of earshot will sneered up at pavel baffled and useless as ever the halfling said go eat a toadstool pavel replied if she is sick no other healer could have diagnosed the problem either do you think she is asked dorne i don't know the cleric answered with a shrug but i find myself remembering that when we first met her we mistrusted her now we like her considering that she risked her life to cover the retreat from ilraphan the same as we did how could we not the problem is our fondness doesn't make her any less of a mystery after that no one else had much to say in time will climbed back up the mast where he remained while the sun sank toward the horizon the elevation should have allowed him to see farther than anyone else on board still it was raron's keen eyes that first spotted the threat and raron who raised the alarm dragons the tracker shouted flying out of the west rarens cried jolted dorne out of his fretting over cara and made him snatch for his bow the problem was he didn't have it like most of the rest of his gear it was packed away to protect it from the damp salt air he hesitated torn between the desire to rush to his baggage and the equally compelling urge to find out more about what was going on then yielding to the latter impulse he leaped from the bow and scrambled down the deck through the jabbering crewman to join raron at the rail show me he said the dwarf pointed the setting sun burned in the western sky and dorne had to squint against the glare finally though he made out two specks they were still far enough away that it was amazing even raron had spotted them the captain tramped up his tattooed face twisted in a scowl of concern and said you claim to know about dragons we do raron said are those two chasing us it's too early to tell said the dwarf suppose i order all hands to the oars it wouldn't help raron said you can't outrun dragons and i guarantee you if we spotted them they've already seen us as well my advice is to break out whatever weapons you've got stashed away my friends and i will tell you how to use them to best effect though i hope it won't come to that a ship under sale is a poor place to fight worms you can only maneuver the length and breadth of the deck and if they feel like it they can drown you just by knocking a hole below the water line the captain frowned and said surely we can do something we told you what to do said dorne loan us your spyglass and go do it we may only have a few minutes left when rearing and i know more about the worms we'll tell you from the way the mariner glared he plainly didn't like being ordered around on his own vessel still he surrendered the telescope strode off and started barking commands in his turn the crew scrambled to obey him dorne peered through the spyglass then cursed with the sun behind them he said i still can't make out the color it could be the swamp dragons again raron said except there were more than two considering that it may have been a whole different bunch of worms raiding along the eastern shore the gods only know what's coming dorne replied we'd better arm ourselves while we still have time cara found dorne when he was fastening up his acid scarred brigandine buckling the flaps that made it possible for him to don the reinforced leather armor despite the girth and protrusions of his metal arm he felt a twinge of relief that she looked tense but composed not strange and entranced as she had before maybe she really had just needed a nap do you have spells prepared he asked always she replied good but if we have to fight wait for the proper moment to throw them worms will almost always target a spellcaster if you give them a chance i know she said you be careful too you look more dangerous than the average sailor the drakes will want to eliminate you quickly also maybe so dorn faltered he had more he wanted to say to her but didn't know what and in any case they were running out of time he turned to the mariners who'd lined up to take spears and bows from the mate who was passing them out it turned out the majority had seen combat before fending off the raiders of the pirate isles which put them one up on the militiamen dorne had led an ill rophon marginally encouraged he divided them into squads and gave them their battle orders when he finished he climbed up into the bow to resume surveying the sky the worms were much closer even without the spyglass he could clearly make out the bat like wings wedge-shaped heads and serpentine tails silhouetted against the bright golden clouds but still not the color of the scales as he strung his longbow the captain approached him what's happening the captain asked we've come a bit farther south and the worms have turned to follow it's possible they just want a closer look at us if so we mustn't provoke them but if they do mean to attack said the man with the tattooed face i don't want to give them the first move that could be all it takes for them to sink us you're right said doran have the archers stand ready as soon as any of us hunters sees the least indication the worms mean us ill we'll let everybody know the captain gave a brusque nod and bustled off toward the quarter deck once dorn readied his bow and selected an arrow for his first shot he had nothing to do but watch the waiting nod at his nerves eventually pavel came to join him stand over there the cleric said motioning him a couple paces toward the stern pavel then positioned himself farther forward than anyone else he chanted a prayer and brandished his son amulet blessing everyone within range dorne felt the usual surge of vigor and confidence though the latter couldn't truly banish his apprehension just muffle it a little once pavel had finished all the spell casting he deemed useful for the time being he stood and peered out over the rippling lead grey water as everyone else was doing what's the color he muttered under his breath curse it show us there one wing dipping low and the other angling high the drakes turned to keep the merchant vessel directly in front of them and at last their position was such that they weren't flying directly out of the sun their long bodies gleamed as silver bright as newly minted sembian ravens and dorne could make out the broad kite-shaped plates on their heads that inspired some folk to call their species shield dragons a number of the sailors cheered called out thanks to tymora and umberley or simply slumped in relief others still held their weapons ready and snapped at their shipmates to be silent dorne was one of those who kept his arrow knocked the fact that the worms had metal colored scales wasn't enough to make him drop his guard maybe such creatures were less purely malevolent than the rest of their kind but he'd heard of instances when they too raided for treasure or harmed folk who failed to pay them the deference they considered their due anyway if this pair had slipped into frenzy their normal inclinations didn't matter anymore they soared overhead and on past the bow that's it then a sailor said sounding almost disappointed not yet pavel told him he'd noticed the first telltale tale switching and the enormous serpentine bodies beginning to twist they're wheeling for another pass they swooped lower as well and stupid as it was dorne realized he was glad eager to see if he could bring the wretched things tumbling down into the sea he was about to give the warning that would start the battle when pavel evidently sensing his intention said no wait we still don't know they're hostile by the time we're absolutely sure it could be too late they're metal dragons born of light the same as humans how do you know ask dorne we've never even seen a silver before be that as it may we can't lash out at them just because we fear they might be hustle is that what the morning lord teaches dorne snapped bugger him and you too harsh words but just bluster dorne realized he wasn't going to give the signal to attack after all not yet not with his trusted comrade so set against it the reptiles hurtled over the ship lower still so close dorne's nerves sang with the impulse to send an arrow streaking upward again the silvers didn't attack what did they want then were they really just curious after all they circled the smaller of the pair climbed higher while the larger dropped even lower leveling off it then glided in an almost stately fashion across the surface of the waves straight toward the galley crewmen yammered in terror and raised their weapons no dorn shouted he hated stopping them but it was the only sane thing to do he could tell the silver meant no immediate harm no dragon even a deranged one would approach a ship it intended to attack in such a manner first it would rake the decks with its breath and magic and when it did decide to fight with fang and claw it would dive as fast as it was able and smash into the masked defenders like a boulder flung from a catapult apparently the worm wanted to come aboard peacefully by lighting on the quarter deck dorne could only hope that alone wouldn't bring disaster it was easy to imagine the huge reptile's weight shoving the stern all the way down under the water but it didn't come to that as the shield dragon drew near it dwindled its body drawing in on itself so quickly that for a second dorne lost track of it then he noticed the ordinary looking white gull at the center of the space the worm had occupied wings fluttering the sea bird set down in the center of the quarter deck which the captain and everyone else had hastily vacated to make room for a gigantic drake there the creature shifted shape again swelling upward into the guise of a skinny old man clad in a shabby brown robe and buskins he had a genial sort of face seemingly made for smiles and laughter in which the eyes looked out of place pale and piercing the gray orbs set deep under scraggly white brows peered out at the world with the cold imperious regard of a magistrate or warlord the silver gazed down the length of the ship then said do you think i didn't spot you from the air caracendrius that i can't taste your scent show yourself cara stepped from behind a bundle of burlap sacks bound together in a net hello azak she said that's the first sensible thing you've done azak said now come along it's time to go dorne leaped out of the bow and shoved through the masked sailors with their bows and spears raron will and pavel scrambled to join him the priest pausing to grab the captain and haul him along as well as they hurried aft the shadow of the silver that had remained in dragon form swept across the deck a reminder it was still hanging above the galley like a hawk floating over a hair dorne and his companions took up a position between kara and azak when the bard realized what they were doing she said wait it's what you paid for said will i wasn't expecting two of them said cara the halfling grinned a crooked grin and replied we weren't even expecting one still a deal's a deal mind you if we survive this a bonus would be nice dorne glared up at the transformed shield dragon and asked what's this all about justice human said the silver the female must answer for her crimes but moonwing and i have no quarrel with you stay out of the way and we won't hurt you what crimes raron asked that's none of your concern suffice it to say my comrade and i serve in the talons of justice do you know the name dorne did he'd run across it in his studies of dragon lore the talons were supposedly a fellowship of silvers who'd banded together to combat evil rather like an order of paladins the claim didn't impress him even if it was true who was to say that a dragon's notions of right and wrong were the same as a man's you have no authority over me cara said nor does the lord to whom you've chosen to bow your heads someone must lead azak said otherwise all will suffer drakes and these small folk too if he led to some purpose cara said i'd agree but as it stands enough azach snapped his patched faded robe flapping in the frigid breeze i didn't come to argue but to arrest you as the king commands and a long hard search it's been you know what it costs to remain in dragon form for days at a time so you can imagine that my patience has worn thin now do you surrender or do you mean to fight a pair of talons both older and stronger than you the last doesn't stand alone pavel said the silver regarded the priest as if surprised that any of the other small folk would presume to speak again i seek to protect you and all your kind azak said as my race has always done if you're truly entitled to wear lathander's amulet then you should aspire to aid not hinder me if you truly deserve to proclaim yourself a champion of good pavel answered then you should understand why decent folk wouldn't surrender a companion to any stranger simply because he demands it especially a drake whatever it's you we've seen proof that a good many of you are running mad he turned to the captain and asked your passengers are under your protection aren't they sir the mariner scowled plainly he was uncertain and didn't like having his hand forced but he was tough as any captain had to be to sail the perilous waters of the sea of fallen stars and perhaps it helped that the shield dragon currently wore the guise of a man it made the creature somewhat less intimidating at any rate the captain said it's true the bard paid for her passage i can't just toss her to the sharks maybe if you were the sembian or imfilter and navy i'd obey your orders but what do your talons of justice mean to the likes of us ozok's wrinkled features twisted as if he'd suffered a pang of headache you have no idea what a dangerous game you're playing he said you think that because i'm a silver i'll coax and coddle you never mind just listen to me carcendriath is a dragon in human form like me dorne turned to cara tell me the worm is mad he said just like the others car assigned and said i wish i could you see ozak said her fate is a matter for dragons not men that might make a difference the captain said did it were the hunters and sailors under any obligation to protect one cursed worm from others especially when she deceived them concerning her true nature will rarin in pavel all glanced uncertainly in dorne's direction waiting for their leader to supply the answer unfortunately he didn't know give the rogue up azak continued and go your way in peace moonwing and i are friends to men and dwarves and halflings and have no wish to hurt you but if you're fools enough to stand with her we'll do what we must you'll be throwing away your lives for nothing for surely you realize you can't stop us maybe it was the memory of cara risking her life to fight the worms of the flooded forest or maybe azak's arrogance his certainty that humans could do nothing to bulk him either way door knew he meant to side with the female but how was he to help her even though she was a dragon herself he questioned their ability to fight off two silvers it would surely be impossible if the sailors declined to help and he could tell the captain was wavering it was impossible to guess which way he'd ultimately jump unless somebody pushed him we need a couple minutes to pull over the half golem said azak's mouth tightened in vexation do it quickly he said shifting his gaze to cara however they choose don't make these little ones perish in a quarrel that's none of their making lee mark isn't dead surrender now and in one smooth sudden motion dorn lifted his longbow and pulled the arrow back to his ear for a split second he had the shaft pointed straight at azak's heart and to his own surprise shifted his aim the arrow plunged into the talon's belly that could be a mortal wound too but not immediately and probably not if pavel or some other healer tended it dorne dropped his bow and rushed the quarter deck if he wasn't going to kill the silver outright then he needed to incapacitate the creature quickly before azak could revert to reptilian form or start casting spells as he scrambled up the companionway sailor started screaming giving voice to the fear and attacking drake inspired evidently moonwing had seen dorne shoot his comrade and was diving at the ship the captain and crew would have to fight they no longer had a choice as dorne scrambled up into the stern azak was still doubled over with the shock of his unexpected wound good the hunter charged the silver and the galley listed violently to starboard sending him reeling off course he slammed into the rail it cracked and for an instant he feared he'd crash right through to drop into the sea but the barrier held thinking moonwing must have landed on the ship he glanced around in fact the silver was still in the air but another drake was swelling into existence on the deck her burgeoning mass tipping the galley off balance car's reptilian form though huge compared to a human body was smaller and slimmer than that of the shield dragons her scales were a shimmering silver blue and her eyes the same lustrous violet as before though the pupils were feline slits instead of circles dorne had never seen such a worm before but the knowledge he'd collected enabled him to identify the breed cara was a song dragon a rare species allegedly as benign as the metal worms she had a half-heeled wound at the base on one wing evidently left over from the injuries she'd received prior to stumbling into the wear rat's den pavel's prayers apparently hadn't mended the gash because he hadn't been able to see it while she was in human guise the galley rocked again as she leaped clear dorne threw himself at azak unfortunately the rolling of the ship had given the talon time to shake off the shock of his stomach wound he rattled off an incantation and swept his hand through a mystic pass dorne felt a sudden sickening vertigo thanks to his studies he knew what it meant some shield dragons mastered the ability to make a victim fall away from the earth he had only a moment to anchor himself or he'd hurtle scores of feet skyward hang there until the magic ran out of power and come plummeting down he flung himself to the deck drove his iron claws through the planks and clutched at the splintered oak the heavens pulled at him but his grip anchored him it wasn't however enough simply to cling there he had to deal with azak he kicked the deck with his metal foot smashing through then hooked the extremity in the hole it wasn't to secure a hold as the one he'd established with his talons but it would have to do he needed his hands he grabbed caught azak by the legs and heaved him into a grapple which entailed pulling him into the zone where things fell upward unafraid of such an occurrence the talon kicked at dorne's iron leg trying to knock it out of the hole the hunter struggled to shift his hands into a position from which they could batter azak into submission it was harder than he could have imagined despite his scrawny old man appearance and the arrow in his gut the silver was astonishingly strong and a cunning wrestler as well then the situation became more desperate still as azak started to transform his limbs thickened in another second dorne wouldn't be able to wrap his fingers around them the silver's neck stretched his face extended into a pair of jaws and his teeth lengthened into ivory daggers capable of shattering a human skull with one nip at last dorne managed to twist his iron wrist free of his adversary's grip he slammed his knuckle spikes into azak's temple the silver went limp the violent action nearly jerked dorne's foot out of its mooring it did make him fumble his grip on azak who immediately tumbled upward in a second the talon was high above his attacker's head dorne couldn't tell if azak was alive or dead nor at the moment did he care he had other things to think about it was possible that by distancing herself from the galley kara had intended to keep moon wings attacks directed solely at her thus sparing her allies if so it had worked so far paville raron will and the sailors were still alive the shield dragon decided it wouldn't endure the steady harassment of arrows slingstones and priestly attack spells any longer even if they didn't seem to be doing him any great harm he conjured a blast of fire that sent cara reeling then confident she wouldn't trouble him for the next few seconds swooped at the galley despite pavel's blessing some of the sailors couldn't bear the terror of the onslaught and leaped overboard other folk managed a final missile it looked to dorn as if will's rock hit moon wings squarely in the left eye alas the pain wasn't enough to keep the onrushing dragon from breathing out a jet of pearly vapor a blast that would sweep the galley from prow to stern grimly aware that that one attack might well kill everyone on board dorne held his breath and pressed himself flat against the deck it was only when the white fumes washed over him and he discovered they weren't cold that he knew moonwing had been merciful silvers could expel either a breath weapon capable of freezing a man solid or one that merely induced a temporary paralysis and the talon had opted for the latter still that was all moon wing needed to neutralize most of his adversaries on board when the mist dissipated dorne saw that the majority of the sailors either stood or lay motionless even will was in the same condition petrified in the act of plucking another rock from his belt pouch but because dorne hadn't inhaled the fumes and had avoided their touch as much as possible or perhaps simply by dint of his natural hardiness or luck he could still move if he could make his way off the quarter deck out of the lingering effect of azak's magic maybe he could make moonwing regret it he dragged himself forward clawing and kicking new holds in the planks as he went and heaved himself down the companionway he landed heavily surely bruising himself he didn't care it felt too good just to escape the relentless dizzying pull of the sky he snatched up his bow and dashed forward seeking a spot that would afford him a clear shot past the sail and rigging at moonwing wheeling in the sky in doing so he came into proximity with raron who was loosing one arrow after another seemingly without pausing to aim though dorne knew the appearance was deceptive the tracker's quiver was nearly empty sorry to leave you to handle the other one all by yourself said raron without glancing away from his target you needed to focus on the one that was already in drake form and on the wing dorn said drawing his own bow i understand how are we doing moonwing doesn't act hurt said the dwarf i cast a charm to help my arrows pierce the scales but still i don't feel like i'm accomplishing much more than i would jabbing him with a pin i fear this is primarily kara's fight if we let that be true we're finished said dorne snatching another shaft from his supply he would have given anything for an arrow specially enchanted to slay dragons but alas he'd only had the one he'd wasted back in ilraphan the two worms soared each evidently trying to gain the advantage of higher altitude then the pounding of kara's wings became uneven as if the wounded one had started to fail her wobbling in the air she leveled off moon wing dived at her and spread his jaws wide to breathe but no more vapor burst from the silver's maw evidently cara had used the same spell she'd employed against the black worm stealing his ability to attack in that way without him even realizing it it must have surprised the talon but it didn't make him falter his foe was still floundering beneath him and he kept on plummeting talons poised to catch and rend cara waited until he was almost on top of her so close and hurtling so fast that it was impossible for him to dodge before unleashing her own breath weapon the fumes crackled like the tame lightning bolts wizards sometimes conjured but flared even brighter maybe the female dragon had heightened the glare with a spell in any case the blaze made dorne flinch and surely blinded moonwing who took the blast right in the eyes still the shield dragon drove on toward his mark at the last possible instant cara dodged out of his way it was only then that dorne realized she could still fly perfectly well she'd only pretended otherwise to trick moonwing into doing what she wanted as the larger worm plunged past her she clawed at his wing caught hold and yanked herself onto his back where to door in surprise she started singing the words were in draconic so he couldn't understand them but the tune had a fierce defiant sound kara kept on tearing at moonwing shredding his wings as they plummeted together when they slammed down into the gray water the prodigious splash threw cold spray over the side of the galley floating just a few yards away an instant later a wave rocked the ship and dorne had to fight to keep his balance once he managed that he saw that cara had managed to land on top of her adversary moonwing who seemed to have recovered his sight twisted his head around to bite her but he was an instant too slow she used his body as a platform to kick off and take flight once more if he was to pursue her moonwing would have to get back into the air without the same advantage as at home in water as on land or in the sky a black or bronze dragon could have done it easily but silvers lacked the same facility moonwings damaged wings pounded straining to lift him from the waves until he succeeded he'd be close to the galley and relatively stationary not streaking about high overhead and dorne intended to exploit that vulnerability he and raron drove one arrow after another into those spots where a dragon's hide was thinnest will dashed forward leaped atop a bundle of cargo and balancing as easily as if he stood on solid earth whirled his sling pavel had evidently used a prayer to free the halfling from his paralysis moon wing roared and jerked as the missiles pierced and battered him at last the barrage was wearing him down wheeling over his head kara stopped singing to cry you've lost talon yield and will let you live bugger that thought dorne he reached for one of his last few arrows and someone gripped his wrist restraining him he turned the meddler was pavel moonwing still has his teeth his claws and a skull full of spells said the priest carr is right if we can end this now we should dorne glared at him but when his friend didn't flinch he left the arrow in the quiver moonwing left off beating his wings to tread water what of ozok the talon asked carr appeared at the other silver floating motionless caught midway between human and worm form high above the sea he's alive she said and dorne could only marvel at the keenness of the senses that enabled her to verify that fact at such a distance i'm a healer pavel shouted i can help both of you if you promise that afterward you'll leave this vessel and everyone aboard in peace moonwing beared his fangs and said if azak hadn't taken human form to avoid terrorizing you to deal gently with you you never could have bested us i guess you'll know better next time said will meanwhile what's it to be i'm running low on skip rocks but the nice thing about a sling is you can always find something to throw i yield moonwing growled thank you cara said her wings hammered carrying her higher i'll fetch azak down the aftermath of the fight proved a lengthy business the ship's company had to recover those sailors who jumped overboard to raron's relief they found all but two steer their vessel back on course and get the shield dragons within reach of pavel's healing touch the last was harder than it needed to be because his surrender notwithstanding moonwing adamantly refused to assume human form to facilitate his coming aboard he evidently feared making himself any more vulnerable than necessary raron was as careful of the silvers as they were of their vanquishers the talons seemed honest which meant that having given their surrender they were likely to behave themselves still one never knew harpoon and ice axe at the ready the dwarf made it a point to watch the shield dragons closely until they took flight and to peer after them in case they doubled back eventually they vanished among the first stars of evening and still he remained vigilant grateful that though his folk didn't spend their lives underground like the other branches of their race they possessed the same ability to see in the dark fortunately he could stand guard and attend to his companions conversations at the same time once he had the galley ordered to his satisfaction the captain predictably came to complain it's possible the scowling seamen said to dorne that if you hadn't loosed that first arrow we could have avoided a fight only by giving up kara pavel said were you really willing to do that the captain hesitated then said well i didn't certainly want to lose two hands or have my quarter deck ripped to pieces in human form once more cara stepped forward a diamond brooch in her slender hand finally understanding what she truly was rare and assumed the jewelry she carried with her came from her own personal dragon hoard this should pay to repair the ship she said with coin left over for the kin of those who drowned i realize treasure alone doesn't make up for lost lives but i hope it helps a little if the broach doesn't said will the glory should skipper if you've got any sense you'll spread the story far and wide of how you and your men fought off two dragons with only a couple casualties and not a bit of cargo lost or spoiled every merchant in the north will be eager to trade with such a hero and no pirate will dare molest you the mariner grunted and took the jewelry what's done is done i suppose he said then tramped away cara surveyed her bodyguards sighed and said i suppose it will take more than extra gems to regain your friendship it's worth a try will said with a grin silence insect pavel said yes cara cendrius it will take more from the start we knew you had secrets but we didn't require you to give them up we respected you for helping the folk of ilrefon and in any case guarding you didn't seem any shadier than other jobs we've done but now we've raised our hands to silver dragons dorne started the violence with a foul blow some would say this despite the fact that during my novitiate my teachers taught me that shield drakes are wise and noble beings not divine of course but agents of good and beloved of lathander so now i need to understand whether somehow my friends and i have acted justly or if i must atone for a heinous sin dorne sneered and said what makes you think she'll tell us the truth this time cara looked as if the jibe had cut her but declined to answer in kind she merely said judge for yourself and as the frigid night wind moaned through the rigging and rare and surveyed the black starry dome of the sky she told her story chapter 7 14 marpanoth the year of wild magic dr cara was weary by the time she soared over bloodstone pass for she'd flown hundreds of leagues through air crisp with the promise of winter other worms of her acquaintance had deemed the journey of fool's errand and declined to accompany her but she thought she knew what the golds wanted to discuss therefore she couldn't stay away her nightmares wouldn't let her she pressed on for another hour farther north into the jagged perpetually snow-capped mountains called the galenas until she spotted the meeting ground a rocky natural bowl nestled among the peaks despite her anxieties the sight thrilled her for she doubted any living creature had ever beheld such a spectacle the depression blazed with the sunlight reflecting from the scales of dozens of worms golds silvers brasses coppers bronzes and even a couple of other song dragons either crawling around the floor or perched on ledges along the steeply sloping walls together they made a dazzling brightness like a cauldron of molten metals all swirled together a few other points of light shot across the sky like falling stars all converging on the gleaming confusion below they were late comers like cara hurrying to keep the rendezvous as she furled her wings and dived lower she caught the voices of her kind conversing in their own tongue the coppers traded jests and japes even at the start of such a solemn occasion the bronzes and brasses were equally vocal speculating about what was to come or complaining that it hadn't begun already the golds and silvers were more reserved but responded courteously to any who addressed them to a human it might have seemed a cacophony of be steel rumbles hisses and roars but to someone capable of understanding it was music a symphony expressive of the wisdom and nobility of a great people next circling lower still looking for a clear spot to land kara caught the leathery scent of her kind then to her surprise she felt the heat a dragon's blood was cooler than that of men yet even so so many worms had congregated there that their bodies warmed the hollow finally after seeking in vain for a more convenient place she lit on the rim of the bowl then climbed cautiously down the side it was even steeper than it had looked from the air but her strength combined with her keen senses of touch and balance allowed her to negotiate it safely until the granite turned slippery beneath her talons scrabbling for purchase she looked down to see that a layer of translucent slime coated the stone fortunately not all of it she snatched for an outcropping outside the mess and heaved herself to safety she doubted she looked graceful doing it but it was better than rolling down the escarpment to smack into the dragon's mast on the ground below a few yards underneath her and just off to the left a copper dragon with sky-blue eyes perched on a ledge he grinned up at her exposing a gap in the upper fangs at the front of his mouth she crawled toward him you conjured the grease she accused if he was afraid of retribution he didn't let it show a little spill wouldn't have hurt you said the copper it would just have broken up the monotony i've been here for hours and nothing's happened her anger cooling cara realized she wasn't going to attack him a brawl under those circumstances would disgrace her more thoroughly than any awkward tumble ever could besides coppers couldn't help playing jokes any more than song dragons could refrain from making music if you create any more mischief she said i'll make you wish you hadn't understood of course dread lady he lowered his head to the ground in a parody of submission i'm chatulio cara gave her own name and the gathering fell silent save for the rustle of a wing and the slap of a tail twitching on the ground she turned to see that chatulio's boredom was presumably at an end the conclave was beginning along one wall just below the rim were two shelves of rock with the arched mouth of a cave at the back of the upper one as she flew in cara had observed that despite the crowding in the hollow the ledges were entirely vacant and inferring that those who'd called the gathering had reserved them for their own use hadn't presumed to light there herself one at a time in stately procession eight huge ancient golds emerged from the opening in the rock the scales on their sinuous bodies shined as if a legion of servants had polished them while their amber eyes burned brighter still beards of tendrils dangled from their lower jaws seven of the golds perched along the lower shelf the eighth the largest and last to emerge remained atop the higher one a position that also placed him above every other dragon in the bowl plainly he must be larath king of justice the sovereign the golds had chosen for themselves the other seven were the lords his honor guard and the dignitaries of his court golds and to a lesser extent silvers were peculiar in that regard few other worms ever felt an inclination to acknowledge any authority above themselves certainly song dragons didn't nonetheless anyone beholding larith in all his manifest might and majesty would surely feel a shiver of awe and kara discovered she was no exception larith gazed out over the assembly and said noble friends i thank you for your presence here today i know that most of you have traveled a long way so would it have killed you to set out a few casks of wine and some freshly killed game chatulio whispered kara shot him a glare to hush him under other circumstances marath continued i'd open this conclave with all the pomp and ceremony that is your due but time presses many of you know whereof i speak the rage is nearly upon us on the other side of the bowl a live silver with several vivid battle scars perched on a high ledge among her own entourage she was haverland barb or commander of the talons of justice can we be certain of this your resplendence she asked yes marith said all the portents say so those of us with the proper gifts can see it in the shape of the clouds or hear it in the murmur of the rivers every divination points to it many of you can feel it in your restlessness and ill-temper in the vile pictures that rise unbidden in your mind i witness it in my dreams whenever i can bear to sleep a rage is surely coming the greatest ever a madness that will overwhelm every one of us as completely as it will our evil kindred we must protect the small folk from our fury well said the largest of the lords at least our ancestors taught us how for those of us who can shape-shift the form of a human or some other little inoffensive creature armors the mind others can bury themselves in their lairs so deeply that no matter how they struggle they won't dig themselves out before sanity returns larath shook his head and warned no tamarand this time is different what worked before is insufficient now then what do we do asked an old brass his wings and frills green at the edges we sleep said larath more profoundly than nature allows otherwise the frenzy will goad us awake he extended a wing to indicate a gold perched on another outcropping and continued most of you know nexus at least by reputation he's the greatest mage among us nexus acknowledged the praise by inclining his head he's crafted an enchantment to bind us in a slumber nothing can breach teach us said a bronze his membranous wings riddled with tiny holes and the rims of his scales blew black with age and will spread the knowledge among our kin unfortunately all real larith said that's not the answer either only the most powerful enchanters can cast this spell moreover it lasts until such a mage sees fit to dissolve it so even if every drake could ensorcel himself in the solitude of his own den he would then sleep forever thus each of us needs assistance to avail himself of the protection how will we proceed then tamarand asked you and i the king of justice answered will establish a sanctuary here in the galenas your fellow lords will create six similar refuges across faerun as it becomes necessary all our kind will repair to the enclaves and submit to the enchantment veils of illusion will keep them safe from molestation and those of us who can alter our forms will keep watch and wake our kindred when the rage subsides each such warder will perform his duties for a few hours at a time then rouse the next and return to unconsciousness himself that will keep the madness from overwhelming him the assembled dragons gazed up at the elder gold in astonishment rather to kara's surprise it was tamarand who spoke next your resplendence nothing in my life affords me so much honor and joy as to serve you as my sovereign but as you understand better than anyone to golds the king of justice has always been a source of wisdom an advisor and adjudicator of disputes rather than a master who commands his vassals absolute obedience while worms of other hughes have never pledged you any failty whatsoever laura's eyes flared and whiffs of smoke rose from his nostrils and mouth what are you implying the king demanded that my scheme is some sort of ploy to set myself up as a tyrant over half of dragonkind i know that isn't true tamaran said that makes one of us chatulio muttered but i worry that some of these others do not ours is a proud and independent race to ask that they meekly permit us to chain them with magic is to ask for more than they have ever given anyone if we could think of another way to use nexus's discovery i've already tried larith said turning his gaze outward on the assembly noble dragons i harbor no ill intentions toward any of you nor ambitions to a higher estate than the one i already enjoy when disaster threatens someone must strive to avert it and that is my sole intent i beg you to trust me until we weather this crisis afterward i promise we'll go our separate ways each as free and hell as before if you require it i'll even vow to abdicate my throne on that day and let the golds elect a new king of justice in my place no one wants you to step down said all real but tamarand is right this scheme troubles us we have countless foes the evil branches of our race and lesser creatures too who would like nothing better than to exterminate us if they should find us lying helpless gathered all together i told you larith roared blue and yellow flames playing around his immense fangs and on the surface of his forked tongue we'll protect the sanctuaries is that so hard to comprehend bronzes were the most warlike of the metallic dragons sometimes serving in human armies if the cause was just and the pay generous and all real plainly resented being interrupted as well as the implication he was a dullard his wings spread his legs flexed preparing to leap and his long neck swelled with the threat of a blast of lightning or noxious gas then however he caught control of his temper and simply growled i understand all you have said just as i know your reputation for wisdom still no one is infallible indeed not marith said fortunately in this bleak hour i have something better than my own poor wits to guide me i have the dreams the gods vouchsafed me visions that show nexus enchantment is the only way to avert calamity otherwise we'll lay waste to the cities of men and hammer the small folk down into savagery we'll slaughter them until the land is red and muddy with their blood it may be we'll wipe them out entirely is that what you want is that what any of you want toward the end the king's voice rose in a howl of lamentation as if the massacre he described had already occurred he was famous for his calmness and dignity no less than his wisdom and it was possible that his loss of composure impressed the assembled dragons as nothing else could for the mistrust and resentment seemed to bleed out of them while a mingled dread and resolve rose to take their place my friend haverlin said we've known each other for centuries and i've never seen you commit an ignoble act or set a foolish course if you say this is the only way the talons of justice will help you as best we can thank you laurath twisted his neck to peer down at the golds below him i hope i can depend on the lords as well if tamarand hesitated it was only for an instant then he said of course your resplendence we await your orders chatulio snorted and whispered that's it then if the golds and silvers are united they can stuff it down everyone else's throat perhaps he was right the worms found it necessary to pull off iran for another two hours but in time almost everyone however grudgingly agreed to laureth's plan cara thought i should do the same many of these drakes are my elders some by a thousand years surely any wisdom i possess is as nothing compared to theirs besides my scales don't shine like metal i'm an oddity here the golds and the rest accept me as a distant cousin but how likely is it that any of them truly cares what i think yet she had to speak her nightmares demanded that of her as well your resplendence she called perhaps suspecting what was afoot chatulio edged away from her laureth turned in her direction and said yes forgive me daughter of song i know most of those gathered here but you and i have never met before my name is kara sendrith and i wish to ask what causes the frenzy can you tell me or can nexus who knows so many secrets larith nodded to the dragon wizard inviting him to answer i fear nexus said that no one has ever solved that particular riddle if we know so little about it cara said then how can we be so confident of sleeping till it passes what if it never does and we slumber until we waste a way of thirst and starvation that's ridiculous larith said the rage always subsides the madness is already tainting your thoughts prompting you to fear things that can never come to be you said yourself this rage promises to be different the worst ever perhaps it will be the one that seizes us in its claws and never lets go my dreams assure me that won't happen i have my own nightmares cara said and my own premonitions of disaster but they coupled with my reason point to a different path than the one you recommend why not attack this affliction as we would any other enemy who sought to or corrupt us why not identify the cause determine the cure and rid ourselves of the frenzy once and for all as she finished she hoped someone would call out in support of her idea but nobody did instead the worms just stared at her then larath said it's not a disease but simply a part of being a dragon for as far back as anyone remembers we've always suffered from the frenzy our wicked kindred the most susceptible but even metal and gem worms coming from time to time i've conjectured nexus said that the rage is an inevitable consequence of our link to the primal forces of the cosmos to which we are bound more intimately than other forms of life but you don't know cara said what if you're wrong what if we could find a remedy even if such a thing is possible said the mage it's preposterous to imagine we could accomplish it in the brief period of lucidity that remains to us accordingly said larith we won't try not now it will be difficult enough already persuading all our kin to submit to the binding some will be suspicious of our true motives or in their pride imagine that they have the strength to withstand the rage give them the false hope that if they hold out just a little longer nexus will produce a cure and it will make them even more reluctant what of the reds blacks blues whites and greens cara said they won't submit to you and the lords and they're going to frenzy too unless somebody stops it what about the mayhem they'll commit the small folk must withstand them as best they can said the king at least we won't heighten the threat by running amok alongside them the humans have weathered the storm before haverlin said this will be the worst storm cara said and it finds them depleted and divided some regions have yet to recover from the conflict with the sahuagin cormier just concluded a civil war around the moon sea where i make my home the city-states squabble enough lara thundered so much flames spewing from his jaws that for a second cara believed he was actually attacking her i've listened patiently to your fancies and exposed the fallacies they contain now it's time for you to heed the wisdom of those older wiser and stronger than yourself cara lowered her head in submission and for the rest of the parley said no more when the conclave broke up chitlio flew southeast following the galenas as the mountain range bent itself around the moon sea winging in pursuit cara called out to him several times but he didn't stop perhaps the copper was uncommonly hard of hearing for a dragon but even so it was discouraging almost enough to make a bard lose faith in the power of her voice well if he couldn't hear her she'd simply have to overtake him she flattened her body to split the air more easily pounded her wings as fast and as powerfully as she was able and streaked forward before long she was close enough to make out individual ruddy brown scales on his back she called out once more and still he didn't so much as glance around it was inconceivable that he didn't hear her so he must have been ignoring her if he decided he wanted nothing to do with her it was pointless to pursue him any farther but his rudeness wrangled particularly after the way larath had put her in her place and anger surged inside her her throat tingled offering to discharge its lightning resolved to force chitlio to acknowledge her existence at the very least she flew even faster she could only manage such a sprint for a brief time but that was all she needed she caught up with the copper and reached out to grab him by the tail the instant she touched him his body popped with a sort of juicy rasp a burst of the appropriate rotten egg stink accompanied the flatulent sound and she snatched her snout back from the foulness behind her someone laughed she wheeled to see the real chatulio flashing his gap-toothed leer and sitting atop one of the peaks how he'd successfully substituted the phantasm for himself she couldn't imagine she glided back furled her wings and lit before him the snow cold against her feet and tail do you ever run out of pranks she asked i hope not chitullio said hello again cara sandrith what's on your mind i want to discuss the council with you as if we didn't all drone on long enough you didn't she said but from the things you whispered i thought you might share my views if so you didn't declare it to the gathering at large he tossed his v-shaped head the jaws tapered and dainty by dragon standards a pair of long segmented horns sweeping back behind when have gold and silver ever heated copper he asked then you do agree with me i suppose i don't much fancy the idea of letting a gold put me to sleep for as long as it suits him what if it's all just a trick to plunder our hordes and commit obscene violations upon our insensible persons he grinned and added all right i admit i don't really believe that but i'm still not convinced maybe if his redundancy had come across as serene and godlike as his legend makes him out to be but he wasn't quite what i expected i suppose cara said he seemed agitated because of his worry over what's to come perhaps if we were wise that would have made him more persuasive not less most of the others seem to take it that way still you and i are in agreement which means little unless you've concocted a better scheme i may not want to submit to nexus's enchantments but i want to kill and devour innocent small folk even less they give me indigestion she eyed him askance for a moment before deciding the comment was just another joke as the parley unfolded she said i took note of those few who appeared the most disgruntled and those who looked as though they might speak out in support of me if like you they hadn't deemed it futile i marked them too we could contact them and organize a cabal to study and ultimately cure the rage a chore even nexus considers impossible has he ever really tried cara asked has anyone bothered when we generally go for hundreds of years without an outbreak and up until now we've had other ways to keep the fury from forcing us into evil maybe not still do you even have an idea of where to begin not yet she admitted but we're worms each of us has a clever mind and his own store of esoteric knowledge surely if we ponder together we can come up with a notion or two in which case what harm can it do to explore them if our efforts come to nothing then when the rage threatens to overtake us we'll simply retreat to the refuges as laurath badass while if we actually solve the problem we'll make the haughty golds and silver look like dances chittulio laughed i like the way you think blue bird let's do it chapter 8 14 hammer the year of rogue dragons the last leaves dropped from the branches and snow storms whistled out of the north one year died another commenced and through it all foul hungers and violent urges nibbled at kara's mind it occasionally happened even when she wore human form which she did except when circumstances demanded otherwise resisting the onset of lunacy as best they could she and chatulio recruited worms sympathetic to their cause who then conceived various avenues of investigation to kara some of their hypotheses seemed implausible if not preposterous symptomatic of the corruption of the originator's reason others had their basis in such obscure lore that she couldn't even understand them yet even had her fellows ceded her the authority she would have forbidden none of the inquiries that sent them flying to the far corners of faerun in truth they knew nothing of the doom that menaced them what then could they do except grope frantically in the dark frantically and feudally it seemed for one by one the drakes reported failure until late one night in melvant a walled settlement of smiths and traders on the moon seas northern shore cara felt herself slipping into a bleak mood accordingly she sang the throbbing notes echoing from the walls of the minuscule but private garrett room she'd rented but for once even music failed to lift her spirits she was about to give up crawl between her thin blankets and sagging straw mattress and hope for a few hours of oblivion when the dying embers in the small fieldstone hearth crackled and flared a fiercer red alarmed she jumped out of her rickety chair recoiled a step toward the shuttered window and prepared to recite a defensive spell if necessary a cloud of grey smoke billowed forth from the fireplace as if it had a wind behind it even though that couldn't be the fumes masked themselves into the vague shape of a dragon's head while the sparks inside gathered to form a pair of slanted luminous eyes the apparition pivoted to stare at cara but made no effort to harm her enough chatulio she sighed evidently the copper had returned from the stepland of the ride sooner than expected and no matter how frustrating their mission became his relish for juvenile pranks never flagged but the image in the smoke laughed an ugly little laugh and said no carascendrius not this time chatulio is still far away and in fact so am i i conjured this sending to give you something on which to rest your gaze it's been my experience that people prefer that to a voice that simply speaks from the air who are you an ally call me brimstone she frowned for it seemed an ill-omened name suggestive of devils and the tortures of the damned though conceivably a gold or brass with his ability to breathe flame might bear it an ally in what battle she replied despite the vague inconsistency of his smokey features brimstone managed to sneer and said scrying i watched laura's conclave i listen to you and chatulio hatch your plot as well so it's no use playing ignorant i know you and your comrades are trying to stop the rage and fortunately for you i mean to help then why haven't you come forward before now as you understand nothing and your studies lead nowhere i saw no advantage now however i require a service of you kara neither trusted brimstone nor appreciated his condescension but her self-imposed task was too important for her to refuse to hear him out what service she asked do you know of the cult of the dragon of course she said it was a secret society of lunatics who imagined evil worms were destined to become undead entities and ascend to mastery of the world to hasten the fulfillment of their prophecies they ingratiated themselves with the chromatic drakes by providing various forms of aid and support and furnish the means of transformation when the objects of their worship opted to avail themselves of them apparently they imagined that when the worms achieved dominion over faerun they'd reward their longtime helpers with authority over their fellow men i think they have something to do with the rage said the apparition how could that be the cult has only existed for a few hundred years the frenzy has afflicted dragon kind since the beginning of time still it's possible they at least know something about it brimstone replied i've watched the cult for a long time seeking to foil their schemes whenever practical of late i became aware that they have a chapter in lyra bar unfortunately as you probably know scrying doesn't always work especially if you're trying to view the activities of wizards and priests who've warded themselves against it i gleaned something of their activities but not enough for that reason i resolved to hire a spy to infiltrate the cabal a human spy kara guessed yes the problem was where and how to find him i'm not like the bronzes who serve queen sambral and live openly in the heart of her city the small folk know nothing of my presence and i wish it to remain so happily not far from my lair a crew of laborers from lyrabar was digging a drainage canal i spied on them and found a young man called gorstag helder he seemed as if he might be brave and quick-witted enough to do the job brimstone continued just as importantly he thought himself better than he was he imagined that somehow it was only cruel injustice that barred him from the life of ease so many in lyrebar enjoy he hated manual labor and never would have stooped to it had starvation not forced his hand he intended to earn just enough to keep him alive for a few more ten days then rush back to the city where you may be certain shame would keep him from admitting to anyone that he'd ever in his life laid hands on a shovel except that you approached him first yes said the phantasm a bit of the wood smoke was diffusing away from the conjured image to fill the garret with haze it smelled pleasant enough but stung cara's eyes i did so cloaked in a semblance of human form i'd seen in the fool's mind that he harbored romantic notions about the harpers so i led him to believe i was one once i accomplished that he was eager to serve me cara disliked brimstone's obvious contempt for his human pawn but supposed that too was beside the point did helder manage to worm his way into the cult she asked yes and he told me they were jubilant because some new scheme was underway i ordered him to find out what it was but then he stopped sneaking out into the countryside to report and no matter what magic i employ i can't locate him nor can i go into lyra bar to seek him i can veil myself an illusion to fool others for a time but i can't actually assume human shape but a song dragon can she said exactly you could find gorstag and fetch him to me or bring me his report it's likely the actual cultists realized he was a spy and murdered him but it isn't certain perhaps for some reason he simply can't get away even if he is dead he may conceivably have left notes or some other indication of what he learned cara frowned deliberating finally she said you still haven't given me any solid reason to believe the cult's plans and the rage are connected brimstone sneered and said do you think it mere coincidence that both are occurring at the same time you haven't told me who you are either an unfamiliar name means nothing it's all i'm willing to give he replied so long as we're talking through the ether some other adept might overhear i'll reveal myself when you come to me in impilter how would i find you travel northeast from lyrabar after night has fallen five miles beyond the city you'll find a ring of manhairs on a hill nine of the stones are still standing but the tenth has fallen down go to the center of the circle and speak my name i'll guide you from there the image in the smoke melted into shapelessness cara gathered her few possessions threw her cloak over her shoulders and departed the inn outside the air carried the hot metal tang of foundries and forges even on such a bitterly cold night the streets were mostly deserted and it didn't take her long to find a square that afforded both the room and the privacy to shape-shift without alarming any of the inhabitants of the town she swelled into reptilian form spread her wings and sprang into the air the north wind bore her onward in time it carried her across the moon sea along the marshy river list and on down the eastern shore of the dragon reach until limark intercepted her chapter 9 16 hammer the year of rogue dragons even in the dark cara recognized the gold by the way he carried himself in flight his long neck bent in a distinctive s curve the two of them had been comrades at one time fighting to turn back a horde of orcs and ogres from a human village which didn't mean she wanted to deal with lamarck just then she thought of diving to hide in the flooded forest but realized it would be pointless he'd spotted her before she'd noticed him as evidenced by the fact that he was winging straight toward her if she tried to evade him it would only arouse his suspicions instead she maneuvered toward him and they circled one another as dragons often did when they wished to converse on the wing hello old friend she called caracendrius lamarck replied king laura commands that you accompany me into his presence i don't understand she lied she flicked her wings trying to gain a little altitude without him realizing she was shifting into a more advantageous position for combat it was a mistake for he noticed and compensated and must have known she contemplated resistance you do understand he said did you think you and your fellow rogues could conduct all these bizarre experiments and stick your noses into strange corners of the world without the lords or the talons noticing azak caught khajor in the act of brewing some useless potion and she gave up your name not that larith needed it to guess you were involved you'll tell him the names of the rest of the rebels then submit to nexus's spell immediately we're not rebels she replied and larth has no authority over anyone but his fellow golds he does for the time being while it's necessary why can't you accept that why can't you see that my plans don't conflict with his if my comrades and i can't find a cure in time to avert the frenzy i give you my word we'll sleep with the rest of you laurath told you your efforts will produce disunity and ascension and that could be disastrous i disagree she pondered whispering the spell to steal his breath weapon but decided against it he'd probably hear and it might provoke him into attacking curse it he said it doesn't matter whether you agree or not you simply have to obey otherwise my orders are to compel you or if necessary kill you outright i beg you not to let it come to that car assigned and said you volunteered to hunt me didn't you so no one would have to hurt me you thought i'd defy a stranger but give in to a friend was i correct can't you understand how wrong this is never before have golds attempted to dictate how their kin must behave let alone threaten to slaughter them over a simple difference of opinion lawreth claimed the rage is already rotting my judgment but i think he's the one whose mind is failing he and all those who follow where he leads that's absurd the king is the eldest wisest and noblest of us all thus surely the best able to stave off frenzy we don't know that cara replied we don't know anything that's the problem i'm trying to correct not anymore will you relent no she answered will you for the sake of the battles we fought together you can tell larith you couldn't find me no i can't limark replied forgive me my friend he spread his jaws wide and blasted out a plume of vapor obviously hoping to subdue her without injury that was why he hadn't used his flame but the breath weapon he had employed was devastating enough if it struck her it would wash away a significant portion of her strength after which she would likely be no match for him she snapped one wing low the other high and veered off in a steep descent it worked she dodged his breath but the maneuver had brought her below him exactly the vulnerable position she'd hoped to avoid he followed up at once roaring words of power she twisted seeking to blast him with her own breath and so disrupt his conjuring but it took her a second too long to orient on her target lamarck finished the spell and a cloud of filthy fog boiled into existence around her it reeked of decay and the mere touch of it on her scales made her stomach twist with nausea unable to abide it wretching she floundered clear by that time the gold was swooping at her she folded her wings and fell like a stone avoiding him unfortunately by the time she managed to level off she was gliding only a few yards above the surface of the black water which was to say nearly out of space to maneuver zigzagging back and forth she sang a spell four exact images of herself each moving precisely as she did shimmered into being around her since lamarck's ears and nose were as keen as his eyes it probably wouldn't take him long to pick out the real kara from the false but he faltered for an instant and she finally managed to spit her lightning crackling upward to be precise her exhalation wasn't a thunderbolt in the purest sense but a burst of sparkling vapor charged with the essence of lightning wings pounding the mark veered to avoid it he was a shade too slow and it caught him in the chest he flailed spastically and for a moment she thought he might fall he didn't though he regained control and swooped at his foe like kara he was relatively young for a dragon yet still resilient enough to survive one such attack she couldn't hurl another not right away after each expenditure a worm's breath required time to renew itself she climbed her illusory counterparts mirroring her actions she also started to sing a spell as he plunged at her limark breathed flame and it was cara's turn to try to dodge the expanding burst the blaze washed over her flank and the fierce heat made her cry out in pain it spoiled her incantation and the magic died unborn the fire's touch also burned kara's phantasms from existence limark drove on at what had become his only possible target still stuck at a lower altitude the song dragon tried to fling herself out of the way unfortunately the brush of his searing breath had left her slow and clumsy and he scored on her anyway his talons ripped her shoulder and the base of her wing and he flashed on past for a second she only felt a kind of shock and the pain flared the stroke of her wings uneven the wounded one scarcely able to beat it all she floundered struggling to stay aloft lamarck wheeled orienting on her yield he roared you can't win now i can't surrender she replied not when it's possible my friends and i are our people's only hope then i'm sorry he said he climbed evidently preparing to dive at her it gave her a moment to prepare for the next attack her lightning still hadn't returned to her and she could feel that it wouldn't not in time so she started singing another incantation he evidently heard and as he commenced his dive responded with his own bellowed kabbalistic rhyme somehow he finished first and for an instant the world blazed as bright as the sun squinting her eyes shut kara flinched from the glare but managed to sing the last few notes of her spell with the proper rhythm and intonation power seethed inside her claws the problem was she could no longer see where to direct it for the moment she was blind her field of vision a meaningless chaos of sickly yellow after image she listened for the rustle of his wings then cast the magic at the sound a heartbeat later he slammed into her and grappled his talons digging into her hide his tail twining around her evidently he meant to cling to her and rip until she capitulated or died twisting her neck she struck at him by sheer good luck her jaws snapped shut on solid flesh and her fangs plunged through his scales deep into the muscle beneath her final spell had found its target to soften lamarck's natural armor the unexpected pain made him fumble his grip on her she thrashed broke free and at last felt hot tingling power poised in her throat still guided solely by sound scent and touch she spat sizzling lightning lamarck screamed she braced herself for his next attack but it didn't come after a few seconds she heard something big splashed down in the reach when her sight returned she peered down at the water but couldn't see the gold had he sunk beneath the waves had she killed him she prayed it wasn't so still she couldn't search for long she had to attend to her own survival she could feel that her torn throbbing wing wouldn't bear her up much longer indeed a wave of faintness warned that she might not even cling to consciousness or life itself for any length of time cara glided to the road that ran along the shore landed and shifted to human form in that guise she wouldn't frighten the humans on whose kindness she must now depend and with luck it would hide her from any other dragons hunting her at larath's behest she stumbled on toward ilraphan chapter 10 11 alturiak the year of rogue dragons it was late by the time cara finished her story selune and her glittering haze of tears had reached the precincts of the western sky most of the crew lay snoring about the deck with only a couple still wakeful to guide the galley safely through the night the song dragon barred dorne pavel and will had bundled themselves in their cloaks but shivered anyway their manifest discomfort made rare and glad arctic dwarves were impervious to the cold still tired and chilly though they were none of the hunters showed any inclination to crawl beneath his blankets cara had given them too much to chew on now i understand why you stared at my bloody hands when i was cleaning the tuna raron said cara looked ashamed and said yes at that moment the frenzy was gnawing at me and i couldn't help imagining your blood how it would spurt the warmth of it the taste but i swear i'd never hurt you until you go mad growled dorne his friends had gathered in close to cara to hear her tail but he hung farther back yes she replied until then a rage of dragons said pavel sitting cross-legged on the deck his mantle pulled around him now in our lifetime in the abstract everyone knew another would come eventually and when we realized two flights were happening at once naturally the possibility occurred to me still it's a hard idea to wrap your mind around maybe if you're stupid said will perched on a crate short legs dangling he shifted his gaze back to the willowy silver-haired song dragon do you really think this gore stag was it and brimstone can help you cure the frenzy car assigned and said all i know is that i have to explore every possibility because so far we rogues as laurath considers us have gotten nowhere well don't worry about it the halfling said though our band specializes in tracking down savage beasts in the wild it just so happens i also know how to find shady characters in the city i'll flush out gorstag for you the only hitch is you didn't hire us for that particular job but i'm sure we can work something out a couple more baubles should cover our time and expenses no said dorne i'm willing to give you all the jewels i carry cara said with a pledge of more besides no the half golem repeated you wanted protection while you were wounded and hiding in human form and you tricked us into providing it very well we'll keep our bargain but once we reach lyra bar my partners and i want nothing more to do with you let's not be hasty pavel said i don't blame cara for concealing her true nature from everybody new friends included when other worms were trying to hunt her down forgive or condemn as you like it makes no difference doran said with a scowl when we dock we're cutting her loose why asked will i don't see anyone else lining up to shower us with gems we already have enough to live comfortably until spring and something else will come along it always does pavel laughed a humorless laugh then said you're right about that we'll have more offers than we can handle with all the drakes and faerun on the rampage at once and that's the point we've wandered into something bigger than we could ever have imagined perhaps it was chance or maybe the morning lord guided our steps either way he'd want us to see it through if a rage is actually coming said dorne we will see it through by plying our trade as usual across the world other people who know how to draw a bow or cast a spell will fight the worms as well and in the end we small folk will withstand them as we always have before what if it's worse this time pavel asked what if the drakes never regain their senses what if they just keep coming month after month and year after year you only imagine that happening because cara claims it will and she admits she's already going crazy according to her own story laureth nexus and a bunch of older wiser dragons disagree with her yet larath does believe this rage will be the most terrible ever cara said really i'm no more interested in his opinion than i am in yours curse it said pavel you're letting your hatred of dragons addl you you want a full-scale rage to happen because it'll give you the chance to fight worms by the dozen and never mind that you won't live through it nonsense spat dorne you and will are the ones who are daft you go soft in the head anytime you see a pretty face even after you know it's just a mask and he drools whenever he catches a glimpse of gold but think cara has no real reason to think the key to stopping a rage is in lyra bar or that such a thing is possible at all all she's offered you are wild guesses and wishful thinking you want to save lives priests fine then let's hurry back to thencha and get the wizards busy outfitting us for the fight to come we can do that afterward said will better because the mages will want coin and thanks to the heedless blather of somebody i could name we didn't collect any pay in ill refund helping cara is the right thing to do said pavel truly i feel it well i feel differently said dorne so you can follow my lead or go your own way raron cleared his throat and they all looked around at him dorne has a point he said pavel frowned how can you say that because it's true the ranger said he stretched and his spine popped we can handle further outbreaks of the rage the way we dealt with the drakes and ill refon only better because next time with luck we'll have more time to prepare we'll arm ourselves with a proper gear recruit and train helpers make plans and build traps and fortifications if we do our job well enough and there aren't too many dragons we'll beat the creatures when they come we'll save the or wherever it is we choose to make our stand the catch raron continued is that we'll have protected one place one town out of all the habitations in faerun as you said dorne other men at arms sorcerers and clerics will defend their own homelands still the dragons will descend on countless folk who have no one to fight for them no one who stands a chance anyway the nice thing about cara's scheme is that it offers us at least a slim hope of saving those lives as well dorne glared down at him and asked so you're against me too no raron said it isn't like that with will pavel or me after all we've been through you ought to know it isn't we're friends so let's stick together if the dragons rage we'll need each other more than ever the big man took a deep breath and let it out slowly all right he said we'll help the worm finish her errand we'll look for this helder person and take cara to brimstone who or whatever he is but that's the end of it dorne turned and stalked away the deck groaning and bouncing beneath the stamp of his iron foot it woke a sailor who muttered a drowsy curse chapter 11 two chess the year of rogue dragons tegan circulated through the soiree gossiping joking paying compliments flirting drinking in moderation dancing the occasional dance and in general playing to perfection the part of a sophisticated impilter and blade that was what he wanted to be what he'd worked tirelessly to become and he thoroughly enjoyed the performance that night though he couldn't quite shake the feeling that it was a performance an impersonation and that if he slipped for even a moment everyone would see him as the interloper he truly was a barbarian with no proper place in the life of a splendid city well he wouldn't slip however he looked on the outside and whatever esoteric elven disciplines he'd mastered he was human in his heart so he told himself and as if an affirmation of his conviction a lackey approached murmured his name and discretely proffered a folded pink slip of paper scented with rose water written with extravagant flourishes and a feminine hand the brief note invited tagan to meet its author in the gazebo in the east garden it was unsigned perhaps for fear it would fall into the hands of a disapproving father husband fiance or chaperone or maybe simply to lend a pecant air of mystery tagan decided that whoever had written it a dalliance might be just the thing to fend off the sour mood that was creeping up on him he took his leave of his current companions who having spotted the missive offered rippled good-natured jibes and exited the gleaming marble ballroom with its orchestra and buffet outside the mansion the night was cold enough to make him reconsider his amorous inclinations but perhaps the lady didn't intend to conduct their entire tryst outdoors or conceivably she possessed some petty magic to warm her immediate vicinity he strolled on down a paved walk with banks of shoveled snow heaped to either side past bare trees inactive fountains and statuary above the wall encircling the grounds stars burned in the black sky the gazebo proved to be an octagonal structure with a conical roof its facade shrouded in dead looking vines that would presumably resurrect themselves in the spring it had benches inside but no one was sitting on them or loitering anywhere in sight for that matter tegan smiled riley either his correspondent was having difficulty getting away or else she was one of those females who believed it enhanced her allure to make a male wait whatever the reason for the delay he hoped he wouldn't freeze to death before she deigned to appear and decided to saunter about in an effort to keep warm really more vigorous exercise would serve him better but a rake should never look uncomfortable put out or inconvenienced at first he was merely impatient but as the minutes passed gradually he became uneasy in the days following the battle in the street he'd walked warily but when nothing happened and other matters demanded his attention he abandoned his precautions tagan had come to wonder if he'd lowered his guard too soon what if gorstag's cultists had finally made their move what if they'd lured him out in the dark to attack him ridiculous he had no reason to suspect such a thing yet the idea nagged at him until he had to do something to appease it he drew his rapier murmured in incantation and dusted the sword with powdered lime and carbon power groaned through the air a line of icicles hanging from the gazebo's eaves shattered and for a moment rainbows rippled along the blade satisfied that until morning it would be about as deadly a weapon as he could make it he slid it back into the scabbard interesting said a husky feminine voice tegan turned a woman sat inside the shadowy gazebo he couldn't tell much about her she'd bundled up in a voluminous cloak pulled up the cowl and covered her face with a layer of black veil he did know one thing he'd been waiting right in front of the doorway she couldn't simply have sneaked past him to appear in her present position somehow magic was involved i can cast that spell too the stranger continued but my master taught me to make the passes differently evidently avarials have a cruder style of conjuring but then everyone's magic is crude compared to his tegan wondered if she was talking about sammaster or at any rate the person gorstag had believed to be the legendary madman but instinct warned him not to let on he'd ever heard the name instead he bowed and said it's a delight to make your acquaintance my lady may your servant request the privilege of knowing your name i'm sorry she said you may not not yet anyway i will tell you i'm lyribar's wearer of purple she paused as if to judge his reaction but tegan didn't have to feign ignorance the peculiar title meant nothing to him you may address me as high lady as one would address a duchess he thought she thinks well of herself hi lady it is then he said i assume i needn't introduce myself since you asked me here indeed not maestro come and sit why not if she tried to cast a spell on him it would be helpful to have her within arm's reach nothing could give me greater pleasure tegan said he entered the gazebo bowed again and seated himself on the bench across from her up close she smelled of the same floral perfume as the note but that and her voice were the only details to suggest she was a relatively young well-educated woman or even alive otherwise her shapeless mantle hood and mask of dark lace made her look like a specter lurking in the gloom did it alarm you she asked when i appeared out of nowhere to the contrary he said it was the fulfillment of my fondest yearnings i did it to show you how easily we can take you unawares in which case your skill with a sword won't save you it almost sounds as if you're threatening me hi lady and that truly does surprise me ordinarily i enjoy amiable relations with the fairer sex it's specimens of my own gender who more often conceive a desire to poke holes in me how pray tell have i offended surely you see such evasions are a waste of time the woman said a couple of my brothers survived their encounter with you to report your meddling and you're the only avario in lyra bar you can't possibly hope to convince me it was some other winged elf who flew to gorstag's aid if the zombies living allies were her brothers then that ended any faint hope tegan had entertained that she might represent the harpers rather she must belong to the cult of the dragon he gave her a grin and said fair enough hi lady it was i in my defense i can only say that if i'd realized that helder had trespassed against a maiden as captivating as you i would have left him to his fate but i didn't and he owed me coin coin i'd never collect in the event of his demise i've thought a good deal about you the veiled woman said you defended a traitor to the brotherhood and slew our wyvern the creature wasn't a true sacred one but spilling its blood was a heinous sin nonetheless and you deserve to die for it that seems harsh for a first offense i wouldn't be flippant if i were you the woman threatened your life balances on the edge of a knife we would have killed you already except that we want the answers to some questions what did gorstag tell you before he died nothing the avario lied when i returned to him after the fight he was already dead what about when you first made contact with him i had to confront his pursuers taken replied we didn't have time for conversation and in the ten days prior to that nothing i had no idea he was in trouble until i chanced to spot him staggering along with your minions on his tail i ordered him to try to recruit you to our cause said the woman he claimed he had but he didn't truly i know nothing about your necromancer's coven or whatever it is except that it seems to take a lot of you just to kill one undernourished novice fencer and that you yourself are far too charming to squander your knights on such gauche companions who did gorsag work for she asked ignoring his flattery you should have asked him i would have if the fool who first suspected him of being a spy had communicated his suspicions instead of trying to deal with the matter by himself it's hard to find good help i already warned you to spare me your japes the woman hissed where is the tome that would be the purple book didn't she realize gorstag had stolen the folio as well if not tegan had no intention of alerting her i don't know what you mean he lied yes you do gorstag gave you a book written in cipher or else you found it on his body no he replied either he never took it in the first place or he disposed of it somewhere before i found him you're lying a gentleman never lies to a lady about anything except his marital status or the depth of his devotion we want the tome back and your silence we're even willing to buy them it was tempting gold always was but even if he decided he was willing to betray gorstag he doubted the cultists would leave him alone once they recovered their text still he might as well play along and see where it led alas as i said i don't have the volume in question but just for curiosity's sake suppose i could lay my hands on it how much are you offering ten thousand in gold she said the sum was almost enough to blind him to loyalty and caution alike almost make it twenty taygan said and i'll see what i can do she sat quietly for a moment then said you're lying he wondered how she knew more magic conceivably or maybe she simply had good instincts that's the second time you've accused me of that tegan retorted let us thank lady fire hair you're a woman otherwise a gentleman might feel obliged to call you out if i can't appeal to your greed maestro what of your desire to go on breathing i told you my comrades and i are quite prepared to kill you i beg you to forgive me if i don't blubber in terror but have you any idea how often i fought when i first came to lyra bar simply to build a reputation i guarantee you can't defend yourself against us oh i trust i can make do i slew your overgrown lizard your walking dead men and your live cutthroats and i know how to suddenly pop up out of nowhere myself it really isn't all that awesome a tr clutching a curved bladed dagger a black gloved hand shot from a vent in the cultist's mantle she leaped up and slashed at his throat tegan hadn't seen her tense lean forward or make any other preparatory movement that would have given away her intention to attack still he was on his guard and reacted instantly he swayed backward the cut fell short and he punched her in the stomach she floundered backward banging the backs of her calves against the seat she just vacated giving him space to spring to his feet they were still so close together that it would be awkward to use a rapier he snatched out his ponyard poised it to thrust then decided it might be better to take her alive he grabbed the wrist of her knife arm immobilizing it reversed his own blade and hammered her shrouded head with the pommel for a moment the gilded knob seemed to meet resistance and just a yielding softness at the same time his grip crushed her wrist into something he couldn't even feel inside his clenched fingers with a rustle of fabric she crumpled into an odd shallow heap like a tangle of dirty laundry it didn't look as if anyone was inside tegan crouched over it tore the veil aside and discovered that was in fact the case the cloak and other garments had evidently constituted a sort of puppet a contrivance that had allowed the wearer of purple to quiz him without coming within reach of his weapons the real cult mistress was presumably lurking nearby and might not be alone while tegan had wasted precious seconds wrestling with the decoy she and her minions could already have advanced on the gazebo he drew his rapier sprang to the doorway and came face to face with the thing that was hopping in it walked on two legs had dirty white scales and was half a head shorter than tagan though its torso was thicker and it had to pull its wings in close to fit them through the doorway its snarling features though somewhat man-like reminded him of the wyvern was it a demon with dragon blood or something comparable it made sense that the wearer of purple might conjure such beings to serve her it glared into tagan's eyes he felt strange for an instant but that was all evidently it had tried and failed to his mind he thrust the rapier deep into its chest and it collapsed pawing weakly at its wound it seemed astonished the blade had done it so much harm perhaps if he hadn't thought to enchant the weapon it would have only scratched the demon's hide or glanced off entirely another such creature came scuttling forward claws poised its prehensile tail possessed of a sting like the wyverns arching over its shoulder tagan decided to take the battle to the air where he suspected he could outmaneuver the ash-colored spirit as he had its gigantic cousin he ran right over the demons sprawled on the gazebo's little ring of porch spread his wings then heard the genuine wear of purple chanting words of power tegan's wing muscles cramped he gasped at the unexpected stab of pain then tried to beat his pinions anyway that was even more excruciating and useless too the limbs were essentially paralyzed the onrushing demon pounced at him clawing and biting pointed tails striking like an adder its sting radiated a cold so intense that he could feel it even on such a frigid night the chill would surely sear whatever the member pierced the creature attacked so furiously that it was challenging to find an opportunity to repost he pierced its membranous wing and its snout but neither wound suffice to put it down the sting leaped at his chest and he only just managed to twist out of the way the demon simultaneously raked at his head and whirled at sting in a low cunning jab at his lead foot he thrust the rapier through one of its misshapen hands snatched his leg up and stamped down pinning the spirit's tail beneath it blessed sunni the stinger was cold despite his boot the chill nearly made him flinch away the two hertz coming so close together made the demon falter he jerked the rapier from its extremity and drove it through its torso the creature collapsed and two more came shambling to take its place the wear of purple's voice commenced the sibilant rhymes of another spell tagan realized he needed more of his own magic otherwise the chances were good that his foes would overwhelm him even as he met the demons advance with a sudden leap that he hoped would startle them he whispered his own incantation meanwhile he pondered how best to use it the same spell that had flung him into the wyverns path could carry him back inside his host mansion or beyond the wall in closing the grounds to lose himself in the night that might be the prudent course but while he no longer found it worthwhile to initiate fights he wasn't inclined to run from them either moreover it occurred to him that if he could only dispose of the wearer of purple her followers might leave him alone thereafter so he risked taking his eyes off the demons long enough to glance quickly around whereupon he spotted another cloaked figure veiled and hooded like the puppet lurking in the shadow of a chestnut tree the world seemed to shatter and recreate itself all in an instant and he was standing behind her he drove his rapier at her back it should have been a killing stroke but somehow she sensed him left off conjuring and spun around the sword plunged through her arm and pinned it to her torso it was a nasty wound perhaps he'd even pricked a lung but not the heart as he'd intended well a second thrust would finish her he yanked the rapier from her flesh and she surprised him he'd expected the shock of her injury to stun her for at least a moment or two but she pounced at him and as she scratched at his face he realized she didn't look precisely like the puppet after all her white hands with their long dark lacquered nails were bare he tried to sidestep and she snagged his cheek anyway no matter he thought she'd miss the eye as he shoved her away however making room for his sword to continue its work his strength deserted him all at once his knees buckling and the rapier nearly slipping from his grasp it was happening more rapidly than even a potent poison could act once again she'd crippled him with magic since he'd interrupted her casting the power had likely come either from a talisman or some strange innate capability not that it mattered at the moment she laughed snatched out a claw-shaped dagger identical to the one the decoy had carried and sprang he gasped a battle cry and strained to raise his rapier for a split second he thought he wouldn't be able to manage it and his strength surged back her own momentum served to drive his point deep into her abdomen she gasped and he pulled the sword back for the death stroke at which point the demons caught up with him cursing he had no choice but to wheel and defend himself from their assault one was still on the ground and the other was flapping through the air at the moment higher than his rapier could reach tegan had guessed right the wretched brutes did fly less nimbly than an avario for all the good that did him he lunged at the demon in front of him his point drove into its chest and it fell to its knees but it wasn't finished snarling slathering blood it clutched his blade with both fists while its tail stabbed repeatedly at his forearm taken understood what it was trying to do immobilize the rapier or disarm him altogether while its comrade dived at him he could have abandoned the sword and relied on his ponyard but he hadn't prepared a second enchantment to enhance a blade's capabilities and thus he doubted the dagger could do his opponents any significant harm no he needed the longer weapon frantically parrying the sting with his off hand he hauled on the rapier with all his might only to discover the creature was about as strong as he was he carried a charm in his head to augment his natural strength but knew he had no time to cast it fortunately though a rapier was primarily a thrusting weapon the edges were sharp and at last the blade jerked free by slicing so deeply into the demon's fingers that it could no longer maintain its hold succumbing to its wounds at last the creature collapsed face down in the snow tagan looked up and thrust at the pallid thing plummeting at his head the rapier rammed deep into the demon's body a split second before it slammed down on him and smashed him to the ground he floundered out from underneath it distancing himself from its talons fangs and sting only then discerning it was dead good but what about the wear of purple he pivoted surveying the battlefield and was disappointed to find her gone the wounds he'd given her would have incapacitated most people but evidently she had a strong constitution and a will to match or perhaps she drunk some restorative elixir he recovered the rapier and cloaked himself in magic that would make it more difficult for a foe to aim and attack at him another spell he'd never found a chance to cast while the demons were pressing him hard then he followed the wear of purple's footprints through the snow until they ended at one of the shoveled walks he picked a direction at random and continued the chase but as the seconds passed no cloaked figure appeared in the darkness ahead and the path intersected with others so he had to admit his quarry had eluded him nor was that the end of his frustrations when he returned to the vicinity of the gazebo he discovered the demons had disappeared as well either their corpses had faded back into the infernal realm from which they'd originated or disquieting thought the creatures had gradually recovered from their seemingly mortal wounds risen and limped away in any case even if tegan decided he wanted to ignore gorstag's dying plea for secrecy he had no proof of what had happened and doubted the authorities would credit his story without it other maestros had spun wild tales to enhance their reputations and drum up trade moreover even if the paladins did in some measure believe they might find a way to turn the affair around on him somehow to make it a pretext to denounce him as a threat to the peace close his school perhaps even banish or imprison him all things considered he thought he was still on his own and in considerable danger of catching a cold his exertions had warmed him but having stopped to catch his breath the chill was settling into his bones accordingly he wiped the gore from his rapier sheathed it combed his hair adjusted his attire rearranged his features into the proper insouciant expression and rejoined the ball in time his knotted aching wing muscles relaxed chapter 12 12 and 13 chess the year of rogue dragons will and pavel found winking mureen drinking raw spirit in a tiny excuse for a tavern really just a brick alcove open to the wintry air blowing in from the street the place did possess a door but salvaged from somewhere and resting atop a pair of beer barrels its tarnished brass handle and hinges still attached the match boarded panel was doing service as the bar a couple of other kegs reposed on trestles behind it while corked clay jugs and dented pewter cups sat along the shelves on the back wall when she realized the hunters were interested in her winking marine gave them a scowl what she demanded all in all will considered his present life preferable to the one he'd fled years before with his guildmaster crying for his blood a falling out occasioned by his decision to restore a kidnapped child to its parents despite their failure to raise the ransom still lyribar had given him a pang of nostalgia for with its imposing architecture manifest prosperity and air of optimism and stability its bountiful comforts and amusements the place was a far cry from the rough moon sea towns to which he'd become accustomed rather it reminded him of the sembian cities in which he'd spent his formative years which meant the queen's men should have kicked out winking marine to keep up the tone for like the grimy little pocket of poverty in which she dwelled and the ordinary surroundings in which she chose to swill her liquor she seemed out of place as her epithet suggested one eyelid sagged so low it was hard to imagine she could see past it but she was notably homely in other respects as well obese with red scruffy-less patches on her pasty skin in a city so full of temples and shrines it was hard to believe she couldn't find a healer to cure such a condition evidently she was simply too lazy to seek one out still despite her ugliness sour body odor and lack of manners pavel addressed her with flawless courtesy good afternoon maid or is it good wife he said my name is pavel shimov i'm a servant of lathander the halfling is willamax turnstone we understand you rent a room to a young man named gorstag helder then you understand wrong the cleric blinked seemingly uncertain how to respond will thought he knew he extracted a gold piece from his belt pouch and tossed it clinking onto the bar her reaction surprised him she stared at it and swallowed as if she wanted to pick it up but didn't dare that was when he realized she was afraid pavel discerned the same thing and said whatever you tell us we won't let anyone know where we heard it you're a priest of the dawn she asked peering at him in the suspicious truculent manner of the half drunk where are your robes worn out he said i've been traveling and had to replace them with what i could get what do you care about gorstag it's a long story but i promise we came to lyrabar to help him she laughed and said you're too late for that will's mouth tightened in vexation he'd figured the spy was probably dead but had hoped he was wrong what happened to him asked the halfling she hesitated once more then said i can't quite remember if i had a little something more to jog my memory will sent two more coins ringing after the first it happened last month she said everybody was talking about it late one night the watch found a dead wyvern and dead people lying in the street a number of the men were rotten but apparently they'd been up walking around with the others until somebody cut them to pieces what does that have to do with gorstag asked will he assumed a wyvern tied in with the cult of the dragon but nothing else was clear he was one of the corpses a fresh one she pulled back her sleeve and scratched one of her blemishes flakes of epidermis drifted to the floor the worst part is the worthless fool was behind on his rent as usual did the guard seem to have any notions about what happened pavel asked how would i know did they search his room asked will yes did they take anything away how could they he liked to put on airs and pretend he was better than the rest of us but the truth was he didn't have a rag to wipe his nose it was pathetic pavel said thank you then motioned for will to step away from the woman he stooped down and spoke in a lower voice i'm afraid your coin didn't buy much we could try talking to the watch i suppose but will said we're not done here you dunce she was afraid to talk remember what has she told us so far that would account for that he turned back toward winking mureen and said give us the rest of it i've told you all i know go away and leave me alone you heard her the burly man behind the makeshift bar warned his matted hair and beard were visibly a stir with wriggling lice he reached for the heavy club he kept leaning in the corner pavel started to speak most likely he meant to neutralize the threat with a spell but will reacted at the same time and his response was even faster he spun the war sling and hurled a skip rock at the jugs on the top shelf even by his exacting standards it was a good cast the stone rebounded three times before running out of momentum shattering four containers in all shards of pottery and torrents of spirit rain down on the tavern keeper's lousy head filling the air with the pungent smell of the drink evidently deciding that on further consideration winking meereen's problems were none of his affair he froze the landlady herself looked equally rattled don't hurt me she turned to pavel and said you're a priest you can't let him stone me nobody wants to hurt you pavel said we simply need to know what you can tell us it's important and i already gave you my word will never reveal where the information came from swear by your god i swear by lathander lord of the morning as i swear said will to thrash you bloody and take back my gold if you don't stop wasting our time all right she said i knew something had happened to gorstag even before the watch came to the house because someone else came first pavel said yes they got inside somehow and broke into his room just down the hall from mine they were trying to be quiet but i heard them anyway i sneaked to his door to see what was happening i saw right more than i wanted who were they she shrugged and said a couple of men i'd never seen before in a walking corpse i guess they brought it along for protection i heard the live ones say their brothers had taken care of gorstag but they had to find out if he'd made any notes or held on to any written orders from his master since you're still alive said will you plainly had better sense than to let them know you were eavesdropping you probably tiptoed back to your own room but do you have any idea whether they found what they were looking for they didn't i overheard them say as much when they slunk back down the stairs then once you were sure they were gone you entered gorstag's room and ransacked his belongings yourself she glowed in false indignation it's all right said pavel we won't tell anyone you saw what you weren't meant to or that you tried to rob a lodger either we just need to know if you found something the intruders missed no i didn't find any notes nor anything worth taking i need to search the place myself said will and to save time yes my dear we'll pay for the inconvenience he fished out two more gold pieces one for her and one to placate the barman for the breakage and the affront to his dignity such as it was drink up and we'll go the boarding house was as squalid as will had anticipated and gorstag's room with its crumbling plaster and damp spotted ceiling as depressing it took the former burglar about half an hour to toss it it was nice to find that despite a lack of practice in recent years he still remembered how to look for loose floorboards caches concealed inside furniture and the like unfortunately no matter how cleverly he searched it was to no avail finally he turned to pavel in winking meereen nothing he sighed the obese woman sneered and said i told you this place said pavel is remarkably bare i told you that too said winking marine he didn't have anything he must have owned something the priest persisted you said he wanted to pass for a man of means well he couldn't play such a part without at least a couple changes of decent clothing it isn't here you did pilfer after all no i enough pavel snapped up until now he'd taken a soothing kindly tone with her but apparently he'd finally run out of patience with her habit of obscuring the truth even when by any sensible calculation it was pointless what did you steal it wasn't secret papers winking meereen said sullenly it was just things i need to see them said will you can't i sold them already then tell us what they were pavel said she gave them the inventory mostly a sad listing of todd refinery passing for real silk and velvet and paste rings and brooches masquerading as jewels will had just about decided it would reveal nothing useful when she reached the significant items a couple of those blunt swords duelists used to practice a set of the padded tunics and gloves they wear and two little books full of wood cuts showing how to stick a man or whack his head off will and pavel exchanged glances he must have loved fencing said the halfling if poor as he was he invested in more than one foil and training manuals too obviously said the cleric and that means he took instruction someplace perhaps it's where we'll find his friends and confidants winking meereen snorted and said do you know how many maestros there are in lyra bar we're about to find out pavel said with a smile in his vision tegan had returned to adolescence once again he wore a deerskin tunic and leggings and carried an ancient cut and thrust sword with a broken cross guard sheathed on his hip the latter was a treasure because lacking fresh iron and forges to work it a small isolated community of hunters had no way of replacing such a weapon most of their tools were made of flint still despite his youth he'd earned the right to bear the heirloom by learning to wield it better than any of his fellows then mastering bladesong as well he and his companions were slinking along the arboreal pathways of the earthwood moving from tree limb to tree limb for an avario it was safe to travel at such a height a beat or two of his wings suffice to carry him across empty spaces or catch him if he fell yet the forest was so thick the branches so dense and interwoven that true sustained flight was difficult tagan frequently wished his people lived in clearer terrain where they could soar freely whenever the mood took them but he knew the others didn't share his yearnings the foliage was their shield against hostile eyes tegan heard voices he skulked forward peered down into a glade and beheld his first humans he recognized them from the descriptions of his elders a man in a brown robe was harvesting mistletoe with a sickle mixing the cuts with ritual passes two maidens crowned with wreaths of oak leaves sang a hymn the one with the freckled nose quavered a little off-key on the high notes to tegan's eyes everything about them was wonderful their bodies bulkier than those of elves but possessed of their own kind of grace their clothing woven of fiber not cut from hide the abundance of metal they carried about their persons he desperately wanted to reveal himself to them perhaps sensing the tenor of his thoughts his father touched him on the arm then beckoned him away tegan might have protested that the druid and his acolytes appeared entirely harmless unfortunately he was certain such an argument wouldn't sway the older elf in the slightest avariels kept themselves hidden whenever possible supposedly it was the only way a people so few in number could survive hating his sire at that moment he took a last long look at the humans then turned and followed him back the way they'd come meanwhile the adult tegan felt a pang of exasperation one of the nice things about reverie was that he could choose which of his memories to relive why then was he dwelling on the shame and frustration of his early years instead of the pleasures he'd won by forsaking the tribe to join the world of men he could only assume the anxieties that had overtaken him since he'd rashly chosen to intervene in gorstag's troubles were interfering with his repose he groped for some happy experience to revisit but for some reason he could think only a flame and smoke after a moment he realized he actually did feel unpleasantly warm his eyes stung and a cough was building in his aching lungs he forced himself entirely awake to find the school was burning no flames were looking at the walls of his own apartment not yet but he could hear them crackling elsewhere even as he could already feel the heat rising through the floor the strange thing was that no one was crying the alarm true it was late even the most sociable students had either stumbled home or passed out in a drunken stupor just as even the most industrious of the bods had suspended trade till tomorrow still somebody should have noticed but that was a mystery to ponder later on first he had to make sure everyone evacuated the building determine the location and size of the conflagration and extinguish it if possible he threw off his blankets sprang from his bed pulled on breeches boots and one of his special shirts with holes for his wings took a stride toward the door then hesitated much as he begrudged the moment it required he grabbed a rapier dagger and pouch of spell foci imbued the longer blade with magic and only then exited his quarters his rooms weren't the only ones occupying the top story but no doorways or halls connected his private accommodations with the rest of the area he resolved to work his way down to the ground floor then back up once he checked the entire building he could fly out one of the casements if need be he ran down the stairs into denser smoke that really did set him coughing into murk and flickering red yellow light that somehow illuminated little but itself he threw open the door to the room where one of his provosts made his home tagan had four assistant instructors but as he was suddenly glad only two who chose to reside on the premises stead lay snoring beneath tangled covers oblivious to the leaping rustling flames already gnawing at the foot of his bed tegan hauled the wiry young human with the premature bald spot clear and still he didn't wake he was just flopping dead weight in his employer's arms evidently the wear of purple's minions had set the fire for surely it was magic keeping stead insensible perhaps they'd cast a spell to sink everyone in the school into a slumber so deep that even the blaze wouldn't wake them until it was too late to escape presumably the trap had failed to hold tagan because unlike his human associates he never truly slept he shouted stead's name shook him and finally backhanded him across the face the human's eyes fluttered open tegan had never felt more glad of anything in his life for plainly had it proved impossible to rouse any of the sleepers a single would-be rescuer could never have carried each and every one of them out in time what stead asked drowsily the school is on fire and everyone's teagan had to break off talking to cough everyone's asleep we have to wake them or if we can't haul them out do you understand yes the provost said then put on your shoes and get moving clear this area and the ground level i'll handle the second floor then work my way up the other side of the house stead nodded he looked frightened but not panicky and not groggy anymore either tagging clapped him on the shoulder turned and ran back to the stairs on the second floor the smoke and heat were even worse at every turn the avario found sheets of roaring flame devouring sections of wall he was no expert but to him the scattered pockets of fire seemed additional proof that someone had set the blaze deliberately for wouldn't an accidental conflagration spread continuously outward from a single point of origin whereas in this case it looked as if an arsonist had broken into the building and run about setting multiple blazes tagan felt fast heavy footsteps bouncing the floorboards he turned and a bizarre figure a huge man with pieces of astonishingly bulky iron plate armor affixed only to the left side of his body emerged from the swirling grey smoke ripples of firelight ran along the metal he wore a scarf tied around the lower half of his face a simple means of delaying death by smoke inhalation that tegan wished he'd thought of for himself possibly it was also intended to mask the cultist's identity a cramped hallway inside a burning building was about as undesirable a dueling ground as tegan could imagine but he assumed he had no choice if the arsonist had remained on the premises after completing his task it was likely to kill anyone who somehow woke and tried to flee fortunately the intruder nonetheless seemed startled to see the avario it gave tegan the second he needed to draw his rapier a split second later the cultist rushed him it was a reckless action and for that very reason it took taken by surprise he extended his arm and the stop thrust bit into the cultist torso reflex saw to that much but he wasn't sure he'd made the kill and didn't quite manage to sidestep out of the arsonist's path afterward the big man plowed into him threw an arm around him and bowled him through a doorway together they reeled off balance and fell the cultists landed on top half crushing the avariel tegan scrambled clear and since his sword was still underneath his enemy drew his dagger to finish off the arsonist if he wasn't dead already then squinting he spied something that stayed his hand the section of floor outside the doorway was all roaring brightness somehow flame had engulfed it in an instant the human had realized it was going to happen and hauled taygan aside to save him from being caught inside the eruption which suggested that the stranger grotesque appearance and unexplained presence notwithstanding wasn't the arsonist after all aghast tegan started to check to see if the poor fellow was still alive but at that instant another strange figure appeared in the doorway it looked like the leathery winged half-man half-reptile demons the wear of purple had produced to attack him before but it was bigger taller even than the human tagan had just stabbed and its scales were red it crouched unharmed in the midst of the blaze its own long pointed stinger burning like a torch plainly the brute was admirably suited to the task of arson yet even so it evidently didn't mind using tools to speed the process along for it wore a harness with loops for carrying objects though most were empty one still held a flask the demon freed it pulled the stopper out and poured the contents over its head the oil called alchemists fire ignited on contact with the air its entire body haloed in flame talons and sting poised to rip and stab the spirit pounced at tagan he grabbed the hilt of his rapier rolled aside and scrambled to his feet his back to the cot where one of the cook's helpers lay slumbering as the demon wheeled to face him he brandished a scrap of licorice root and rattled off a charm he grunted and jerked as the magic shrieked through his body and the wivern-faced brute's movements seemed to slow even its corona of flame appeared to jump and writhe more sluggishly he knew that wasn't actually the case the reality was that the magic had accelerated his own reactions he thought it might be enough to save him until a second demon scuttled through the door tegan believed himself to be one of the four or five best duelists in lyra bar yet even so he doubted whether fighting in such tight quarters he could kill the two demons before either they or the heat and smoke incapacitated him then however the human reared up and punched the second brute in the knee the knuckle spikes on his gauntlet must have borne an enchantment for they nearly tore the creature's limb in two as it staggered tegan saw the puncture in the big man's right shoulder his rapier had driven all the way through but had evidently missed any major arteries for the moment at least the stranger could still fight encouraged tegan resolved to slaughter his own opponent quickly so he could help his newfound ally if need be still it took an effort of will to press the attack against an opponent shrouded in flame the heat blistered his exposed skin seared his lungs with every inhalation and infuse the rapier until it pained him to grip the hilt the real problem however was the glare even with heightened speed it was difficult to parry the demon's assaults when he could barely see them coming he hit the demon twice without disabling it and it slipped an attack past his guard the back of his calf burned his foe had whipped its tail around to stab him in the leg the searing agony intensified it was digging the bony point in deeper while the flame cooked his flesh he wanted no needed to grab the tail and jerk it out of the wound yet he forced himself to let it be because fumbling at the pain was surely what the demon wanted him to do as soon as he diverted his attention to it the spirit would rip him apart so he launched himself at his assailant instead and his relentless aggression seemed to catch it by surprise its talons raked and he twisted out of the way it jerked on its stinger striving to trip him but not quite succeeding he fainted low and thrust high the blade pierced the demon's slit pupilled eye and slid deep into its head grating on bone as it penetrated the brute collapsed and tegan used the sword to yank the fiery tail out of his calf starved for clean air as he was teagan felt as if his strength was failing fast but also knew he had to keep moving he pivoted to help kill the other demon only to find that the big man had the situation well in hand the dragon faced thing was squirming on the floor and he was crouching on top of it pulping its upper body with his iron fist it was in that moment that tagan finally discerned something else the stranger wasn't actually wearing plate on the left side of his body though they moved and flexed like ordinary limbs the iron arm and leg weren't mere metal sheaths they were prostheses replacements for extremities their owner had evidently lost in battle or as a result of some terrible mishap even though libra bar had its share of wizards and tagan had some limited knowledge of magic himself he'd never seen anything like it still it was no time to pause and marvel when the demon stopped squirming tegan limped to the human and hoisted him to his feet the stranger had bloody claw marks to go with his sword wound i'm sorry i attacked you the avario wheezed it was a misunderstanding how badly are you hurt the big man shook his head as if to indicate it was a stupid question that they had to press on no matter how injured or exhausted either of them was wake the girl he said right but the doorway is impassable can you if the fire hasn't spread too far i can make a way around go tegan hurried to the cook's assistant and slapped her to consciousness meanwhile his allies smashed down sections of wall to circumvent the blaze raging just outside they sent the girl running towards safety did the same for everyone else in that portion of the building then descended to the first floor themselves there the fire ruled absolutely tegan found a narrow rapidly shrinking path through the patches of flame and started toward the other end of the house his companion grabbed him by the arm and turned him toward the nearest exit there's another stairway had to shout to make himself heard over the endless bellow of the conflagration with more people living at the top the big man tried to answer doubled over coughing then managed to force out my partners already went that way to help whomever they found we have to get out we're out of time if they met more of those demons then the demons are dead come on very well tegan hesitated no you go i have something to do i'm telling you the whole place i'll be all right save yourself the human eyed him dubiously then gave a brusque nod and turned away tegan hobbled past the pantry to the cellar steps or rather to the shaft they'd occupied earlier that night the shaft was empty except for a pile of red-hot embers at the bottom he jumped and beat his wings for a creature larger than a bird genuine flight was impossible in such a confined space but he managed to touch down on the far side of the burning rubble unable to stop coughing even for a moment he dashed on past forgotten crates and battered old fencing dummies the far end of the cellar held wrought iron wine racks loaded with costly vintages that were boiling into worthless swill he jammed the rapier into the crack between two of the stones in the floor then pried his first effort failed and shouting well croaking really he threw all his weight against the weapon one of the blocks hitched up to expose the leather bag beneath inside was a grimoire vital if he was to renew his spells each day his savings though they didn't amount to much and lastly the cult's book and folio he felt a sudden vicious impulse to leave the secret writings the cause of so much calamity to burn but he disregarded it he snatched up the bag as blazing chunks of the ceiling rained down he could tell it would all come down in a second to smash burn and bury him he had no hope of escaping back the way he'd come he began the incantation that would fling him instantaneously from one point to another no matter what barrier stood in the way the need to cough burned in his throat and chest doing its utmost to spoil the recitation and he strained against it the ivarial wheezed out the final word of power and with a great roaring crash the entire ceiling plummeted uncertain whether he'd succeeded in working the magic or not he threw himself to the floor and covered his head he landed in a snow drift for an instant it was strange to feel cold air as if he'd never experienced it before then he realized the outside world wasn't all cold his sleeve was on fire he slapped it out tegan turned and looked at the blazing shell of his school some 30 feet away the sight engendered a numb sick fascination he might have lain on his stomach and stared at it for quite a while if not for his duty to those who'd shared the ruin with him he dragged himself to his feet coughing still his burns and torn leg throbbing and limped to see if everyone else had made it out alive chess the third month was commonly called the claw of the sunsets in honor of the vivid reds and golds that bloomed in the west at dusk actually though the dawns were often equally gorgeous and lathander had served up just such a spectacle that morning tegan found himself incapable of appreciating it rather it felt as if the god was mocking him for certainly the splendor in the sky made a cruel contrast to the misery on the ground miraculously only three people had perished in the fire but many of the survivors were burned shaken filthy with soot and ash and coughing and shivering in the cold silver robed priestesses of selenae from the temple down the street ministered to them dispensing healing spells medicinal salves blankets water and mugs of hot vegetable soup though he looked in need of tending himself a stranger with the sun medallion evidently a priest of the morning lord assisted forgoing his customary early morning celebration of the deity to ease the suffering of mortals tegan still felt dazed and kept wanting to stare stupidly at the black husk of the school and the column of smoke dirtying the sky eventually though he noticed the clerics weren't the only folk moving among his associates buxom hellonia clay hill owner of the largest brothel on the waterfront her plump face a mask of paint and black paper beauty spots whispered in the ears of the younger and prettier and slipped them coins depending on what they whispered back even worse maestro zelen resplendent in green velvet despite having gotten up hours earlier than usual stood chatting with stead the two of them passed a silver flask back and forth a surge of anger stabbed through tegan's befuddlement he hadn't issued a challenge in years but by sweet lady fire hair he thought zaylen had earned one he arranged his features into the sneer appropriate to the occasion then sauntered forward avoiding any appearance of haste or agitation don't korkowry said tagan turned the wizard halfling had come up behind him and stood half hidden by the folded wool garment in his arms a crier passed under my window balling the news of the fire core cowrie continued i came as quickly as i could now take this thing i'm afraid it's not your usual style i was lucky to lay hands on any elf-sized tabard at this hour and had to cut it up myself to make room for your wings but it's still more stylish than what you're wearing now tegan dropped the blanket in which he'd awkwardly wrapped himself and replaced it with corkhowery's gift thank you now i have business don't the bookkeeper repeated it's pointless you'll see that when you've had a chance to rest the ashes of the school aren't even cold these vultures come circling to loot the wreckage and my staff folk i just saved from a horrible death are eager to listen to their blandishments it's disgusting what would you have them do they still have to eat can you continue paying their wages don't you see if zaylin hires stead to be his provost he'll require him to disclose all my secrets you once told me swordsmanship doesn't actually have any secrets i ask you again can you go on supporting stead and the others tagan felt his wrath turn into something heavy and impotent like a chunk of lead inside his belly of course not as you must know better than anyone i'm ruined you had nothing when you first came to lyrabar whereas now at least i have my debts corkowry scowled and said what i'm saying is you climbed the ladder once you can do it again perhaps but perhaps not the first time around he'd managed to become fashionable he had some notion as to how he'd accomplished it but he knew luck had played a part as well only tymora knew whether it would favor him once more i suppose i have no choice but to try he gave corekowry a wry smile i dare say you need to seek new employment yourself until you find your feet you won't need a clerk when you establish a new academy i'll be glad to return if you'll have me taken extracted most of the gold from his leather sack and said do one last chore for me take this and pay everybody off to the extent you're able don't neglect yourself i may not work for you at the moment but i'm still your friend said the halfling you can live in my house for as long as you like until i bash my brains out bumping my head on those low ceilings still you're a staunch friend to offer and perhaps you'll see me later on for now though i'd like to be alone maybe it will clear my mind as you wish though he looked reluctant corkauri turned away tegan spread his wings to escape into the sky whereupon the man with the iron limbs spotted the motion and waved for him to stay put the avario saw no choice but to comply he owed the stranger and his companions too much to flout their wishes the big man approached with his friends trailing along behind he carried a hand and a half sword a long bow and a quiver of arrows apparently he discarded them before entering the burning school for fear they'd get in his way with the exception of the slender woman with the long moon blonde hair his partners were equally well armed that their rugged clothing and the confident yet watchful manner in which they carried themselves gave them the air of folk accustomed to peril and hardship tegan bowed and said i'll never forgive myself for attacking you i'll do anything in my power to make amends i'm used to being mistaken for some kind of ogre the huge man said with a shrug i'm dorne grey brook these others are pavel shimov will turn stone rare and snow stealer and cara the avario said my name is tegan nightwind former maestro of the nightwind academy and i'm grateful to you all if you hadn't passed by we didn't just pass by said will the halfling we were looking for you well your school we've been going from one cell to the next trying to find out where gorstag helder studied i kept thinking we should stop get some sleep and take up the search again come morning but we were too keyed up and i guess it was just as well gorstag was my student tegan admitted pavel glanced around making sure no one was close enough to eavesdrop then said we're trying to learn more about the trouble that led to his death and we know fencing meant a great deal to him did he confide in you or was he particularly close to any of his fellow pupils unless i'm very much mistaken your outlanders tegan said why do you care what happened to gorstag because he ran afoul of the cult of the dragon cara said do you know of it of course he does dorne snapped as if it had galled him just to hear her speak that's why the demons abhashe pavel murmured apparently his store of esoteric knowledge had enabled him to identify the creatures that's why the abbashe attacked the school dorne went on and why he immediately assumed i was an enemy isn't that right elf tegan disliked being called elf but thought he had more important issues to address i ask again said tagan how does this concern you if gorstag told you anything said cara he probably said he was working for the harpers that's you no she said he was mistaken but what matters is that we know what he believed we wouldn't had his employer not sent us to investigate his murder so said will can you help us tagan wondered if the outlanders would buy the book in folio and if so how much they'd pay it could be the remedy to the disaster that had overtaken him yet he found he couldn't quite bring himself to ask somehow honor precluded it though he wasn't sure if it was an irrational feeling of obligation to gorstag his genuine indebtedness to dorne and his companions or the lust for pure revenge on the cultists unsullied by considerations of profit that bulked him whatever it was he simply said we have stories to trade and i suspect it will take a while let's not do it standing in the street i know a tavern nearby where they'll rent us a private room fetch water soap and towels so we can clean up and cook us breakfast too the kippers eggs and scones were only a memory by the time tegan had heard their tale and related the greater part of his own i suppose he said that after two failed attempts to kill me eye to eye and blade to blade they decided to try arson instead even if the fire didn't eliminate me it would probably destroy the purple book and that was preferable to leaving it in the hands of an unbeliever i hope said dorne that when you separated from me at the end you went to retrieve it and the loose papers too actually said taken yes he made a stack of dirty plates to clear a space on the ring scarred tabletop then fetched out the articles in question may i pavel asked he picked up the book frowned at the sigil embossed on the spine and riffled through the pages it's the tome of the dragon the unholy screed of the sect can you read it raron asked no it's written in cipher but i'm sure that over the centuries somebody succeeded in translating a captured copy my hunch is that if well colin samaster for the time being even though we pray he's an imposter if sam esther recorded any information about the rage just now commencing it's in the notes he traded the book for the folio examined the first few pages and his mouth tightened in vexation i take it tegan said you can't make sense of those either worse said the cleric at least the tome uses thoraz the characters and the notes don't come from any alphabet i've ever seen perched atop the long-legged stool that raised him high enough to use the table comfortably will snorted as if that means anything you pretend to be a scholar but we all know you can barely write your name pavel bristled and said you slandering maggot i'm literate in eight languages and can recognize a good many more well i doubt you know all the tricks thieves use to keep their business secret give me those he took possession of the documents made his own inspection and eventually said bugger we don't need to read them growldorn we just have to hand them over to brimstone whoever he is and we're done remember do you mind if i tag along tegan asked the gods knew he no longer had anything else of pressing importance to do the night was warmer than dorne had expected balmy air had blown up from the south to provide a first teasing promise of spring still though he'd done plenty of it in his time he disliked traveling cross-country in the dark even when the territory seemed as clear settled and peaceful as the farmland surrounding lyrabar something could still creep up on you accordingly he supposed he should be glad kara retained something of a dragon's keen senses even in human guys she seemed to see in the dark as well as tagan maybe even as well as raron which meant the band had another able lookout watching for trouble yet it irked him somehow his mood soured still further when she dropped back from the head of the column to at his side along the slushy rutted road if we truly are about to part she murmured i want to thank you and apologize for deceiving you just pay what you owe she sighed i understand why you hate dragons but we aren't all alike he didn't bother to answer if you think about it she persisted you'll realize i only lied that first night and only about how i received my wounds everything else i told you was the truth i just didn't give you all the details you did lie afterward you pretended to like me i did i do like me it was hard to say the mere thought seemed to trigger a chorus of derisive laughter inside his head like me as a woman likes a man a trick to make sure i'd fight to protect you even against lars agents you're wrong curse you can't you talk straight even now or does your tongue always fork whatever form you wear were two completely different kinds of creature it doesn't matter she said through the ages drakes who can shapeshift have often loved humans or elves i doubt they picked cripples and freaks to be their partners dorne thought but that retort was too bitter to utter instead he said maybe every species has its perverts it isn't perverse it's natural particularly for song dragons we differ from the rest of our kind in a number of ways and one is that we're particularly at home in human guys we spend the majority of our time that way we have a legend that our earliest ancestors were entirely human until a god blessed them with the power to transform i don't care he said i'm just your hired bodyguard doing a job that's nearly over very well if that's the way you want it she lifted her hand as if to touch him evidently thought better of it and returned to the front of the procession a few minutes later raron called i think i see it he led them off the road and up a hill deep snow lay there untrodden by anyone before them and they slipped and floundered as their steps crunching they made their ascent tagan spread his raven feathered wings as though he meant to fly to the summit then opted to remain on the ground maybe it was a gesture of camaraderie or maybe he wanted to make sure he didn't blunder into a trap all by himself for after all what did they know about brimstone except that a damned lying worm wanted them to bring him the tome in folio as it turned out they weren't advancing into any sort of ambiscade nothing waited on the hilltop but the ten weathered men here's nine standing one toppled will paste about peering down the slopes say his name and brimstone will hear and come running but from where he asked it's just open fields for a mile all around you'll hear by magic you dunce pavel replied his own powers were largely depleted he'd cast a good many healing spells to help the victims of the fire and wouldn't have a chance to replenish them until dawn still he managed to set the head of his mace shining like a lamp then used the golden light to examine the nearly illegible glyphs incised on the men here's he scowled what's wrong raron asked this is a bad place the priest replied servants of bane raised this circle dorne understood why that concerned him they'd had dealings with gents and other adherents of the black lord of hatred and fear unfortunately the gods worship flourished in the land surrounding the moon sea and found them to be a despicable pack of reavers and necromancers still it looks like the empilterins exterminated this particular coven a long time ago he said or else it died out on its own true yet i have to wonder what sort of person would choose to associate himself with this site for any purpose whatsoever will said we know how to find out yes said dorne and let's get it over with everyone look sharp brimstone the response came instantly for a split second he had the dizzying sensation of plummeting or hurtling he couldn't really tell through a void seething with light then once again he had a solid surface beneath his feet he peered about felt a jolt of terror and reflexively snatched for the hilt of his sword transported by magic he and his companions had materialized in the very place will had always dreamed of a dragon's cavern lair where the flickering greenish light of two huge ever burning torches glinted on the coins and gems that overflowed their coffers to carpet the limestone floor unfortunately for the halfling thief or anyone else inclined to pilfer the owner of all this wealth crouched in the midst of it regarding his visitors with crimson eyes luminous as coals like most people dorne generally used the terms dragon and drake interchangeably but from his studies he knew that sages when speaking precisely employed them to designate two different genera of worm drakes were generally smaller than their cousins but not always the ooze drake he'd hunted in the flooded forest had been one exception and the smoke drake who even then loomed before him was another his scales charcoal grey with dark red dabs and streaks a jet black ridge of stiff cartilage jutting from his spine stinking of combustion brimstone was almost as huge as azak the half golem had his sword halfway out of the scabbard before recalling he'd expected brimstone to be a worm and that they'd come to deliver sammaster's papers to him not fight true it was startling to find himself face to face with the creature so suddenly and equally disquieting to see that brimstone belonged to a notoriously vicious species instead of one of the ostensibly kindly ones but maybe that in and of itself was insufficient reason to deviate from the plan with a pang of regret he shoved his weapon back into its sheath then glanced around to make sure his companions had no immediate intention of attacking the reptile either most of them were all right pavel however his normally calm pleasant expression supplanted by a snarl of righteous fury recited the opening words of an exorcism and brandished his son medallion the sacred amulet shone with a dazzling brightness for a second brimstone flinched from the glare then he lunged huge jaws spreading wide dorne cara and will scrambled into the smoke drake's path brimstone could easily have smashed right through them possibly trampling them in the process but lurched to a halt instead meanwhile tegan grabbed pavel's upraised arm and struggled to wrestle it and the luminous medallion down stop this raron shouted it's not just a dragon pavel replied it's undead can't you feel it actually dorne couldn't but he didn't doubt that his friend could priests had special powers against the restless dead and accordingly a special duty to suppress them servants of the morning lord with their bond to the purifying sun waged the eternal war with particular zeal it doesn't matter raron said we promise to help cara we need to if we're going to deal with the rage that means a parley not a hunt so put out the glow pavel stopped struggling against tegan and the bright white light faded away he glared at brimstone you and i aren't finished he said the smoke dragon ignored him to glower at cara i didn't tell you to bring anyone else he hissed his voice was startlingly soft for such a vast creature virtually a whisper certainly not a fool like this what are you she said drake he said and vampire as the little sun priest perceived then you can only mean us ill pavel said the charter of the cult of the dragon is to help undead worms conquer the world brimstone sneered and said but not undead worms like me he returned his attention to cara must you have your lackeys here we're not leaving said raron at least not until we're sure we aren't delivering the information we carry into exactly the wrong set of claws i want them with me cara said they've earned the right and it's my hope they'll agree to aid me further in the days to come not a chance dorne thought still somewhat to his annoyance he discovered he agreed with pavel and raron it wasn't time to leave not yet not if they could stay and learn more about the frenzy so be it then brimstone said his scarlet gaze swept over tegan and the hunters and though his eyes resembled huge embers their regard was chilling they can stay if you keep them on their tethers i'll even tell you all something about myself so you'll understand how it is that you can trust me pavel made a scornful face at the very suggestion how much do you know about sam esther brimstone continued settling onto a heap of gold and silver the coins clinked and rustled beneath his weight tegan said with your kind permission he closed the lid of a treasure chest and seated himself on top right in front of the huge reptile's demonic eyes and immense teeth and claws with an insouciance that was either admirable or daft all i know is that he was a mad mage persuasive enough to found a conspiracy based on his delusions he was a great wizard brimstone replied so gifted that while he was still a young man meestra goddess of magic appointed him one of her chosen a champion of the arcane that said cara suggests he was a good man not a wicked one brimstone sneered and dorne picked out the two slightly elongated upper fangs that betrayed the creature's vampirism they'd lengthen considerably more when the drake wanted to draw blood from his prey if you believe those terms mean anything then perhaps he was the dragon said but it didn't matter he had too much pride and his election to the ranks of the chosen swelled it further he came to imagine he himself was almost a god and the lady of mysteries had selected him to be not merely her agent but her consort so he was mad even then said will pushing back his cowl to bare his head brimstone flicked his wings in the draconic equivalent of a shrug and replied perhaps it could be that underneath the surface a covert madness simmered from the start though why a deity with all her supposed wisdom would select such a deputy is an enigma at any rate as you'd expect his amorous ambitions came to nothing and he was accordingly disappointed he continued to serve misra but he began to resent her as well shrewd as he considered himself to be he found it difficult to believe he'd simply misconstrued the goddess's attitude toward him rather he decided she'd let him on to guarantee his loyalty dorne scowled he never would have expected to feel sympathy for any legendary dastard particularly one who'd conceived a fondness for worms yet in this one respect at least he knew exactly how sam astor had felt the difference was that cara really had tried to manipulate him hadn't she i don't know exactly what happened next brimstone continued but i've heard several stories that all arrive at the same point semester undertook to help some humble folk in need things went awry and he accidentally slaughtered them himself with an ill-considered spell as sensible people realize such mishaps occur all the time in war but despite his learning samaster was a fool and fell prey to a guilt that dogged him thereafter it first made him question his fitness to be one of the chosen and eventually whether his service was the worthy endeavor he'd imagined it to be after the debacle he studied necromancy perhaps in hope of restoring his innocent victims to life and in time he sought out a lustrial another chosen he hoped that delving together they could uncover secrets that had eluded his solitary investigations illustrial was beautiful gracious and at first happy to join forces with a colleague as accomplished as herself since sammaster was lonely and unhappy the result was predictable he fell in love with her said cara pity in her voice yes said brimstone and he wanted to make sure the new object of his affection wouldn't refuse him as mistra had he tried to spend every moment with her make every decision for her and shape her every opinion all with the aim conscious or not of turning her into his adoring chattel you're right said tagan shaking his head he was an ass no doubt the poor woman sent him packing to save her sanity indeed said the drake and so apparently cost him what remained of his own he slunk away to brood and in time decided that every frustration and heartache he'd ever endured was the result of treachery on the part of mystra and his fellow chosen they wanted him to fail and suffer because they feared his potential for magical supremacy eventually he returned to confront elestriel i'm not sure what he intended murder rape or her abject submission perhaps even he didn't know at any rate raving he attacked her with such puisance cunning and savagery that he would have overwhelmed her except that she was able to call two of the other chosen to her aid their magic transported them across faerun in an instant and together the three of them killed semaster will grinned and said i like a tale with a happy ending but i take it this doesn't qualify no brimstone said sammaster had made unsavory friends as he studied the darker aspects of his art one was the powerful priest of a malevolent god and he managed to raise his comrade from the dead when sam astor woke he found he was still one of the most formidable wizards in the world but no longer possessed the unique powers of the chosen evidently the mother of all magic had taken them back perhaps his defeat taught him a measure of humility for he no longer imagined that he alone could ever cast down mystra and the chosen and enthroned himself in their place yet still he yearned for the day when all those who'd wronged and betrayed him would meet their dooms and he would achieve a kind of mastery he returned to his studies and found an answer in chronicle of years to come a volume of prophecy by an oracle named maglass one passage therein foretold a world ruled by undead dragons or at least that was sammaster's interpretation and he decided he himself was the force that would make it happen it was the high destiny for which fate had always intended him he elaborated on the lines from maglass to pen the first version of the tome of the dragon and set about recruiting followers shortly thereafter i met him you actually knew him cara asked to my misfortune yes at that time faerun didn't have any undead worms fit to rule it for his vision to come to pass he needed to invent new magic to create them and like all such efforts it would require experimentation he had to seek out drakes willing to submit themselves to the rituals and potions he concocted and you volunteered said tagan weren't you running quite a risk as you observed brimstone said sammaster was persuasive or perhaps he cast a charm to cloud my judgment either way i was willing to wager my life against the opportunity to be one of the overlords of all the world and luck was with me unlike the others who first offered themselves i didn't perish i changed into the being you see before you possessed of new strengths and capacities yet i gather said will things didn't work out brimstone beared his fangs as if he resented the halfling's bantering tone but held his temper in check no sam astor eventually decided vampiric dragons weren't the creatures of the prophecies after all in his view we had too many limitations to offset our advantages he needed to make something more powerful still dracoliches aside yes but i couldn't become one he had no way of changing me a second time and it soon became clear he no longer foresaw any lofty station for me he simply intended me to serve him to fight for a prize in which i would have no share the ingratitude and sheer presumption of it enraged me i escaped his custody and swore revenge from that day to this i've watched the cult of the dragon and hindered them in any way i could i find it hard to believe pavel said even if sam esther did injure your pride he also made you stronger brimstone glared his red eyes flaring brighter and said you consider undeath a vile condition don't you son of lathander that's why my very existence disgusts you well rest assured i don't share your prejudice still vampirism isn't a state of being i would willingly have embraced with the centuries of vigorous life remaining before me had not sam esther promised me a commensurate reward as it stands he cheated me out of countless pleasures i can never experience again and i'll do anything even make common cause with posturing sanctimonious vermin like you to pay him back perhaps pavel said but you have yet to convince me we have anything to gain by cooperating with an evil unnatural thing like you whatever i am brimstone said i know sammaster's mind moreover as an undead i'm immune to frenzy i'll retain my reason when cara sandrath and the rest of her feckless circle are slipping into dementia you need me don't pavel began dorne raised his human hand signaling him to be silent the gods knew he shared the priest's instinctive revulsion though in his case it was more because brimstone was a dragon vampirism was just the pepper in the stew still verbally antagonizing the huge grey horror was pointless and possibly dangerous as well you say you're out for vengeance on san master the half golem said and gorstag who's dead murdered by the cult claimed he met the man but is it possible didn't the harpers or somebody kill him about a hundred years back in a sense brimstone said but by that time sammaster himself had become a lich the better to pursue his goals his spirit wears a body as does yours but flesh and bone aren't the anchor that holds him on the mortal plane he has a talisman called a phylactery hidden somewhere for that purpose as long as it exists it doesn't really matter if his corporeal form perishes eventually his soul will find or make another and walk abroad once more so it's possible said will gorstag really did meet him and not just some faker considering that a great rage is coming said brimstone and the cult is more active than it has been in decades i think it's almost certain we still don't know said cara what one thing has to do with the other no said brimstone we don't it's what we must determine so it's your turn to spin a story singer tell me what my spy discovered and exactly how he came to grief i'll let maestro nightwind tell it the slender bard replied her long pale hair tinged green by the torchlight he's the one who was with gorstag at the end and who's crossed swords with the cultists since tagan related his experiences with a panache that would have done credit to kara or any other bard under the circumstances the polished phrases flashes of wit and irony and expressive hand gestures set dorne's teeth on edge he wished the avario would just tell it as tersely as possible but tagan reached the end eventually whereupon brimstone said you're correct about one thing i've read the tome and nothing in it explains what's happening now show me the folio with pleasure taken said pavel still didn't look happy nor had dorne's own mistrust of the smoke drake subsided but no one objected as the winged elf lifted out the stolen notes brimstone jerked his snout toward the door directing tagan to set the scuffed brown leather bundle down in front of him dorne wondered how the reptile would manipulate the sheets of parchment with his enormous claws it turned out he didn't have to he murmured a charm in his hushed sibilant tones and afterward the pages floated up one at a time to hang before his eyes as if supported by an invisible hand after a time brimstone beared his fangs in a show of peak dorne felt a surge of frustration and will said what everyone had no doubt realized you can't read the wretched things either i've never even seen these symbols before the dragon growled and it's likely their meaning shifts from one page line or even word to the next it may be that some of them are mere placeholders intended solely to confuse that makes it difficult even to determine the alphabet to which they correspond or the language sam aster is speaking let alone the actual content of the text i thought we guildsman used some complicated codes back in sierlune will said but it sounds like this beats anything a thief ever cooked up sam esther's insane brimstone said but also more brilliant than any man or even dragon i ever met still i can offer one morsel of encouragement even for a genius it takes considerable time and effort to devise or employ a cipher as intricate as this if he went to this much trouble to hide his thoughts from prying eyes they must be important knowing that is no help pavel said if you can't read them patience brimstone said where simple cunning fails magic may yet succeed his phantom servant if that was the proper description replaced the very first page before his smoldering gaze whereupon he muttered another incantation a momentary distortion rippled through the air warping and blurring everything in view brimstone stared intently at the paper hanging in front of his snout his eyes widened glowed brighter and he hitched forward by the moon and stars dorne thought it's working he's reading it the drake shuddered threw back his head and screeched foul smelling smoke jetted from his jaws to splash against the stalactites dangling from the ceiling dorne didn't understand what was happening but it didn't look good as a precaution he drew his sword tegan jumped off the chest whipped out his rapier and backed away from the gigantic creature raron will and pavel readied their own weapons brimstone snarled words in a language dorne had never heard before his voice was louder the hiss less pronounced the timber altered eyes flaring he pounced at tagan who was still the closest person to him once again pavel shouted the opening words of a prayer and made his medallion shine like the sun brimstone froze for a split second and hagan's agility not withstanding perhaps that was the only reason the drake failed to spear him with the first snap of his long curved vampiric fangs the fencing teacher sidestepped the attack drove his rapier into the creature's lower jaw and evaded a swipe of its talons by leaping backward increasing the length of the jump with a beat of his wings while brimstone was attacking tagan the hunters took the opportunity to flank the undead reptile it seemed they had no choice but to do their utmost to kill him after all and in his heart dorne was glad but just as he was about to close kara shouted no give me a chance to help him though he didn't like it dorne held back and so did his comrades cara started singing a spell her high vibrant voice resounding through the limestone chamber brimstone pivoted toward her and charged his feet throwing up coins and jewels dorne sprang forward and hacked at the dragon's neck the bastard sword inflicted only a shallow gash but brimstone broke stride and swung his head toward his attacker it gave cara the moment she needed to finish the musical incantation brimstone fell down thrashing and dorne scrambled back to keep the immense drake from rolling on him for a time he wondered if the fit itself would kill brimstone but then the vampire stopped convulsing and clambered shaking to his feet from his manner it was plain kara's magic had restored him to his right mind for whatever that was worth his wounds bled more sluggishly than those of a living creature dark fluid seeping like sap from a tree well panted will lowering his short sword but keeping it in his hand so much for the idea that you're immune to the frenzy that wasn't the rage brimstone whispered sam astor laid a trap for anyone who could actually read his musings it poured well call it a semblance of his own personality into me it overwhelmed my own identity and possessed me all i cared about was protecting his secrets fortunately caracendriath dispelled the influence does that mean you can read the notes now tegan asked he wiped the gore from his rapier flourished it with a showmanship so well practiced it had seemingly become unconscious and returned it to its scabbard no brimstone said his long forked tongue twisted down to examine his wounded job i feel the trap is still waiting and i wouldn't want to have to try to break its grip a second time cara said the magic is powerful and i was lucky if you turned into sammaster raron said maybe now you already know what the notes say brimstone paused evidently examining the contents of his memory alas no that's it then said will for the time being anyway maybe if we take the notes back to our wizard partners indentia perhaps they can help brimstone said but first we have more work in lyra bar i planted a spy in the cult of the dragon and as a result we learned a bit perhaps if we assault their stronghold take prisoners and interrogate them we can discover more when you say we said pavel i assume you mean us you already told kara you wouldn't enter lyrabar and now i know why perhaps with your sorcery you could put on human form but it will still scare pain and perhaps even you to enter such a holy city full of servants and temples of the gods of light you have no concept of my capabilities priest for your own safety don't flatter yourself that you do i must confess tegan said that whether sir brimstone is comfortable assisting or not i'd welcome another chance to pay my compliments to the wearer of purple good luck said dorne my friends and i have finished our part of this chore to his chagrin even pavel responded by showing him a troubled expression you must know said the handsome priest just how reluctant i am to follow any suggestion this foul thing offers yet i still feel the morning lord has set us a task think about what you're proposing it's one thing to play bodyguard it's something else entirely to enter a city where nobody knows us and try to capture or kill some of the locals forget the danger the cultists present the watch the paladins or whoever are likely to string us up themselves will smirked as he sometimes did when called upon to use his wits to solve a problem i can finagle a way around that the halfling offered don't bother said dorne worry about seeing the folio safely back to fencia if you think it's worth doing i agree with pavel raron said we started a hunt and we need to finish if we break off now it's like wounding an animal then not bothering to track it down finish it off and end its pain it's not anything like that thorne replied the white-bearded dwarf shrugged his massive shoulders and said well maybe not but look at it this way the cult's gotten busy and one thing we do know is they're dedicated to turning ordinary worms into dracoliches more powerful and almost impossible to destroy since i imagine they store their essences in phylacteries too does that strike you as a good thing either for lads in our trade or the world in general dorne shook his head in disgust but said all right one last job naturally said will it means a modest increase to our fee he looked around at the wealth glittering on every side then up at brimstone perhaps you'd like to donate a trinket or two for the good of the cause our first problem dorne continued we'll be finding the cultists since gorstag died before passing along the location of their lair we know more than one way to catch what we're hunting raron said if you can't spot it flush it out of hiding or track it you set out bait tegan grinned and said i take it that would be me chapter 13 14 chess the year of rogue dragons tegan lifted his pewter goblet of brandy guzzled it down and waved for another he wondered vaguely if he had not met doran kara and the others he might have spent the night actually doing what he was pretending to do drowning his misery at the destruction of his school not that there was anything fraudulent about his intoxication he'd always enjoyed alcohol as he did all other luxuries of the civilized human world but not nearly enough to parade himself before lyrabar as anything other than a gentleman with impeccable self control thus he almost never over indulged at first his muddled thoughts and loss of coordination dismayed him and he began to forget he was even impaired he found himself craving more and more liquor even though he was already about as drunk as a person could get and had to struggle to limit his further consumption at least a little otherwise he wouldn't be able to walk out of the filthy little tavern when the time came finally pavel pushed through the door with his hood pulled up to shadow his features and his son amulet tucked inside his clothing he was in a predominantly human city the most non-descript of the hunters accordingly he was the best suited to approach tagan without arousing suspicion he didn't even glance at the avario let alone speak but it wasn't necessary simply by making his appearance he'd given the signal that the cultists had gathered outside to waylay their intended victim the dastards thought they were so clever it was comical and tegan had to stifle a laugh he rose the room tilted and he clutched at the edge of his rickety table until it steadied itself he tossed some coins down to clink among the empty cups and some of them rolled off clattering onto the floor he had a murky sense he was leaving too much coin but it was easier than counting it besides he was supposed to look drunk and heedless wasn't he it was still work to keep his balance he took two careful steps then remembered the tome of the dragon the wretched book had sat in front of him all evening in plain view of anyone who passed by a lure to snag a cultist's attention presumably it had already accomplished its purpose and pavel kara and brimstone all agreed it had no light to shed on their current problems still tegan supposed he might as well take it with him he returned to the table tucked the purple-bound volume under his arm and stumbled onward the murmur of his fellow toppers and the melancholy music of the longhorn yarding and hand drum trio followed him out into the dark the weather had grown cold again frigid enough for the chill to bite even through his numbness it couldn't clear his head though he supposed that was bad or would be if he didn't have friends watching over him in theory they'd protect him from would-be assassins no matter how incapacitated he was he spread his wings ascended a few feet then let himself drop to land on one knee too tipsy to fly that was how it was supposed to look and it wasn't far from the truth chuckling to himself unsure if his amusement was genuine or feigned he stumbled onward down a dark crooked lane that seemed a perfect hunting ground for foot pads and their ilk where was everyone he couldn't spot any of the cultists or his allies either and for a few moments wondered why then he remembered he was drunk evidently it clouded the eyes as much as it deadened the hands and tangled the legs something thrummed through the air above him it took him a second to recognize the sound of arrows in flight and another after that to recall that at least some of the missiles might be streaking at him by then it was too late to dodge but nothing hit him the cult had stationed archers on the rooftops killers well positioned to shoot him whether he departed the tavern on foot or on the wing fortunately his allies had neutralized the marksmen before they could accomplish their objective a wounded cultist started to scream but the sound cut off in mid-cry evidently pavel had followed tagan out of the tavern and used a spell of silence to keep things quiet as per the plan leathery wings pounding abbashe their scales either black as ink or the tainted white of dirty trampled snow sprang up from nearby rooftops more arrows flew to pierce their flesh as did darts of azure light the latter were kara's contribution apparently she had more potent attack spells at her command but feared they'd make too much of a commotion no doubt will was slinging skip rocks as well though tegan couldn't see them a couple of demons crashed down in the street others streaked toward their assailants and one of the black ones landed to scuttle toward tegan its fangs were bared its talons poised to rip and its upraised stinger sweated drops of acid that steamed and sizzled on the cobbles tagan hadn't felt particularly frightened even when battling the gigantic wyvern and its spell casting rider but he was growing increasingly alarmed in the street outside the tavern he wasn't supposed to have to fight and had no idea whether he could manage it in his current condition he prayed for one of his comrades to shoot the abhishe or jump to the ground to engage it but none of them did apparently they were all busy with opponents of their own he chucked away the tome to rid himself of the encumbrance drew his rapier and came on guard he started an incantation to create multiple images of himself illusory decoys to draw the abhishe's attacks but his tongue stumbled over the kabbalistic words it spoiled the magic and the demon pounced into striking range the creature clawed and whipped its tail at him he retreated and parried clanking the rapier knocked the abhishe's hand out of line but it couldn't simultaneously catch the stinger and the avario realized he hadn't stepped back far enough the long bony point with its glistening coating of acid was going to plunge into his belly at the last possible instant he beat his wings and it just sufficed to lengthen his hop backward enough to carry him out of range unfortunately when he landed he lost his balance and staggered to avoid falling on his rump the abhishe sprang taking up the distance renewing the attack fangs talons or sting in that moment of confusion he couldn't even tell which tore into his wing and lodged there gritting his teeth against the resulting stab of pain he wrenched himself free no doubt it exacerbated the damage but it was the only way he could swing around and threaten his opponent anew the demon kept pressing the attack and it was virtually all he could do to parry and evade when he did manage a repost either it came too late to reach the target or else the abhishe slapped the point away the demon clawed bloody furrows in his forearm then nearly succeeded in grabbing his wrist and immobilizing his blade he realized the foul thing was going to kill him probably in the next few heartbeats unless he changed tactics alas fear and the stupidity of intoxication blinded him and for a moment he couldn't see what to do finally though a notion came to him it was a lunatic quite possibly suicidal maneuver for the flailing awkward clawed the brandy had made of him especially against an adversary capable of making multiple attacks simultaneously but in theory it could work and even if it didn't perhaps he could at least dispatch the demon as it slew him in its turn as every duelist learned no foe could launch an attack without opening up his guard to a counter-attack accordingly the next time the abhishe drove in at him he simply extended and lunged dropping low and twisting his body to provide as small a target as possible but otherwise making no concession to defense the demon's claws ripped his scalp and its stinger grazed his ribs but none of its attacks found his vitals meanwhile the rapier drove entirely through its torso it collapsed against him helpless for the moment with the shock of its wound refusing to let his own fresh injuries make him any slower than he was already he shoved the demon away yanked the rapier out and thrust again at which point his foe fell on its face having identified the creatures as abhishe pavel had also known how to fight them he'd blessed everyone's hand weapon with a virtue that negated the brute's regenerative powers certainly the one in front of tagan showed no signs of clambering back to its feet he congratulated himself that even drunk he'd proved a match for it then glimpsed a pale flicker at the corner of his eye he pivoted already knowing he was too slow another abhishe one of the whites would have its teeth and claws in him before he could present his blade but pavel was behind the abhishe and he swung his mace bone crunched its skull smashed the demon toppled the priest turned peering making sure no other foes were advancing on them then he made tagan the beneficiary of his healing prayers and luminous touch first the morning lord's golden light mended the maestro's wounds then purged him of his intoxication with a spell devised to cleanse the blood of any poison thank you tegan panted you're welcome pavel answered i'm sorry those creatures slipped past the rest of us it turned out we hadn't spotted quite all of them remind me whose job was that wills i'd be happy to hold your cloak while you give him a thrashing what a couple of whiners the halfling said grinning down from atop the eaves of a nearby house you ingrates should be praising me for concocting a perfect plan we're all fine the watch is nowhere to be seen none of the cultists escaped and we took a few of them alive now all we have to do is drag them somewhere private for questioning the zombie shambled out of the foul smelling darkness in the abandoned tannery and pavil lifted his son amulet the medallion blazed the walking corpse flinched and shielded its eyes and as it stumbled about in seeming confusion dorne sprang at it one swing of his iron fist nearly sufficed to tear its head from its shoulders another buried the knuckle spikes in its chest the creature fell and lay inert when a blade singer knew he was headed into battle he could magically enhance his own strength and quickness before the fact and hagen had availed himself of the opportunity still his comrades had eliminated the threat with such brisk efficiency that he'd barely had a chance to lift his rapier nicely done he said not really pavel said lathander's light should burn a zombie to smoke but this whole place has been imbued with unholiness to strengthen the cult's magic and weaken that of their foes rubbish said will you're just making excuses for being inept find the secret door dorne growled stingy with words as usual tagan had noticed raron often had even less to say but that seemed to be simply because he was quiet by nature the white-haired dwarf ambled through the world with an air of calm affability and often enough amusement while the half golems stamped along seething with sullen anger obeying his leader's order will scrutinized a particular section of wall looking for traps their informant a prisoner who'd proved more interested in earning his release than protecting the secrets of the cult had sworn there weren't any and pavel who'd cast a spell that supposedly enabled him to tell when someone disassembled believed he was telling the truth still it seemed best to be certain at length the halfling unlatched the hidden panel and swung it outward on the other side was a flight of steps leading downward the greenish light of ever burning torches leaked up from below so did the echoing drone of a sonorous chant that too was as the intruders had expected their captive had told them the cult was performing magic tonight and they hoped to surprise the conspirators in the act before the dastards had any inkling their latest attempt to murder tagan had gone awry the winged elf and his comrades skulked down the stairs and on toward the chorus will with his knowledge of snares and raron with his ability to see even if the torchlight failed took the lead dorne followed his massive form shielding kara when she assumed dragon form she was unlikely to require such protection but her reptilian body would jam in the narrow tunnels tagan played rearguard someone had to the way the dank gloomy corridors forked and snaked around it would be easy for an enemy to come up behind them the stink of the derelict tannery faded which merely made the rotting flesh stench of a den of zombies and necromancers that much plainer tegan was almost surprised it didn't make him sick to his stomach just as it bemused him that he scarcely felt a flutter of trepidation invading the cult's stronghold with such a small force but he was too eager to go on the attack to confront the wearer of purple once more and avenge the outrages her followers had perpetrated at her behest a man wrapped in a dark mantle with an amish trimmed collar stepped through an arch up ahead glanced casually at the party slinking down the passage then peered more intently trying to determine whether he knew them or not his eyes widened in dismay and raron's arrows took him in the heart he crumpled with scarcely a thump let alone an outcry to herald his demise the dwarf dragged the cultist back into the crypt from which he just emerged and stashed him where no casual passerby would see the body the intruders stalked deeper into the catacombs finally they spied a particularly high and ornately embellished horseshoe arch the chanting which had become a kind of catechism with a single female voice and the rest of the assembly speaking contrapuntally seemed to issue from just beyond it a noisome feeling of unholy force accumulating a nasty prickling on the skin leaked out as well will tiptoed up to the doorway peeked inside then turned and gave his comrades a nod indicating that yes they'd found the place they sought as the rest of them crept forward tegan whispered a charm to shroud his body in blur on the other side of the arch three semicircular steps led down to the floor of an expansive crypt with a lofty rib vaulted ceiling a score of common cultists stood in a ring around an arrangement of bones laid out to form sigils or runes the air above the symbols squirmed and curdled continually on the verge of congealing into translucent shapes which then dissolved before the eye could quite make them out zombies and abhishe stood along the walls perhaps comprising a grotesque ceremonial guard five more living humans evidently true spell casters and the officers of the cabal presided over the ceremony from a deus at the far end of the chamber the one in the middle was an attractive middle-aged woman with an impish face and brown curls frosted with golden highlights at the moment she wore ornate purple robes but tegan had often seen her in more conventional attire she was silly morith a respected instructor at lyra bars school of wizardry and a welcome guest at the banquets dances and other social functions hosted by the city's elite it was a mystery that such a person would betray the kingdom that had given her such a congenial life but tegan would have to puzzle over it later at the moment he and his comrades had cultists to kill if the plan worked many of the enemy would die without the chance either to surrender or raise a hand in their own defense but the maestro felt no pity these were the same despicable folk who'd murdered gorstag and set fire to the academy while dozens of his associates slumbered helplessly dorne glanced at his companions making sure they were ready then snapped them a nod it was time to begin they spread out across the archway the enemy noticed them almost at once the chanting dissolving into a babble of alarm but by that time arrows and skip rocks were flying rare and dorn and will targeted the figures on the dais first reckoning them the most dangerous among the opposition and by a pleasant chance the combination of the sunken floor and elevated pedestal afforded the marksman clear shots two of the spellcasters fell a third merely staggered when a shaft struck him in the chest but glanced off the armor evidently hidden beneath his robes meanwhile pavel recited words of power and cara sang them the effect of the cleric spell wasn't immediately perceptible from tagan's vantage point but when the bard finished conjuring a point of light streaked from her outstretched hand into the midst of the cultists where it exploded into a spherical blast of dazzling crackling lightning people zombies and abashay jerked burned and fell but not all of them and the survivors howled and rushed the steps dorne cast away his longbow whipped out his bastard sword and stepped forward to meet them raron and will followed suit pavel lifted his sun amulet and singing once more cara started to grow her fair skin taking on a sheen like blue crystal tagan recited a spell and in an instant it shifted him across the crypt onto the where everything fell so utterly silent it was as if a god had struck him deaf he knew pavel's spell was actually responsible the cleric had sealed that end of the chamber in silence to hamper the enemy spellcasters unfortunately not all magic required the spoken word and his square black bearded face a mask of fury the man who'd survived the arrow was even then sweeping his hands through mystic passes as pavel sent lathander sunlight blazing through the chamber bulking the animate corpses lurching toward the steps tagan lunged the bearded man tried to deflect the rapier with a dirk but the avario deceived the parry his sword its strength and sharpness augmented by enchantment pierced the cultist's breastplate where the arrow had failed the human fell taken world seeking the wear of purple though the bearded man had been too provocative a target to ignore she was his particular task she knew the answers cara needed if anyone did and for that reason he was supposed to take her alive silla moriath was a few feet away casting a handful of powder into the air the moats of dust flashed and disappeared and sound surged back into the world the stuff had counteracted pavel's charm that was bad it would allow her and the other surviving cult spellcaster to use every charm they carried ready for the casting with a snap of his wings tegan sprang intent on incapacitating her before she could start conjuring she pointed at him and some invisible force slammed him backward as she hadn't had time to weave a spell she must have had the effect stored in a ring talisman or some other piece of her regalia he crashed down hard on the stone platform shook off the shock of the impact and scrambled to his feet it took him too long and cilla had time to conjure she swept two daggers through mystic passes then tossed them into the air they lengthened into weapons the size of broadswords then sprang at tagan assailing him and blocking the path to the wizard who'd animated them he could parry their attacks but when he were posted to the seemingly empty spaces behind them he found nothing to hit no invisible but tangible wielders into whom he could drive his point which meant he could see no way to eliminate the threat he tried to fly over the weapons but they simply ascended with him safe behind her magical protectors the wearer of purple rattled off another incantation and snapped a handful of black ribbons like a whip jagged lengths of darkness exploded outward from a central point in the air so sudden and thick that teagan couldn't dodge their icy touch froze him with sudden nausea and terror as if sensing his incapacity the living sword sprang in hacking somehow he broke free of the crippling effect an instant before the blade in the lead would have split his skull he parried that one and dodged a chest cut from the other which only preserved his life for a few more seconds soon enough his luck would run out and cilla would kill or him with her wizardry he had to reach her he spun the rapier captured one broadsword in a bind and flung it away by that time the other was slashing but he twisted aside then beat it out of his way wings hammering he streaked at the wear of purple he had no doubt the animated blades were hurtling right behind him and he prayed he could stay ahead of them tagan lashed the flat of his weapon against silla's temple he wouldn't have been surprised if some defensive enchantment had deflected the blow but it slammed home and she reeled touching down on the deus once more he whirled he'd hoped that if he broke the mage's concentration it would stop the living blades but it hadn't they were still chasing him and already leaping in for the kill if not for the charm that had quickened his reflexes even tegan with all his skill could never have parried both attacks in the split second he had left the fencing master glimpsed motion from the corner of his eye her forehead bloody cilla had fallen and looked as if she'd stay down for a while but the other surviving spellcaster a scrawny little man armed with a skull topped staff like the wyvern rider had oriented on the avario and was using the rod to sketch a glowing pattern on the air tegan wanted to turn and attack the cultist but it was impossible silla's blades were still pressing him too hard as he wondered if he could withstand another curse the strains of a savage yet beautiful battle anthem swelled above the muddled roar of the battle at large cara fully transformed into draconic form snapped up the man with the staff bit him in two then wheeled to face the trio of abhishe flying in to assault her from behind she puffed out a plume of vaporous lightning or something akin to it suffusing the air with the smell of ozone and burning the demons from the air then she lunged after other foes leaving tegan to manage the floating swords that still doggedly labored to spill his blood fortunately without silla to worry about it wasn't too difficult like most duelists of flesh and blood the blades had a few attacks they repeated over and over and once he identified them it was even possible to defend and watch the rest of the battle at the same time it was a relief to see that his comrades were faring at least as well as he had by the time silla's spell ran out of power and the broadsword shrank back into daggers and dropped clanking to the floor the fight was essentially over raron swung his ice axe and gutted a final white abbashe pavel shattered a zombie's bones with his mace those cultists still capable of flight bolted through other smaller openings in the wall and exchanging his short sword for his war sling will started to give chase let them go said dorne it's a bad idea to chase them through a maze they know and we don't besides we have what we came for who's hurt i've got nicks on my arm and knee said raron i took a bang on the back panted will i don't think it's bad at which point tegan noticed something that gave him a pang of alarm her jaws and talons crimson the song dragon stood trembling seemingly sick or dazed kara he called no answer kara are you all right yes she sighed yes the blood is stirring the frenzy but i can control it her lithe serpentine body dwindled the long neck shortening the wings and tail retracting until she was a human woman once again she seized a corner of her cloak and wiped her mouth and hands as if she meant to scrub them raw tagan and the hunters turned their backs on her giving her the privacy they sensed she needed while pavel inspected everyone's cuts and bruises all the wounds proved to be superficial we were lucky said raron and even though they were able fighters all and had enjoyed the advantages of a sound strategy a surprise attack and a dragon battling on their side tegan agreed we'll find out just how lucky the maestro said he hauled the still groggy scilla to her feet let's find some place cozy and see what this charming lady has to say under ideal circumstances cara would have preferred to depart the catacombs as quickly as possible and not just because it was remotely conceivable a second group of cultists would turn up to rescue their leader the very atmosphere of the sellers tainted as it was with the residue of necromancy was oppressive to those with the sensitivity to detect it especially if their souls were troubled but it seemed more practical to interrogate the wearer of purple on site than to march her through the streets and risk attracting the attention of the watch so the intruders located a crypt their foes had evidently furnished for conversation and relaxation and pushed cilla into the least comfortable looking chair serving his lookout raron stationed himself by the doorway while will and the humans glowered down at the mage kara tried to share in the general mood of righteous satisfaction it would be better than dwelling on the sickening enticing taste of human blood that still lingered in her mouth and the shameful seductive urges it stirred in her head better than recalling that once again dorne had seen her teetering on the brink of madness even though she doubted his opinion of her could sink any lower somehow that was the most painful aspect of the whole repulsive incident tegan smiled at cilla and said as i anticipated you look even more beguiling without your veil though her brow was split and bloody and her captors had divested her of her outer robe with its countless hidden pockets for talismans and spell foci the cultist sneered back with commendable composure you should have returned the tome when i asked for it maestro you may think you've won a victory but it's an illusion you and your peculiar assortment of friends are all going to die for your transgressions but not tonight said will which likely means you'll see the nine hells before us save me a seat near the ale if you wanted to murder me the cult leader said you could have done it back in the conjuration chamber the halfling leered at her and said what if tegan's idea of a proper revenge is to pull out your fingernails stick your feet in hot coals and slit your throat later on cilla looked at pavel and replied i see a priest of the morning lord her eyes shifted to cara and a song dragon you two won't tolerate torture even if these ruffians will you could be right the brown-eyed cleric said wiping his mace with an oily rag blood still glued abbashe scales and strands of human or zombie hair to the steel head but lathander wouldn't mind us turning you over to the queen's men for hanging burning or however they execute traitors and diabolists in these parts which brings us to an interesting question tegan drawled which kind of cultist are you my turtledove we identified two varieties while quizzing your followers earlier this evening one was made up of lunatics fanatical enough to die for sam esther's creed but the others were opportunists who served the cult simply in the hope of garnering wealth and power and were pragmatic enough to betray it to save their skins scilla studied him then said somehow i doubt that even if i answer your questions you'll actually feel inclined to set me free because it would cheat me of my vengeance ask the avarial arching an eyebrow you have a point i would prefer to thrust my sword through your alabaster bosom and watch your exquisite but lifeless body crumble to the floor but happily for you i owe my companions a great deal and your information is important to them besides i'm not offering to forfeit every iota of satisfaction we don't promise immunity merely a head start the paladins will hear of your treachery in due course and by then you'd better have made yourself scarce you'd better keep running and looking over your shoulder all the days of your life never again will you see your friends and family nor enjoy the comforts and honors of the life you enjoyed in lyrebar an existence that would have contented any person possessed of decency or sense what do you know about it she spat back evidently you've picked up a few tricks but i assure you you comprehend nothing of genuine magic i'm a true wizard the powers we master through intellect and hard study overshadow all others accessible to men yet an impilter i must curtsy to those who are lords merely by an accident of birth or because they babble prayers with the proper servility i she caught herself and smiled bitterly pardon me maestro you touched on a subject close to my heart but i suppose we should stick to the matter at hand give me a moment to consider your offer while you're pondering said will think about this you may imagine you can lie to us but pavel stupid as he looks and generally is will babble a prayer that enables him to tell you may think we don't really want to snitch to the authorities after all we didn't bring them along tonight but before they might not have believed what a notorious fencing teacher and a band of outlanders had to say now we can show them the catacombs to back up our story you may believe that if the paladins questioned you you could bluff your way through but i'm guessing they can sense lies too and even if they can't i promise you you've left proof of your involvement lying around down here somewhere finally remember that now that you've let us ruin your operation here in the city and are going to tattle to us the cult of the dragon will hunt you too so you really do have to tell and you truly do need to disappear enough persuasion growl dorne he lifted his iron fist like pavel's mace it was still filthy with gore and shoved it in silla's face some of my partners may be squeamish about torturing and killing helpless prisoners but i'm not so talk otherwise i smash your skull and splash your brains on the wall all right silicide what do you want to know pavel murmured an invocation and swept his medallion through a complex figure leaving a trail of gold in luminescence the floating sigil glowed for a moment then faded explain all of it cara said she no longer felt sick or ashamed she was too eager to find some answers at last what's sam master's grand strategy why did he have your cabal procuring gems and precious metals in such quantities what do you know about the rage i'll tell you everything i know cilla smiled a malicious little smile and continued it won't allow you to stop what's coming most likely it will only break your hearts chapter 14 9 uktar the year of wild magic even in autumn with their leaves fallen to make a dry rustling carpet on the ground the branches of the ancient trees of the gray forest tangled so thickly they blocked the sun and shrouded the spaces below in cool shadow as a result brush had a hard time growing and hiking was easy sam ester liked the enormous wood as he tended to like all wild places they were the uncorrupted corners of the world and would endure in their present form even when so much else was scoured away his companions however failed to share his appreciation sweating eyes wide they jumped at every little noise and peered nervously about they had some inkling what the resounding hisses and bellows of the sacred ones portended and even though they worshipped the creatures the danger still frightened them but at least they were doing better than the pack mules the animals had refused to enter the forest at all their masters had no choice but to leave them tied up and carry the sacks full of coin ivory amber wine and other gifts themselves silla moriath quickened her step to reach the head of the column and walk alongside her master are the dragons already in frenzy she asked sam esther smiled at her with the visage he'd worn in life the comforting illusory mask he used to conceal the shriveled skull face of a lich and said essentially but they're still congregating to form a proper flight that's why they need to call out to one another are you frightened i suppose i shouldn't be she replied with a wry smile since i'm with you indeed you are though ultimately you'll have to get used to dealing with worms by yourself in the world to come you as their trusted lieutenant will find yourself consulting with them all the time you may even an ear splitting screech sounded off to their right ah somebody caught our scent or heard us coming sam esther peered back at the column of followers straggling out behind him and said stay close as i instructed you your wearer of purple and i can't protect you otherwise three worms two greens and a black burst into view snarled at their intended prey and charged despite semester's orders some of cilla's people couldn't bear the terror of the onslaught shrieked and bolted one of the greens veered off to run them down sandmaster gritted his teeth annoyed the fools would die and he couldn't do anything more to prevent it he had to direct all his efforts at the two dragons still racing directly at him otherwise their vast strengths might overwhelm even the one wizard so formidable his arcane might had roused the jealousy and fear of mystra herself the green with her proud spiky crest sucked in a deep breath preparing to puff out a jet of corrosive vapor the black just kept charging apparently consumed by a bloodlust that only rending flesh with fang and claw could satisfy semester recited words of power and made the proper pass tossing glittering powder into the air before he perceived the discontent eating it silla's soul and offered her a place in his cabal she'd been merely a teacher of minor magic devised to aid and safeguard ships at sea under his tutelage she'd learned a good deal since but still lacked the innate power to cast the enchantment he'd just created fortunately he'd procured her a scroll containing the same spell and containing her dread of the huge onrushing worms she read the trigger phrase with scarcely a quaver in her voice together the twin wards encompassed enough area to protect everyone who still huddled close to the wizards yellow green fumes poured from the jade colored dragon's maw fanning outward to engulf all the humans gathered so temptingly before her the exhalation would have rotted their lungs had it not failed to penetrate the domes of invisible force the mages had created an instant later the black drake smashed into sammaster's effort rebounded then launched himself forward once more clawing furiously but feudally at the obstruction some of the cultists were unable to bear the proximity of the immense savage creatures ripping and snapping mere inches away the deafening roars were terrifying in and of themselves and tried to flee luckily for them they couldn't get out of the invisible shields any more than the sacred ones could get in they'd be all right if they didn't crush trample or otherwise mangle one another in their efforts to escape perhaps zamaster could have calmed them but he deemed it wiser to keep an eye on the worms because they were warlocks in their own right certain spells existed that would breach or bypass the domes and he had to be ready to react if the sacred ones tried to cast them though confident of his ability to defend himself he didn't want to hurt the drakes so he was glad it didn't come to that either they didn't know the appropriate countermeasures or were unable to call them to mind in their current adult state the green merely conjured a barrage of jagged ice and followed it up with a blast of shadow the black attempted the most elementary dismissal when sorcery failed them they went back to assaulting the barriers with brute force the ebony scaled skull worm took to flapping up into the air then dropping on top of sammaster's shelter trying to smash through with its weight and momentum and no doubt risking bruises and perhaps even broken bones in the process the first speaker of the cult of the dragon let the gigantic reptiles continue for a while demonstrating the futility of their aggression as a father might permit a toddler in the throes of a tantrum to rage helplessly in his grip just to make a point about who is actually in control it was a paradox he supposed he truly did revere drake's yet he'd also found that their pride justifiable as it was could make them perversely willful and short-sighted for all their wisdom and cunning they could be like children and he often had to guide and even discipline them as would a loving parent if they were to mature into the omnipotent overlords of maglis's prophecy when he thought he'd balked them long enough he reached out with his mind and took hold of the rage festering inside them whispering words of power in draconic he commanded it to disappear the two worms froze then scuttled back a little ways crouched down and glared at the cultists they were sane but still in a foul aggressive humor they didn't fully comprehend what had just happened to them but rightly suspected that one of the small folk had tampered with them somehow sameester thought a show of confidence was the likeliest way to avert further hostilities first he dissolved his semblance of life some of his disciples moaned and cowered but they were just going to have to cope next he waved his hand and wiped away the domes it was a risk with their keen senses the worm surely felt the barriers fall and might have opted to attack immediately still he needed to move the encounter along and the simple truth was that his followers much as he valued them were expendable if their deaths would further the cause he looked up at the green and said good afternoon needle he shifted his gaze to the black with his withered rotten looking rings of flesh around the eyes and nostrils dran sagalor do you remember me yes sam esther needle hissed the lich recalled that her nickname referred to the delicacy with which she could employ her prodigious talons to torture a smaller creature some of her unfortunate victims lingered for hours well said the wizard at the risk of sounding presumptuous i thought you would i visited you on several occasions over the course of the past couple centuries from time to time my fellow believers have called as well always bringing tribute useful information and whatever aid they had to offer we have additional gifts today he waved his skeletal hand at the sacks of treasure some had burst open when their panicked bearers cast them away the better to run and their scattered contents glittered on the ground good dran sagalore grunted of course semester said our greatest gift is no mere bubble but the power and immortality you've spurned since the day i met you needle snorted and a leftover trace of poison gas set the lich's disciples coughing spare us yet another regurgitation of your pleas and prophecies said the green perhaps one day when we near the end of our natural spans we'll choose to perpetuate our existences by becoming dracoliches how often had sammaster received that same rebuff since its inception the cult of the dragon had struggled against the implacable opposition of mystra the chosen harpers and pretty much every monarch noble and miscellaneous busybody across the length and breadth of faerun yet even so in the wizard's view the greatest reason his schemes had foundered time and again was the reluctance of the worms themselves to embrace their destiny for that reason needle and draen sagalore's lack of interest might once have elicited a spasm of frustration but no longer he knew how to open the creature's eyes a few minutes ago he said you attacked recklessly stupidly needle bared her fangs and hissed what of it why bother working out tactics and such when we have nothing to fear from puny creatures like men had i wished said sammaster i could have hurt you certain other spellcasters and even warriors could do the same it was the frenzy transagalore said flicking his black wings in a shrug yes said the lich i know it's taking hold of every dragon in the forest said needle an eager note entering her sibilant voice and i think in the earth fast mountains too soon we'll gather into flights and take to the skies to slaughter devour and destroy you sound as if you're looking forward to it semester said and i understand why humans like to go mad too we drink alcohol or inhale dream mist some of us deliberately stoke our anger until it explodes into violence we hold festivals where for a day or so people are given tacit license to indulge their carnality or any other wildness they've kept pent up inside but few among my folk would ever aspire to go insane and stay that way forever after and i doubt many dragons would either yet that's the doom that threatens you what are you talking about needle growled as you know semester said i make a study of all matters pertaining to you sacred ones i've investigated this fury that periodically overwhelms you only to discover something alarming another rage is coming and this one will differ from all that preceded it in that it will never end it will reduce you to the level of rabid beasts why astrand sagalore why should this episode be any more severe than the others that i don't know said the lich he disliked lying to the worms but it was for their own good i don't think you know anything needle sneered i think this is a load of dung i've already proved i've acquired some understanding of the frenzy semester said how else could i calm you do you need another demonstration if necessary i can make lunacy pop in and out of your head like a pendulum swinging back and forth but you won't find it pleasant i think transagalore rumbled his great voice troubled that the dead man's warning may actually be true i've seen it in my dreams that this frenzy will be different a sickness and a calamity i hoped it was just a morbid fancy but if sam esther himself a dragon friend whatever else is said of him comes bearing the same tidings then we have nothing to fear said needle for the wizard has already given us the cure i wish that was true semester said but in truth i have only granted you a temporary reprieve as the rage intensifies it will eventually whack strong enough to smash through any protection i can raise against it well any protection except one the green eyed him suspiciously and replied now you'll tell us dracoliches are immune to frenzy as a matter of fact yes surely you with all your wisdom already know the undead are famously resistant to any magic or force that influences the mind this is the moment sacred one the crisis no say rather the opportunity that will raise your exalted race to its greatest glory so give yourself over to growth without fear or regret yes it will cost you a few base pleasures of the flesh who knows better than i but it would be a small price to pay even if the only effect was to preserve your profound and subtle minds and in fact you'll achieve far more undeath will increase your might tenfold and make you the unchallenged masters of the world i know i see it as clearly as i see your august and holy selves standing before me the dragons regarded him in silence for a few seconds finally needle said how exactly would we undertake this transformation well said sammaster that's the tricky part you'll need phylacteries fashioned with the finest gems an elixir brood of other rare and costly ingredients if your worshippers had prospered in recent years perhaps if you drakes had made as much of an effort to support us as we have to aid and nurture you we'd already have an abundance of the requisite talismans and potions stockpiled as it is we'll have to create them quickly in sufficient quantity to sucker every green black blue white and red in the world how can you possibly do that dran saguelor asked by establishing secret havens sam esther said where spellcasters can perform the necessary rituals safe from interference and your kin will come to undergo the change i'd like to locate one such stronghold hereabouts your servants in lyrebar will provide the skilled workers and supplies required he smiled and added i suppose it goes without saying that the worms who help build and defend such a bastion will earn the gratitude of their fellows no doubt they'll enjoy particularly high status in the world to come needle said we might find it amusing to rule such an enclave then we have our work cut out for us semester said i need to find and calm as many other local drakes as i can before they go tearing off beyond our reach certain lesser creatures inhabit the wood and we'll want to press them into service we must likewise find a suitable sight consecrate the ground build shelters and fortifications and fetch in our mages priests artisans and supplies preferably all before the snows begin to fall chapter 15 15 and 16 chess the year of rogue dragons i assume said brimstone his snide insinuating whisper of a voice setting pavel's teeth on edge that after the wearer of purple told you this you killed her no said the priest we set her free as promised idiots the grey drake snarled his red eyes flaring she'll run said will sprawled on a heap of gold in what was surely the realization of a private fantasy and stay well away from other cultists hereafter she's too smart to do anything else you don't know that brimstone replied it's done growldorn he was leaning against a limestone wall at the back of the chamber as distant as possible from both brimstone and cara so let's figure out how cilla's information helps us if it does a pity she couldn't read that master's notes either tegan drawled the avario had returned to his seat atop the treasure chest once again lounging without a hint of trepidation within easy reach of brimstone's fangs and talons well she couldn't said doran she'd never even seen the cipher before so let's work with what we have it seems plain said cara standing beneath one of the ever-burning torches in its tall wrought iron stand that sam ester understands the frenzy even better than he's admitting to the chromatic dragons actually he's both inducing the coming rage and heightening it to unprecedented levels i think so too said raron seated cross-legged on the floor and scraping at the edge of his ice axe with a hone the whetstone rasped rhythmically against the steel it's the goat he's always needed to force all the evil worms to change as he wants them to if we understood exactly what it is he's discovered maybe we could spoil his plans or maybe not said will remember we're talking about one of the most powerful mages the world has ever seen the dwarf shrugged you're right said cara the idea is worth exploring we can infer sam esther didn't always have the power to spur and quell frenzy otherwise he would have used it before this he must have discovered it at some point during the past century after his last great defeat what if tegan said the pages in the folio are the journal of his investigations they could be anything said will a 500-page letter to muffin the puppy he doted on as a child he is crazy right evidently annoyed by the halfling brimstone showed his fangs and said i agree the pages may be important but they're useless to us if we can't read them maybe not pavel said maybe we just need to look at them in a different way what do you mean cara asked i studied for the priesthood in lathander's house in helio gabalus and worked there for some years afterward it's not the largest temple in damara ilmater and sylvanus are the most popular gods there abouts but it's a notable seed of learning nonetheless reading in the scriptorium i noticed that papers and inks manufactured in one place differ from those of another and i picked up the knack of distinguishing between them without so much as a glance at the content of the writing dorne asked yes the most basic distinctions are obvious some papers are made of wood pulp others are goat sheep lamb kid or calfskin some are even woven of reeds and some have watermarks beyond that parchments vary as to hue thickness coarseness of grain and the manner in which the maker separated the sheets it's the same with inks pay attention to the precise color and the degree to which they fade or flake away and you can tell what they were made from and where so what brimstone hissed i see it said dorne as sam master wandered about trying to puzzle out the rage he resupplied himself with writing materials at various stops along the way which is to say he left tracks and if we hunters follow them said raron holding his axe up to the light to inspect the edge go where he went then maybe we can learn what he learned preposterous the smoke drake said how does it help us to know that he spent time in oh say tantrus for example we still won't know what he did there perhaps someone will remember him cara said or he'll have left some other indication or maybe we can simply guess suppose he's rediscovered a secret the wise once knew and subsequently lost he may well have found it in the same kind of place where you or i would look for ancient lore brimstone's luminous eyes narrowed give me the notes pavel said let's see if i can glean anything from them dorne pulled the scuffed leather folio out of a rucksack pavel took it into the circle of wavering glow shed by one of the torches sat down on a rounded hump of stalagmite and rested the bundle of papers in his lap after what had befallen brimstone he felt a twinge of trepidation opening the cover even though he himself had already looked at the notes without harm mainly though he was worried not that sam esther's shadow would possess him but rather that his idea would come to nothing please lathander he silently prayed let me be right we fought dragons and demons to accomplish the task you set us but none of it will mean anything if we can't figure out what to do next he examined a number of sheets peering fingering the edges and texture and holding them up to his nose to smell them after a time he nodded what asked will by and large i recognize what i'm looking at these could have been papers and pigments from some far away land we know nothing of but they aren't sam ester penned the notes here in our part of the north they're jumbled though i have vellum from flan intermingled with folded leaves of fool's cap from trails end i think somebody gorstag perhaps dropped the folio the pages scattered and in his haste he stuck them back together any old way the sheets aren't numbered but i'm going to try to group like with like the chore took a while and during the course of it he noticed something else some of the sections are plainly older than others he said they smell mustier and have seen more where i'll try to use that to arrange the sections in some semblance of chronological order as he finished up will said sam esther's supposed to be a mastermind but apparently it still took him years to suss out the secret of the rage maybe that's because he followed some leads that didn't pan out so let's say we figure out all the different places he went if we visit one we could waste a lot of time and unlike him we haven't got it to spare i imagine cara said the lengthy sections of the journal are the significant ones where he failed to discover anything he wouldn't have much to write pavel separated a thick sheaf of pages from the rest he wrote a lot here and it's one of the older sections it's possible this is where he recorded his first breakthrough then what does it tell you brimstone demanded anything what we have the priest said our kids skin pages from elmwood and inks from melvant both towns on the shores of the central portion of the moon sea towns built on the ruins of older settlements said dorne the fire light glinting on the iron portions of his body in a country thick with forgotten tombs and abandoned tumble down towers where would you start maybe pavel thought aloud with the oldest thing of all but it was only a guess and could easily be wrong he flipped through the notes looking for some additional bit of information to support his hunch even though he couldn't read the wretched things surely something perhaps the morning lord aided him for the figure popped out at him even though it was only a crude little doodle virtually lost among countless lines of tiny script look at this said the priest the others gathered around proximity to brimstone made pavel feel the usual pang of outrage and loathing but he was so intent on his discovery that for once it seemed more a simple distraction than a call to arms what's it supposed to be asked will a misshapen one-eyed head it's a map pavel said rendered in a style we northerners rarely see anymore but the elves sometimes put west at the top isn't that right maestro nightwind tegan's mouth tightened almost imperceptibly for an instant as if he found the question annoying though he answered with his customary courtesy and poise i really have no idea but if you maintain it prince of scholars i'm sure it must be so will cocked his head to look at the doodle sideways then let out a whistle exactly pavel said he looked around at the rest of the company i assume that if even a dullard like will comprehends the rest of you do also i comprehend that the place has an evil reputation growldorn and that even if it didn't it would be hard to explore please cara said with an urgency in her comely face and sweet voice that would surely have swayed pavel even if he wasn't already disposed to help her you're going home to the moon sea anyway aren't you dorn made a spitting sound and turned away his show of ill-tempered didn't surprise pavel but something else did from long experience he knew that if the big man actually meant to refuse kara he would have said no in a matter so blunt and clear as to be unmistakable before you all grow too excited brimstone whispered realize that everything the sun priest has said is pure speculation it's possible he's misinterpreted the significance of the folio entirely still i agree it's worth following where the clues seem to lead but we have other work as well will said if somebody doesn't stop the cults mischief in the gray forest we'll soon be up to our arses and indestructible dracoliches that could be even worse than ordinary dragons running around in a rage kindly allow me to attend to that tegan said impilter is my home so it seems sensible for me to expedite matters here thank you cara said you have a noble heart you're far too kind tegan replied i don't generally fight for anything but my own well-being and satisfaction and i've achieved the latter for after all sammaster didn't kill my student and burn my school cilla and her underlings did and with your help i've avenged myself on them unfortunately however i remain impoverished and it hasn't escaped my attention that the cultists have imported gems and precious metals into the wood exactly the plunder i need to recoup my fortunes you give yourself too little credit said cara shaking her head i've endured my share of criticism said the avario but never before that particular opinion you can't storm the cult stronghold by yourself snapped dorne you need soldiers well we told cilla we were going to confer with the authorities tegan replied apparently i actually am just give the rest of us time to disappear cara said queen sambral employs a troop of bronze dragons it's likely some of them have offered their allegiance to larath as well i don't need any more of his agents accosting me perhaps the time has come for you to plead with him again pavel said it says brimstone said cara replied so far all we really have is speculation much as i'd like to i can't believe it would change his mind especially now that i've fought limark moonwing and azak it appears we have our strategy brimstone said raron said not quite what will you be doing while the rest of us are running around risking our necks for now i'm the weapon we hold in reserve rest assured i'll take the field when the time is right don't count on it said pavel to the dwarf you know how a common vampire must linger close to his coffin most likely this dead thing before us has some similar limitation that makes him fear to stray too far from home you know nothing the grey worm snarled our business is done so go or stay all this talk has made me thirsty when dorne stepped onto the balcony outside the room he and his comrades had rented he found raron taking the night air clad only in his breaches indifferent to the cold night wind that stirred his long white hair the arctic dwarf stood gazing out across lyrabar the moon had set and to human eyes the countless temples and mansions were little more than streaks of pale blur but of course raron could see considerably more you couldn't sleep either the tracker asked dorne grunted i wanted another look at this place raron said as we worked our way south the galley put in at a whole series of interesting towns but this is the grandest of the lot it's a pity we have to leave before we've had a chance to explore it i just hope doran said we can go away quicker than we came we need to book passage on a faster ship one that doesn't stop at every dilapidated hut and rotting dock along the shore or go by way of zambia we're lucky spring is at hand more skippers will be putting out to see so we can probably find one who's looking to make a fast run up the dragon reach back to our usual hunting grounds that should make you happy but you don't look it does it still rankle that teagan flirted with cara and she smiled back at him what in the name of baytor are you talking about rare and shrugged and said you glowered at them like you're glaring at me now if i did it was just because the avario's manner gets on my nerves it's all pose and affectation but he's proved he's sold enough where it counts and i have no reason to care what passes between him and the worm he's seen what she is if he still hankers after her it's his lookout i don't think he does really as you said he's just decided to wear a certain mask they should get along well then since she's a fraud too i knew you hadn't forgiven her her deceptions you make it plain whenever we're all together that's why i was surprised when you didn't argue against helping her any further dorne snorted and said we've already played that game and i know how it ends i say no the rest of you say yes and i wind up giving in to avoid breaking up the partnership why go through the same stupidity another time but i don't like this and it's not just because i hate working for a dragon what is it then this affair is just too huge have you really thought about it even to the extent of just putting it all together into words we're supposed to spoil the schemes of an infamous undead archmage and his cult of followers that's how we preserve the sanity of the entire race of worms and keep them from either laying waste to all faerun or becoming invincible dracoliches and ruling humans and dwarves forever after it's like something out of those old long-winded sagas that take all night for a bard to chant it's a task for these chosen and harpers we keep hearing about or whole armies of knights and wizards not a handful of ruffians like us well tagan is supposed to scare us up some men in arms as for the rest of it it wasn't the chosen who ran into cara or wound up in possession of the folio it was us and wishing won't make it otherwise dorne felt chilly and pulled his cloak tighter around him it's alright for pavel he decided early on that the morning lord wants us to carry out this task and even brimstone's involvement failed to shake his conviction maybe he's right maybe but since i'm not able to feel what he feels it doesn't help me will sees all life as a game and himself as the cleverest player of all so even matters as weighty as these can't overall him especially if greed is undermining his judgment will's good at his trade as are you dorne scowling replied i'm a big mean freak with a knack for slaughtering big mean animals maybe i help a few people that way folk who would otherwise get eaten but the notion that thousands of men and women i've never even met will live or die depending on not just my ability to hunt but to unravel arcane mysteries and the gods only know what else it's laughable and terrifying at the same time you're sensible doesn't it bother you when i was a boy raron said living with my tribe on the great glacier we went forth every day and hunted if we found enough game everyone could eat and everyone would live if we failed some or even all of us would die it was very simple then i developed a yen to see what lay beyond the ice and drifted south to the lands of men where you found everything was much more complicated no raron said grinning that's what i expected to find but truly i discovered life was just the same in its essence the only complicated thing is the way civilized folk fret about their problems you twist and pick at them until they look bewildering but really they're not i don't understand you said it yourself ever since you ran away from hillsfar you fought to protect others and you still are the fact that more people are in jeopardy this time around doesn't change anything just do your work as usual dorne smiled slightly he felt a little better though he wasn't quite sure why the dwarf stark perspective on duty struggle and survival didn't actually seem all that comforting this way of thinking heartens you does it dorne asked well when it fails i tell myself that none of this foolishness with indecipherable papers and conspiracies of rogue dragons matters a hair on a mole's rump surely meestra and the chosen know all about sammaster's scheme and are even now hurrying to foil it we just can't tell it from our vantage point if we really believed that we could cut cara loose and forget all about the cursed rage but where would be the sport or profit in that nowhere i suppose he used his hand of flesh and blood to clap raron on the shoulder i guess i'll see if i can get at least an hour or two of sleep we want to be down at the harbour well before the morning tide chapter 16. one tarsack the year of rogue dragons before his academy burned tegan had possessed a number of outfits so fine they were even suitable for a formal appearance before the council of lords now he was down to one purchased with coin he'd obtained by selling the pearl ring cara had pressed on him at their parting she tried to give him other jewels but he'd refused her foolish of him perhaps but she was a comrade not a patron and it just hadn't felt right in point of fact the new suit was only barely good enough cognizant of his misfortunes all the best tailors had refused to create anything new for him until he paid the considerable sums he already owed he'd had to make do with the journeyman's efforts he straightened his scarlet kapha doublet checked the hang of his newly oiled leather scabbard and tugged his billowing black cambric sleeves down making sure he looked as elegant as possible the liveried servants evidently responding to a signal he'd failed to notice swung open the tall arched double doors a herald thumped a staff on the floor and announced him tegan strode over the threshold the white marble hall with its high barrel vaulted ceiling was a place of blank surfaces and simple lines considerably more austere than tagan would have expected of an important chamber within the royal palace that however was not the biggest surprise awaiting him everyone said impilter's queen was more devoted to her pleasures than the cares of government and generally content to leave the latter to her ministers yet sambral a thin sharp featured but comely middle-aged woman with dyed brassy hair piled high in an elaborate quaffeur attended their deliberations that afternoon enthroned alone on the higher tier of the semicircular dais she had a sour look about her perhaps she wished she was elsewhere or maybe she was simply cold in keeping with its severe appearance the hall lacked a fireplace or any other means of warding off a chill nine of the twelve lords sat along the step below their sovereign the other three were evidently otherwise engaged or absent from the citadel entirely paladins all not merely barons but mystic warriors sworn to one or another of the gods of light they wore as protocol required evidently plate armor and white surcoats emblazoned with their arms which incorporated emblems of ill mater lavender helm or sunni they'd left off the helmets though no doubt it made it easier to hear one another's pronouncements a halberdier stood at attention on the floor at either end of the curved platform most monarchs would have demanded more bodyguards but impulter had been peaceful and prosperous for a number of years and perhaps sambro had no fear of assassins or maybe she believed the martial prowess and supernatural powers of the lords rendered additional protection superfluous after what felt like a long hike under the cold regard of the aristocrats tagan reached the section of floor between the curved arms of the deus bowed low and straightened up again even the greatest focan impilter didn't require the extreme deference that would have required a commoner to remain in a servile posture until granted leave to rise an old man with a hooked blade of a nose and a lipless slash of a mouth sat up even straighter if that was possible his coat of arms was an elaboration of the eye and gauntlet symbol of helm god of vigilance maestro night wind he growled lord aurecius tegan replied of all the council aurisius was the most vehement opponent of the fencing academies and had tried to shut them down on a number of occasions which ought not to matter in relation to the current situation but the elf already had an inkling it was a shame the old buzzard wasn't one of the paladins busy elsewhere you escorted several yeomen of the watch through the cellars of an old tannery oricia said as he lifted a piece of parchment i have the commander's deposition here i'm gratified to hear it tegan said it took me a while to persuade the officers of the law to accompany me and a considerably longer time to gain admittance here it's good to know we won't waste any more time trying to lay hands on the captain or his report orisius frowned you're insolent so people tell me but truly i don't mean to show disrespect to her gracious majesty or her deputies either if i seem out of sorts i beg you to attribute it to the fact that i have serious matters to present for your consideration and i fail to understand why you've chosen to keep me waiting did it occur to you it might have something to do with your trade and reputation my trade is teaching people to defend themselves a right that her majesty's law justly and compassionately recognizes my reputation if it speaks the truth is that of a master who gives sound instruction and exhorts his students to use their skills prudently but even if i was the vilest black guard ever to set foot in libra bar the tidings i bring would still be vitally important perhaps so said a beefy relatively young man with a pink complexion and curly sandy goatee the device on his surcoat featured the bound hand sigil of ill mater if tegan wasn't mistaken he was lord rangrim a dragon rider celebrated for his campaigns against the raiders of the pirate isles would you give us your story from the beginning we know what you'd hold the watch but it's evident you have a good deal more to say it will be my pleasure tagan replied and he spun the tail as he'd rehearsed it omitting any mention of kara her circle of rogues brimstone or the folio lest word of them reach either worms devoted to larith or surviving members of sammaster's conspiracy dorne's hunters became a fellowship of wandering adventurers with an old score to settle against the cult of the dragon who'd helped tegan smash the lyribar chapter before heading out to parts unknown similarly the avario maintained he never had succeeded in learning the true identity of gorstag's employer and would have told the same lie even if kara hadn't urged him to keep certain aspects of the affair a secret he was reasonably certain the paladins wouldn't like the thought of cooperating with a vampiric smoke drake any more than pavel had by the time he finished his throat was dry unfortunately the only beverage in evidence was in a golden cup sitting on a little table by the queen and even he wasn't impudent enough to request a sip from that lord adrian another of ilmater's warriors a petite woman who would have been rather pretty if not for her broken nose and the close-cropped hair that exposed a pair of protruding ears said this is unfortunate that's one word for it oricia said private feuds and vendettas slaughter in the street and in hidden warrens underground at the start of this interview maestro i alluded to your reputation whatever you may imagine you're infamous as a promoter of brawls jewels and licentiousness in all its aspects a common whoremonger in fact and your conduct in this matter proves you fully deserve your notoriety because i didn't report my troubles to the authorities as soon as they began tegan asked i promised a dying friend i wouldn't and only recently realized it's a pledge i must disregard for the kingdom's sake anyway considering the scorn with which unites regard me would you have credited my story what makes you assume oricia said that anyone credits it now tegan felt a surge of anger but made sure the emotion didn't show in his face my lord said tagan i perceive that you and i however dissimilar we may be in many respects are like in one we both love to spar be it with blades or words but is this the time your priests and wizards have examined the lair of the cult they saw the remains of the zombies and abhishe as well as the glyphs pentacles and grimoires instruments all for invoking valsharoon shar and the rest of the deities and lesser powers of evil i gave them the tome of the dragon to authenticate i explained why cilla moriath absconded in the night surely it's obvious i truly have been brawling and dueling with necromancers and traitors to the crown he has a point rangram said so much as we may regret the way he handled this business let's concentrate on matters of greater import maestro would you like to know why it took us so long to grant you an audience it's true your reputation fairly earned or not was partly to blame but it was mainly that we have other urgent matters to concern us he doesn't need to know about that oricia snapped the news will reach the city at large soon enough rangram said and perhaps given his recent experiences he can contribute something to our discussion if i can tegan said i certainly will until you came to us rangrum said we had no inkling the cult of the dragon was currently active in impilter but we had heard tidings of dragonflights worms are attacking out of the earth spur mountains and from across the easting reach threatening sarchel dilper and the whole northern part of the kingdom three lords have already ridden forth to direct the defense the rest of us will follow soon enough perhaps you understand the implications the elf hesitated then said i see it lends additional credence to my story but i take it you refer to something more we don't have any drakes attacking out of the west said adrian if you were a war captain in which direction would you march your forces it's possible tegan replied sam astor himself set the worms on the rampage as a faint to keep your attention off the gray forest or maybe the frenzy is to blame either way you can't let the problem grave as it is prevent you from addressing an even greater threat as i understand it dracoliches are even more formidable than living dragons indeed virtually unstoppable and indestructible yet no one has seen any dracoliches rangrum said perhaps things aren't going according to plan in the gray forest perhaps for whatever reason nothing is happening there at all whereas things are definitely happening to the east and north orissius said thousands of people are in danger and the farmers flee their lands if they can't manage the spring planting the entire realm will starve in a few months time i understand tegan said but you must confront both menaces why orissius said because of hearsay for that's really all you've given us you tell us what silla moriath and gorstag helder allegedly said but the one vanished and the other is dead we can't interrogate either for ourselves i give you my word tagan said that i've accurately repeated what they said if you doubt me cast a spell to test my veracity i know you can as far as i'm concerned rangrim said that isn't necessary i suspect you haven't told us everything maestro nor are you a person of saintly character but i certainly don't sense the wickedness required to send the royal army chasing off on a fool's errand while countless innocent lives hang in the balance i'm satisfied you believe you're giving good advice but that the curly bearded human continued doesn't mean it really is perhaps your informants misled you either intentionally or because they themselves misunderstood the situation in any case it's my opinion we should first devote all our efforts to suppressing the dragons who are even now devastating the settled parts of our country afterward will be time enough to take a look at a wood where no one lives what do the rest of you think without exception though some looked more certain than others the other lords declared their agreement aurissius gave tagan a smug unpleasant smile had it not come from a night of unimpeachable holiness the avario might even have deemed it spiteful tegan looked up at the woman seated on the uppermost portion of the dais you see the noble began your majesty the ivarial cut in it appears the lords have formed their opinion but surely it's the queen's decision that counts orisius glared at him as he said her majesty trusts her night's judgment in military matters tegan kept gazing up at sambral as he said your majesty i love impilter this splendid land that has accepted me as one of its own even though i'm not human nor even a dwarf or halfling terrible as this current crisis is i thought i discerned one glimmer of light amid the darkness i believed it had put me in a position to repay the kindness and opportunity i found here if that isn't true if i'm simply a fool wasting a great monarch's precious time i beg you to tell me so directly i at least want to go away knowing that my wise sovereign herself has weighed my words and found them wanting orisius twisted his head to look up at sambral yes he said please do tell him your majesty if that's what it takes to shut him up perhaps it was his manifest certainty that the queen would do as he said that irked her at any rate she gave him a frigid stare without even a thank you lord auresius whatever you think of him and whatever the worth of his suggestions he was instrumental in rooting out a nest of traitors none of my paladins or war swords even suspected aurissius hesitated a beat then said so it seems your majesty and a reward is probably an order i'll see to it tegan's pulse quickened at the mention of payment but not enough to permit the paladin to buy him off and so vanquish him in their duel of words i don't want coin the maestro said reflecting that he seemed to be saying that constantly anymore even though nothing could be farther from his actual sentiments i want you to act on the information i risked my life to obtain we told you oricia said that would be reckless and generally inadvisable and i told you tegan said i'm still waiting to hear the queen's opinion please your majesty sambrol sat and chewed at her lower lip for a few heartbeats her little white incisors marring the scarlet paint evidently it was her habit when pondering we've been at peace for a long while she finally said our soldiers have repelled the occasional band of marauders but have had no occasion to fight an actual war or endure the losses such a conflict brings which means that barring gross mismanagement we should have plenty of men horses and supplies enough perhaps to send one force northeast and another west your majesty oricia said we don't know precisely how many enemies we have to fight in the country along the easting reach but we do know they're all dragons and our men at arms she replied constitute the assembled might of a powerful kingdom it's still my opinion we may need every bit of our strength i hope you trust my advice and the judgment of my peers over the fancies of a troublemaker an outlander from who knows where i may look peculiar in your eyes tegan said but i reiterate i consider myself a son of impilter no less than you a loyal subject who reveres his noble queen and looks to her not her deputies to decide the most vital questions facing our homeland sambro laughed it startled tagan and by the looks of it the lords as well what a paragon of virtue i must be she said so far maestro i believe you've praised me as gracious just compassionate noble wise and great is this relentless parade of compliments the technique you use to lure rich merchants and their sons to your school and their wives and daughters to your bed i'd like to think i generally display a lighter touch tegan replied with a grin but in some measure i suppose the answer is yes it's been my experience that the wealthy are susceptible to flattery perhaps queens hear so much they become immune i thank the watcher orisia said that your majesty sees through this clown and refuses to let him drive a wedge between yourself and your faithful lieutenants will you send him away no my lord i will not orisius's trap of a mouth tightened as he said as you command yes sambra continued as i command because his blandishments aside maestro nightwind has alluded to an important truth i do rule here rangrim frowned and said no one disputes that to your majesty you may not even realize it the queen replied but you do possibly it's my own fault i've generally been content to enjoy life and let the council run the kingdom why not the land prospered the people were happy and i trusted that a council of paladins was about as wise and incorruptible as any governing body could be we've done our best to orisius began yet i always remembered sambral interrupted that i'm the sovereign and like my ancestors have the duty to lead the realm in times of crisis your majesty orisius said if i may speak bluntly your predecessors were paladins you aren't even a warrior it only makes sense for you to delegate these decisions to those who are no she said whatever you may have assumed i didn't come to these chambers today simply to smile and nod at whatever you proposed rest assured i value the council's advice but i believe that with regard to the gray forest you're underestimating the danger perhaps your disdain for the maestro's profession your nostalgia for the days when burgers knew their place and no one but a chevalier schooled in the old traditions would dare call himself a master swordsman has blinded you adrian said your majesty we will of course obey you in this as in all things that understood may i at least recommend that we send the greater part of our troops north east where battle already rages and a smaller force west to assess the situation there yes sambral said she sipped from her golden goblet then continued but a number of the queen's bronzes will accompany the lesser force to make sure it's strong enough to do whatever needs doing afterward dragons on the wing can cross the realm swiftly enough to join the campaign on the other side in that case rangram said i volunteer to lead the scouts i suppose one of us lords ought to do it thank you your majesty tegan said when do we depart aurissius made a spitting sound then said don't be absurd evidently you know how to conduct yourself in a tavern brawl but you'd best leave real fighting to the war swords tagan could all but feel the gems the cultists had amassed slipping through his fingers and perhaps that wasn't even the worst of it the patronizing dismissal stung his pride you continue to underestimate me my lord perhaps he does said rangrim unexpectedly at any rate i think you've earned the right to tag along and since it's my command i suppose that settles it tegan bowed just promise me rangrim added we'll have something more interesting than chiggers and mosquitoes to fight you can count on it replied tegan as i said according to the fair silla even if the cult hasn't succeeded in making any dracoliches yet they have live worms defending their stronghold it's a good thing then that we'll have our own dragons powerful fearless and true said the paladin wait until you meet my friend quel sandus i'll match him against any black or green ever hatched chapter 17 11 tarsack the year of rogue dragons oh blood and dung the sailor cursed dorne had been standing in the bow taking in the unique purple hue of the moon see unlike normal people he had no actual home but except for the past couple months he had spent his entire life near that body of water a deep freshwater lake despite its name and somehow it pleased him to see it once again jarred from his contemplation he turned and saw that the ferryman had genuine cause for dismay earlier that afternoon the barge-like ferry with its wide deck and shallow draft had finished its transit of the marshy river list and turned west toward elmwood the first settlement of any size whatsoever along the southern coast the town was a smallish place that made its living fishing farming and facilitating the passage of travelers and goods back and forth between the moon sea and the dragon reach over the years dorne had exterminated several dangerous beasts on the settlement's behalf and found it to be something of an oddity some inexplicable chance had by and large exempted it from the bloody strife and full-scale disasters so often afflicting the rest of the region and perhaps as a result the inhabitants tended to lack the dour grasping suspicious mindset exhibited by so many of their neighbors but maybe they were on their way to learning it looked as if trouble had found elmwood at last three war galleys and a couple of smaller patrol boats floated at anchor in her harbor each flew the device of gentle keep a dark scepter a blaze with green fire set against a golden disk clutched in the claws of a black worm a single such vessel might have stopped at the village to conduct some innocuous bit of business but the presence of so many at once seemed a sure sign the agents of the black network the gentish hegemony's ruling cartel were up to something sinister everybody dorn bellowed come here now his comrades hurried forward so did a number of the other passengers ferryman and the captain himself all wanting to see what was the matter nobody looked happy when he found out will rounded on the skipper a weather beaten fellow who went about with a stubby straight stemmed pipe constantly clenched between his yellow teeth whether he'd bothered to fill and light the bowl or not why didn't you warn us the halfling said they weren't there when we headed down river the captain said can you land elsewhere pavel asked if we turn tail i reckon the gents will chase us and we can't outrun a war galley in this tub it's less risky just to go where we meant to and see what happens i hate the thieving bastards too but at least i don't see anybody fighting likely because the gents don't need to raron said and dorne could only agree whatever the reavers from the great citadels at the western end of the moon sea wanted little elmwood with its lack of men at arms and fortifications would have had little choice but to accede to their demands still you're probably right we should dock as planned the captain started giving orders to his crew cara approached dorne and murmured in my other form i could fly us all to shore he sneered and said good idea the gents would never notice and even if they did they wouldn't think it worth investigating i was just pointing out an option she said with a sigh to his surprise dorne felt a pang of shame i know he said and it wasn't a completely stupid idea but we agreed that to protect your sanity and keep laura's agents off our track you'll only change when you absolutely have to and this isn't an emergency yet just be ready with your spells it took another hour of gnawing apprehension before the fairy tied up at its birth in many respects it looked to dorne as if the docks were operating normally but things were different in at least one unfortunate respect like a murder of oversized crows a dozen black-clad warriors swaggered down the pier to meet the arriving vessel in the lead slouched a barrel-chested priest of bane who with his greasy uncombed hair and stained clothing looked more brutish ruffian than scholar of divine mysteries he wore the lord of darkness's clenched fist emblem and carried a morning star the god's sacred weapon in his gauntleted hand the harbour master crept along at the tail end of the procession silent and ignored the priest climbed aboard the ferry without waiting for an invitation as the first of his minions followed he announced i'm faraxis zora servant of the black hand captain of the warship dagger out of ulash and now customs agent of the alliance well aren't you special murmured will what alliance pavel asked without any overt show of hostility having known him for years dorne could tell his friend didn't like faraxes much better than he had brimstone but he wasn't yet making an issue of it he'd even tucked his son amulet inside his brigandine to avoid revealing to which god he'd vowed his own service why the alliance against the worms feraxes said haven't you heard they've started attacking all across the north and the south too for all we know we folk of the moon sea must forget our differences and band together to stave off the threat otherwise the drakes will eat us all and since we zhentarim have the biggest army and most powerful spellcasters in the region it only makes sense for us to lead the defense he spoke with a cynical lear that suggested he was enjoying the knowledge that his audience mistrusted his words but it didn't matter anyway did the defense cara asked require you to occupy elmwood coming in i didn't see any signs of marauding dragons along the southern shore firaxis said you mistake me lass naturally we haven't seized control here much as this wretched little pest hole would benefit from our guidance that could be misconstrued as an act of war but i'm sure you understand it takes resources to fend off wave upon wave of dragon flights which is exactly what we're facing therefore since we're fighting for the benefit of all we're asking everyone to contribute to the effort in other words pavel said trying to extort fees and duties from every ship that sails these waters the fairy captain's jaw clenched as if he was in danger of biting his pipe in two but he was too cautious to say anything as well as requisitioning vital materials from their cargos said the priest of bane and likewise taxing those who travel over land our plan is that henceforth no vessel or caravan will embark without purchasing a license not only will that provide for our warriors needs it will help the wayfarers as well because when we know who's traveling where it will be easier to watch over them what happens to folk caught wandering without permission asked will something nasty i suspect as i said faraxes replied we've established this scheme to protect everyone those who seek to undermine it are traitors to the common wheel and must expect stern treatment i doubt pavel said that hillsfar thenxia melvant or flan have agreed to this scheme which means your grand alliance has some major holes in it for axis scowled everyone will come around in time he said meanwhile we're in elmwood not hillsvar and i've spent enough time explaining the realities of life he smirked at the fairy captain you owe 10 gold in addition my men will inspect your cargo you understand you're forbidden to set sail again without the proper document he rounded on the passengers you folk must contribute also each according to his ability to pay to determine your proper share we'll examine the contents of your purses pouches and baggage dorn scowled it was robbery pure and simple and he resented it still he and his comrades had a job to finish and it would probably be easier if they didn't have to contend with the enmity of zhentarim in the process much as the prospect wrangled it might be preferable simply to surrender a portion of their coin kara's treasure however was a different matter he was reasonably certain that if the reavers caught a glimpse of the fortune in jewels she carried they'd greedily conceive a pretext for seizing it all and that would be too great a loss to accept trying to be stealthy about it he reached for the hilt of his knife wait cara whispered just stand in front of me block their view dorne did as she asked she sang a spell under her breath then gave him a little pat on his human arm to signal she was done when he glanced down at her she no longer appeared to have a pouch hanging on her braided blue leather belt he inferred that she turned it invisible it was a good trick but as it turned out the wrong move faraxis wore a silver ring set with a milky oval stone strands of red twisted through the whiteness like blood billowing in water when he noticed the transformation he extended his arm and turned aiming his hand at all the ferryman and passengers in turn when he came to cara the gem if such it was turned entirely scarlet evidently it was a device for detecting spell casting faraxis gave her a malevolent grin what was the magic what did you do she's a bard said dorne she uses petty charms to make people like her she probably hoped it would move you to treat her kindly i didn't ask you tin face the gentish captain said what did you do what my friend told you cara said faraxis glanced around at some of his men and said search her if she resists beat her senseless if you find some indication she's misbehaved we'll take her aboard dagger and punish her properly we'll have some fun and make an example of her two warriors advanced on kara and dorne sprang to intercept them even as he lunged he was conscious of the irony implicit in his response he was scrambling to protect a dragon true in human form kara was in many respects as vulnerable as an ordinary woman but even so what did it matter he hated dragons pavel will and raron attacked at the same instant he did and they all caught the gents by surprise apparently the soldiers though they'd seemed reasonably alert hadn't truly imagined that any of the motley assortment of ferryman and travelers even rough-looking types like the hunters would dare assault well-armed agents of the black network in broad daylight with still more gents close at hand dorne swiped with his iron claws and his target fell with half his neck torn away pivoting the half golem punched kara's other assailant caught the blow on his buckler hopped backward and snatched to draw his blade that was all right at least he no longer posed an immediate threat to cara who singing brought a floating blue translucent shield glimmering into existence in front of her body dorne jerked his knife from its sheath the deck was too crowded with milling babbling bystanders for him to use a blade as long as the bastard sword to best effect he turned looking for feraxis who surely represented the gravest threat he was too late the sudden assault had startled the gents but someone had trained them well a pair of them had positioned themselves in front of their leader to keep him safe while he cast his spells faraxes started shouting an incantation but pavil wrapped stop that single word carried its own palpable charge of magic and the cleric of bane faltered and botched his prayer he spun around toward the wayfarer in his nondescript travel stained clothing and acid scorched leather armor who was wearing his sun amulet in plain view pavel gave the gent a malevolent smile and a duel of priestly magic began a warrior advanced on dorne the hunter blocked a sword cut with his metal hand and instantly hit back the gent knew his business and parried in his turn dorne's knuckle spikes ripped the small round wooden leather shield to useless scraps but at least it had saved its user once the iron half of his body forward dorne advanced the gent fell back and such was the press in confusion he bumped into one of the boatmen despite the latter's attempt to scramble out of the way it cost the warrior his balance and that was all the opening door needed he lunged and killed the man with a punch to the torso the spikes on his artificial hand piercing the zhen's mail as if it was made of paper when the soldier dropped he dragged dorne's fists down with him the knuckle blades had somehow tangled in the corpse's ribs dorne was still trying to pull free when orbs of ice exploded from the empty air immediately above him he attempted to shield himself with his iron arm but because of the dead weight hanging from it he was a moment too slow one of the missiles smashed down on the top of his head the shock made him collapse to one knee blood flowed down from his torn scalp into his eye around him other folk similarly afflicted screamed in pain dazed half blinded by gore he cast about seeking the wizard who'd been ruthless enough to conjure the attack without caring that it would likewise injure many of those who'd offered no resistance after a moment he spotted the bearded whippet thin gent in question the reaver was one of the couple who'd stayed on the dock and because he'd worn a broadsword helmet tunic and buckler like the common men at arms dorne hadn't recognized him for what he was no doubt that was as the mage had intended it the shield lay at his feet discarded so he could make his kabbalistic passes more deftly brandishing some sort of talisman he commenced another spell dorne shook the corpse loose lurched upright and flung his knife realizing even as he did so it probably wouldn't help he was a good marksman with a bow arbolist or spear but had never spent much time practicing to throw a dagger as expected the blade tumbled off course he charged the pier bulling people out of his way taking too long it was sickening to know he wouldn't reach the wizard in time to avert the next spell whatever painful potentially lethal effect it would produce fortunately something else stopped it a mode of light streaked through the air hit the magician's chest and exploded into a dazzling booming blast of yellow fire large enough to engulf both him and the warrior poised to protect him squinting against the glare dorne realized kara must have seen his plight and conjured the attack the magical blaze winked out of existence within a heartbeat but not before setting the gents somber uniforms and the top of the wooden walkway aflame howling the burning men leaped into the water the warrior waded down with mail was almost certain to sink to the bottom and drown the magician might make it ashore but even if he did it seemed unlikely he'd be willing and able to rejoin the fight grinning dorne turned to find another foe in doing so he startled the small man who'd been creeping up to stab him in the back eyes wide with alarm the fellow recoiled he wasn't one of the black clad warriors but rather another passenger maybe he was a loyal subject of the gentish lords stupid or wicked as that would make him or perhaps he simply thought that in any conflict the side that included creatures as monstrous as half golems was beside any decent person ought to oppose whatever the fool was thinking dorne whose head was still throbbing and bleeding copiously was in no mood to let him live and he rushed in the little man slashed frantically but doran could see the attacks wouldn't penetrate deeply enough to reach the vulnerable flesh behind his iron parts he simply ignored the would-be backstabbers assault and raked him open from lungs to guts dorne turned looking for someone else to kill but no one was in reach across the deck a chop from raron's ice axe slew the gentish priest's remaining defender even as one of the flying luminous mazes pavel liked to conjure bashed in the skull of the bainite clerk himself and that appeared to be that the fight was over dorne and his comrades had won and the others appeared essentially unscathed they'd overcome long odds and bested representatives of a predatory fraternity les clandestin but is generally despised as the cult of the dragon itself that however failed to elicit any cheers from the other folk on the boat who were looking on aghast by umberley's fork a sailor whined now the bastards will murder us all he might be right aboard the gentish vessels crossbowmen and spellcasters were scurrying into position to attack at range other men at arms aboard the full-size warships were lowering longboats into the water we're leaving said dorne explain you took no part in the fight and the zhentarim will understand they have no reason to harm you he was by no means certain of that but it was the best he could offer we need to run now raron said spatters of someone else's blood caught in his white goatee and the polar bear fur covering his massive chest before the quarrels and thunderbolts start flying wait one moment cara said she sang the ascending arpeggio of another incantation the magic whipped up gusts of wind that somehow only buffeted her lashing her skirt and long moon blonde hair this way and that the ambient temperature plummeted the first feeble warmth of the northern spring lapsing back into the chill of the winter just concluded and the air between the docks and the gentish vessels curdled a pearly fog bank oozed into existence above the purple water depriving the reavers of visible targets we still must hurry cara said i don't know how long the obscurement will last before one of their mages succeeds in dispelling it right said dorne everybody who wants to be elsewhere when the mist disappears grab your belongings and go luckily the whole dock wasn't burning yet they could still use it to scramble from the ferry onto the shore as soon as they reached dry land the other travelers scuttled off in various directions distancing themselves from the mad men who'd openly killed gents dorne didn't blame them and in fact was glad to see them go their own way he and his partners didn't need any useless new companions slowing them down the half golem led his friends south away from the docks and on through the village even running flat out it was impossible to miss the signs of trouble no children were in view indeed even adults seem to be staying off the streets as much as possible and the houses were closed up tight though normally the occupants would have flung open all the doors and windows to air out the winter staleness gents had painted obscenities and crude symbols of bane in the black network on various walls taking special care to deface the grange and the temple of the half moon a house of worship devoted to celeune and to a lesser degree the other deities of light plainly even if the invaders didn't choose to formally proclaim themselves the conquerors of elmwood that was the ugly truth of it where are we going panted will warsling dangling ready in his hand he was hardy but any halfling had difficulty covering ground as quickly as long-legged humans out of town dorne said well aware that it wasn't a particularly satisfactory response they'll hunt us raron said we either need to lose them or set a trap something small swooped past dorne's head edgy as he was he nearly grabbed and crushed it in his iron fingers before realizing it was simply a robin or maybe not for it didn't behave like any songbird he'd ever seen before the little creature with its brown back and yellow red breast landed on the muddy ground in front of the fugitives twittered flew off down a side street wheeled returned chirped some more and flapped away in the same direction a second time it wants us to follow it kara said will shrugged and said well it doesn't look gentish if you had a brain said pavel you'd know what's going on dorne yes feeling somewhat foolish about it the half golem looked down at the robin which its head cocked was peering back with a beady black eye and said lead on the birds seemed to understand for it took off immediately the fugitives followed it past the last houses across a boggy field and toward a wood if that in fact was their destination dorne wondered grimly how folk without wings were supposed to make their way in for tangles of brush and briars choked the spaces around the old oaks and pines the answer came a moment later rustling and rattling a mass of brambles divided to expose the start of a trail once everyone had passed the brush wove itself back together sealing the entrance once more the path led to a shadowy glade containing a low shapeless sod roofed hut that looked more like a bump on the ground than anything man made a gray-haired female dwarf armed with a cudgel and short sword a slender woman of mixed human and elf blood dressed in the silvery robes of a priestess of celune and a bald middle-aged man a tired and rough brown homespun stood in front of the humble shelter waiting to greet the arrivals the robins swooped to perch on the hairless fellow's hand where it warbled with excitement yes the man said stroking the bird's head with his fingertip you did well and i thank you he gave the newcomers a mournful smile welcome friends are you all right thoyanajorgedal asked the dwarf was elmwood's constable and de facto mayor you mean aside from having my head split open the half golem growled sit down said pavel let me check that you know said will doing his best to speak in the earnest tone of someone who only wanted to help a la moraine moon raise a healer maybe she silence worm pavel said he peered down at the gash in dorne's scalp you'll be all right he murmured a prayer to the morning lord set his hand glowing with red gold light and laid it on the wound closing the cut and staunching the flow of blood does anyone else need care apparently no one did you should be safe here for the moment said ezreal tree warder elmwood's resident druid tossing his hand to send the robin fluttering off though i fear it's only a matter of time before the gents discover the sacred grove at which point said allah moraine they'll come with a lot of us will remembered the pretty half elf as mary and even koketish but just then she seemed about as cheery as a mass grave soya and i earned their ill will by defying them when they first sailed into port we thank you said dorne for taking us in but how did you even know we were here let alone that we needed to disappear the birds and animals watched the town for me the druid replied as if to make the point a huge grey wolf padded out of the gloom beneath one of the holy oaks and nuzzled at his hand he scratched the beast under one of its ears then waved toward the low wooden benches arranged around a fire pit whereby the looks of it no one had kindled a blaze in a number of days probably for fear the invaders would see the smoke shall we sit and refresh ourselves ezreal asked the cusp of winter and spring is the hungriest time of the year especially for folk in hiding but i still have some acorn crackers jerky and beer the hunters brought out some of the emergency rations they habitually carried in their packs combined with ezreal's provisions they made for a meal that was stale tasteless and hard enough to break a beaver's teeth but at least it stretched farther than it would have otherwise after everyone had pretty much eaten his portion though the tall terracotta communal beer stein was still making its way around the circle dorne said we have to reach thencha fast and do some more traveling around the moon sea toyana snorted and said good luck now that you've killed some of the gents they'll be watching out for you and you're about as distinctive a band of travelers as i can imagine they won't let you sail anywhere maybe not from elmwood said will but you can't tell me they control the whole southern shore every inlet row boat and fishing shack shadows of mask the regions famous for its pirates and smugglers somewhere we can hire a knave to sneak us north you'd think so said ezreal still petting the wolf which lay at his feet but travelers report the black network has some way of finding and attacking folk who sail without permission well naturally the gents would put that story about said will if they said anything else it would only encourage people to flout their rules the rumor may be true alimorane said i've performed divinations to find out and the results though inconclusive are alarming i think folk are right to be afraid so what are we talking about ask dorne they locate ships by peering in magic mirrors then raise storms to sink them if so will reflected the time of year was probably conducive to it the month of tarsack generally brought heavy rain or send unnaturally fast enchanted war galleys or trained water monsters to catch them whatever the problem is surely the cities that always stand against the gents will do their best to wreck their plan that's our hope thoyana said crunching a final mouthful of cracker but no one's turned up to free elmwood yet maybe these dragon flights if they're real they are kara interjected then maybe the forces of hillsfar flan and whomever are pinned down fighting worms on their own lands and the gents are taking advantage of it making a bold play to take control of all trade across the moon sea for the time being at least they've already gone a long way toward asserting authority over traffic to and from the realms in the south because elmwood is the choke point raron said nodding if the situation drags on indefinitely gentile keep will grow steadily richer and stronger and her rivals poorer and weaker until ultimately a time will arrive when they can resist the black network no longer but it won't drag on pavel said the other city-states won't stand for it eventually they'll drive the gents back to their castles in the west allemarane gave him a wand little smile and said every night i pray to our lady of silver that you're right what i don't understand kara said is how any of your people can behave this way ezreal peered at her quizzically and asked our people she's from impelter said dorne evidently he saw no reason to trust anyone even folk who treated him fairly in the past with cara secret unless it was absolutely necessary what i mean the slender bard continued is that a rage of dragons is upon you thoyana's eyes opened wide truly she asked you're certain it's a full-blown rage yes and humanity's best hope of weathering it is to unite and fight the rampaging drakes together if you scheme and struggle against each other it will be much harder for you your entire world could collapse the worms could harry you to the brink of extinction dorne sneered though at precisely what will wasn't certain but that's who we are said the half golem we take advantage the greedy do it because they covet riches and slaves the rest of us do it when it seems the only way to survive as the dragons wreak havoc the devastation will leave some folk weak and helpless ripe for exploitation and others hungry and desperate enough for any betrayal or atrocity rest assured a good many of us will strive to rest all we can from our neighbors i don't believe that cara said oh i know some corrupt or terrified folk will seek to prey on others but not the majority they'll bear up bravely and try to help their fellows because that's the authentic human spirit and the essential nature of dwarves and halflings as well i know i hear it in your music dorne shook his head and replied they're just songs they're your soul the bard insisted you don't recognize it dorne grey brook because you don't know yourself you think anger and bitterness define you but they aren't what prompted you to risk your life to help the folk of ilraphan we're prattling about nonsense when we have practical problems to solve the half gollum said with a scowl we could march over land a fencia and sail from there with whatever protections the wizards can provide the gents have patrols on the roads too thoyana said and the way leads through mulmaster a part of their dominions or near enough raron took a drink from the stein belched and passed it on we don't need to use the roads said the dwarf tracker or through the heart of the high blades lands but to do anything else will take a while truly if we're in a hurry sailing is the fast way to get anywhere around the moon sea however the zhentarim are finding the unlicensed ships dorne said slowly the fleshy half of his forehead furrowed it seems likely the spotter merely glances at water plainly their own vessels our band is too small to handle a war galley and we're no expert sailors in any case still with luck i'll bet we could steer one of those patrol boats north to thencha we could certainly seize one said will as with many thefts the biggest difficulty would be making our getaway once the gents noticed the boat was gone they could overhaul us in the galleys or failing that password of the robbery to their fellows he grinned and added still i admit i like the audacity of it dorne turned to the village elders and said striking by surprise in the night we might be able to wipe out the gents occupying your town you truly have that sort of power ezreal asked maybe but here's the thing we owe you for sheltering us here and we won't wipe out the intruders without your leave because even if we succeed liberation comes with a risk another bunch of gents could show up after we're gone and hold you accountable for the slaughter we'll chance it toyana said maybe the other cities will strike against zhentil keep foiling the black network strategy and no more reavers will come here if they do we'll claim that ships from hillsfar came and killed their comrades why shouldn't they believe it elmwood itself obviously lacks the strength to destroy such a force better yet cara said blame dragons for that's what the evidence will indicate chapter 18 12 tarsack the year of rogue dragons it rained steadily through the night taken whose turn it was to stand a pre-dawn watch tried to maintain a good vantage point and stay dry at the same time by perching 15 feet above the ground in the fork of a sycamore it didn't work all that well logic indicated that the canopy of branches overhead must be catching some of the raindrops but plenty more spilled right on through by the time a first hint of lathander's light gleamed in the east and the downpour subsided to a drizzle his clothes were soaked and he was cold and in a foul mood generally nor did it help when rangrim tramped forth from camp and called a jovial good morning i brought you some hot soup tegan flicked his wings shaking rainwater out of the black feathers spread them and leaped from the sycamore his pinions trapped air to slow his descent and he floated down gently my dear but seemingly demented friend the maestro said how can you bed down in cold mud rise with the sun on such a dreary morning and be cheerful it must have something to do with your being a paladin the chunky curly bearded human grinned and proffered a steaming tin mug of lentil broth the warmth of the cup felt good in tegan's chilled fingers and so did the heat of the first sip going down rangrim glanced around at the towering mossy trees dripping glistening water from every branch and twig spring had found the gray forest and new green leaves and buds were sprouting despite the occasional patch of snow still spotting the ground birds some newly returned from the south chirped to greet the morning i like the woods said the paladin even on a cold damp morning i'm amazed you don't i don't see why my indifference constitutes such a marvel i like soft beds blazing hearths well-made roofs comfortable chairs fine wine gourmet cooking and luscious affectionate women everything lyrebar affords and the wild doesn't but you're an elf an accident of birth tegan replied that i strive to transcend they turned and headed toward the camp where other paladins and war swords could be heard muttering and rattling around one of the queen's bronzes lifted the tapered head at the end of its long sinuous neck and peered around its forked tongue darted forth to taste the morning air you shouldn't be ashamed of your heritage rangrum said what heritage would that be replied the avario in case you haven't noticed all the cities of impilter and the surrounding lands are the work of men with a degree of assistance from dwarves and halflings still please tegan said let's speak of something else for i assure you i'm delighted to be what i've become a loyal subject of impilter and our wise and gracious queen surely you her sworn champion don't mean to imply it was an unworthy aspiration the paladin snorted and said you're twisting my meaning and you know it but have it your way how much longer do you think it will take to find the cult stronghold we should be drawing close but who knows we simply have to follow the directions dear cilla gave me and keep looking if you like i can do some more scouting above the treetops while everyone else is breaking camp don't you want more breakfast tayden realized he didn't for some reason even though he'd endured such comments many times before rangram's witless albeit well-intentioned observations about his race had left him feeling restless i believe i can forego it well in that case said the paladin quell sandus and i will tag along tegan hoped he could prevent that he didn't fancy any more of rangrim's hearty virtuous company just at present and in fact never particularly enjoyed being around the bronze the paladin doted on quel sandus his faithful comrade in countless exploits but though tegan had made an honest effort to like the dragon for his new friend's sake he couldn't quite manage it the gigantic reptile had a sullen guarded quality that bothered him or perhaps given that rangrim seemed oblivious to his mount's glumness the problem was simply that tagan didn't understand drake's and their ways he certainly hadn't spent enough time with cara and brimstone to make him an expert but he did know he'd prefer solitude for the next little while accordingly he said if we are nearing the enemy perhaps i should scout alone i'm considerably smaller and harder to spot than a dragon wheeling against the sky besides you're the war captain your faithful followers need you here to put them in order for the new day suit yourself good hunting tegan sprang into the air and flew upward he looked for vertical pathways wide enough to accommodate a nevariel's beating wings but the branches grew thickly and at certain moments it was easier simply to seize hold of them and clamber like a squirrel as he had in the earthwood years before the memory made him frown fortunately he reached the treetops soon enough he took a weary glance around making sure no wyvern abbashe or whatever was hovering close at hand was in position to attack as soon as he broke cover then he launched himself higher where he soon found a friendly updraft to hold him at that altitude with minimal effort on his part gliding between the gray overcast above and the dark green foliage below tegan's mood brightened despite his sopping clothes and the persistent drizzle he could see for miles from the ranks of mountains in the north to the blacker clouds their bellies full of flickering lightning massed far to the south above the sea of fallen stars if he'd needed to forsake his timorous reclusive people to experience such vistas that alone had been sufficient reason to turn his back on them but he knew he mustn't simply float and enjoy the spectacle for long he had work to do he flew west looking for the fortress sammaster and cilla had established it was possible that shielded by layers of overhanging branches or even veils of illusion the place was invisible from the air but if he could spot it from on high it might well save the expedition days of tedious groping about on the ground days during which the cultists could strengthen their defenses make more dracoliches or sunni only knew what at least the varials had sharp eyes tagan thought he had about as good a chance of citing the secret fortress as what was that for a moment he glimpsed something big moving along far below on the ground then it disappeared concealed by the canopy plainly it hadn't been a stationary man-made structure of the sort he was seeking but it could certainly have been one of the worms sammaster had recruited to guard the stronghold and eventually undergo the transformation into undead in which case it could annihilate a loan of ariel with one snap of its jaws or a single puff of dragon breath accordingly he made his way back down through the branches as wearily and silently as he could until he finally saw more he wasn't sure if one of the creatures he observed stalking eastward was the same immense being he'd glimpsed before but it made no difference the only important thing was to reach his comrades in time though he wouldn't reach them at all unless he continued to go unnoticed he whispered a spell and bladesong instantly transported him a couple hundred yards eastward onto the limb of a different tree peering downward he saw it wasn't far enough he was still above a portion of the advancing force its leading edge composed of scouts and skirmishers nor could he use the same magic to shift himself a second time at his level of skill he could only hold a single spell of such power in his memory and having expended it it was gone until he had a chance to study his grimoire once again so he crept along the branches with all the stealth his father and the rest of the tribe had taught him crouched wings folded tight to make himself smaller spreading only when he needed the exquisite balance they afforded him or to spring across a gap his legs couldn't manage by themselves it was a race of sorts one he could never have won if the creatures on the ground hadn't been trying to prowl along unobtrusively themselves an effort that slowed them significantly as it was he gradually out distanced them and when reasonably confident he was far enough ahead that they wouldn't spot him he unfurled his wings and flew the rest of the way to camp at top speed it felt bizarre that his comrades were chatting folding tents tying bedrolls inspecting the horse's hooves and in general calmly preparing to march but of course they had no inkling of what he'd rushed to tell them lord rang grim he shouted here the paladin was busy saddling quel sandus a task he insisted on performing himself his caution was understandable considering that if the job was done incorrectly he might conceivably lose his seat and plummet hundreds of feet to the ground did you see something asked rangrim to say the least tegan replied as he landed in front of the knight and dragon a band comprised of men worms hobgoblins and what i take to be werewolves are stealing up on us in a few minutes our pickets will spot them but by then it will be too late did you see a dracolich no but that doesn't mean it isn't there with all the trees obstructing my view i couldn't see everything how did they know we were coming we have a traitor tegan thought he didn't know why his instincts instantly suggested that answer but it felt right somehow someone in the expedition had made contact with the cultists during the night rangram waved his hand impatiently dismissing his own question he turned and found his trumpeter who'd obviously overheard the conversation already standing close at hand awaiting orders no jal wrangram said you can't sound the call to arms or the enemy will hear and come running before we're ready we need to get ourselves into a battle formation quickly but quietly help me round up the officers and sergeants once apprised of the danger the war swords prepared to meet the foe with a brisk efficiency that attested to their quality the trees made it difficult for them to arrange themselves in the straight unbroken lines their commanders might have preferred but they managed to mass a goodly portion of their strength in a central position with other warriors and the six bronze dragons stationed in two wings that extended diagonally forward from the ends tagan was no war captain but he understood how the formation was supposed to work rangrim wanted the cultists to advance into what amounted to a box so some of his troops could attack their flanks since he wasn't one of the leaders responsible for readying the men at arms tagan concentrated on preparing himself he cast spells to heighten his strength and agility and to sharpen the point and edges of the sturdy cut and thrust sword he currently carried in preference to his beloved but flimsier rapier his purely defensive enchantments like the one that shrouded him in blur didn't last as long so he'd put off conjuring them until the foe actually came into view or simply trust his martial skills and the brigandine one of the queen's armorers had made to protect him though he didn't bother wearing such things in the city few rakes did either for fear of being thought craven or out of reluctance to cover up any portion of their handsome clothes he was a deft enough blade singer that the light leather armor wouldn't hinder him from making kabbalistic passes when he'd enhanced his natural capabilities as best he could he went to stand beside rangrum and kwelsandis the bronze repeatedly spread his membranous wings casting the avario into shadow then retracted them again lands in hand the lord sat gazing intently into the trees watching for a first glimpse of the foe but eventually he took note of his mount's restlessness are you all right he asked yes yes quel sandus rumbled just eager to strike a blow i expect and here we were worried that the army in the east would have all the fun the huge reptile with his webbed feet gleaming scales and cat-like emerald eyes stood still for a moment then he said we've been through so much together if i asked a favor would you grant it of course then climb down off my back and direct the battle from the rear rangram smiled a perplexed sort of smile and said after all these years you're developing a very odd sense of humor i have a premonition this one time it's better if you're not in the thick of the fray i'm the one with a special bond to the crying god the human chuckled i'll handle the prophetic dreams and intuitions if it's all the same to you seriously your nerves are getting the better of you it happens to all of us on occasion it happens to all of us occasionally just before a battle but there's no need for worry we may have a relatively small company but we have discipline and training no rabble of mad men and hobgoblins can ever hope to match to say nothing of a half a dozen of the queen's bronzes and the favor of the gods of light we're going to be fine i knew you'd say that quel sandus replied but i had to try the exchange unsettled tagan he sensed the bronze had left something unsaid even if rangrim with his trustful and straightforward manner of thinking didn't but before the fencing master could decide what if anything to do about it the first of their foes appeared beneath the trees stalking on two legs in beast man form a werewolf snarled when it saw the war swords drawn up in battle array an instant later an arrow plunged into the lycanthrope's gray furred chest and it fell backward the shaft had to have been silver tipped or enchanted to kill a shapeshifter so expeditiously the archers comrades started to cheer until their sergeant's bark cut through the clammer to upgrade the eager bowman for shooting before he gave the order tall is the tallest human scarcely less hairy than the werewolves and clad for the most part in animal hides died a bloody red a trio of brutish hobgoblins reached for their own arrows then behind them appeared the most terrifying thing tegan had ever seen he shivered uncontrollably at the sight of it like the bronzes it had chosen to stay on the ground for such huge creatures flight through the dense branches in that portion of the wood was problematical once it had evidently been a gigantic living green but the tissue of its wings hung in tatters and bone showed through the rents in its decaying withered flesh it sunk in yellow eyes shown with a spectral radiance somehow perceptible even in the pale gray morning light a man wearing the ornate robes of a wear of purple bestrode the base of the creature's neck a skull tipped ebony rod in his hand no doubt he was a formidable combatant in his own right but compared to the dracolich he seemed utterly insignificant some of the war swords moaned steady rangrim shouted steady don't meet its gaze and you'll be all right his lieutenants called similar words of reassurance somebody yelled impilter impelter and others echoed the battle cry rangrim recited a prayer that made tagan and presumably others feel somewhat less afraid quel sandus took a deep breath then started whispering a spell of his own tagan was about to do likewise when he marked the sound of the bronze's snarling sibilant incantation he couldn't understand the arcane words but even so they filled him with an instinctive revulsion as if they'd been devised to invoke the foulest powers of the nine hells confused he turned to quel sandus who instantly lashed a wing down to swat him like a fly tegan tried to leap out from under it but the scalloped edge of the limb still caught him and dashed him to the ground it knocked the wind out of him and he could only look on helplessly as the first volleys of arrows and blazes of magic from spellcasters on both sides flew and quelcandes finished his conjuration the other members of the queen's bronzes threw back their heads and screamed the screeching startled everyone the arrows stopped arcing back and forth and the human cultists werewolves hobgoblins and even the dracolich faltered in their advance after a few moments the hideous noise subsided the bronzes peered about in seeming confusion as if they didn't remember where they were or what was happening tegan heard a dragon rider on the far side of the war swords formation ask his mount what was the matter the reptile responded by snapping its head toward the ground like a striking serpent and spewing a stroke of dazzling lightning down the line of impilter and men at arms it all happened so quickly the victims couldn't even scream they simply jerked and died the stench of their burning flesh mingling with the smell of stormy skies the other bronzes attacked an instant later two more chose to unleash their lightning another pair shredded impilter in men at arms with fang and claw and a fifth breathed out a plume of sparkling brownish vapor that inflicted no wounds but set a dozen horsemen galloping away in panic with their backs turned they were easy prey as the worm raced in pursuit the dragons carried the paladins on their backs helplessly along the knights shouted at their huge and cherished comrades beat them with the flats of their weapons or chanted prayers trying frantically to bring the reptiles to their senses though most likely they had no idea precisely what had gone so horribly wrong tegan thought he did the rage in all its power had taken possession of the bronzes in an instant because quel sandus's magic had made it so the war swords had stood ready to battle the cultists but when the bronzes the very foundation of their might turned on them it caught them completely by surprise it only took a few heartbeats for their formation to start disintegrating as the humans scrambled desperately to distance themselves from the maddened worms ill made her help us rangrum said he started chanting another invocation no doubt the mightiest magic at his command though tegan doubted even that would be enough to avert the catastrophe threatening his command then it was quel sandus's turn to scream and thrash no the dragon whimpered and it was profoundly strange to hear such dread in so enormous and mighty a creature's voice not me he promised i'd stay sane he howled a second time and when he stopped his green eyes burned with demented fury he sucked in a breath tagan was still dazed but the threat spurred him into motion and he flung himself to the side even so the thunderbolt struck his wing agony burned through his body so intense he couldn't even scream just shudder in its throws when it subsided to his surprise he found himself still alive others in the path of the blast had been less fortunate and lay black and smoking on the ground tegan's pinion continued to hurt fiercely but he was too full of anger and fear for it to balk him he lurched up and threw himself at quel sandus if the gods were exceedingly generous perhaps he could strike the treacherous bronze a mortal blow before the worm's ability to spit death returned he thrust his sword deep into quel sandus's breast the bronze pivoted nearly tearing the hilt from his grasp and raked at him with its talons the attack might well have torn him to pieces if he hadn't leaped backward as it was it only missed him by scant inches when he tried to beat his wings to lengthen his spring the charred one just twitched and gave him a fresh stab of pain until it healed he wouldn't be able to fly quelsandis pounced after him the great jaws shot forward spreading as wide as the gateway into death which swallows countless souls every day the elf wrenched himself to the side and the bronze's enormous fangs clashed shut on empty air spattering their elusive target with saliva the droplets bore a trace of lightning within them and crackled and stung like needles when they hit tegan lunged and cut striking for the throat kwelsandis twitched his head back and the sword merely inflicted a shallow gash on the jagged collar of bony plates behind the jaws and eyes the drake bit the ivarial dodged then had to defend again when quelsandis instantly followed up with his claws the bronze lifted his right forefoot high threatening a vertical slash then lashed out with the left in a horizontal stroke momentarily deceived tegan ducked the genuine blow with not an instant despair he realized he had to make himself harder to hit otherwise kwelsandis was going to rip him to pieces probably with a single attack and most likely within the next few seconds dodging and retreating cutting and thrusting when the worm gave him the chance he started conjuring an enchantment quel sandus was in frenzy quite possibly not fighting with the cunning he would normally display yet he still recognized spell casting when he saw it and it prompted him to return to his initial tactic he hopped backward out of reach of tegan's blade lifted his head and sucked in a breath a whiff of ozone betrayed his intention to blast forth another flare of lightning tagan had little confidence in his ability to avoid the attack but realized he had no alternative but to try he held himself ready while continuing his incantation if he dodged too soon the bronze would simply compensate then quel sandus jerked and with a deafening boom his breath burned harmlessly into the tangled branches overhead shattering some bringing the chunks of wood showering down and setting sections of flame despite the damp tagan was so intent on his foe that he'd nearly forgotten rangrim and to all appearances the rogue bronze had too but the war captain was still in the saddle and had finally abandoned his fruitless efforts to calm his mount by counterspell or exhortation he'd cast away the long spear that was his weapon of choice for fighting from the back of such a gigantic steed seized the warhammer he carried as a backup and his face contorted in mingled anguish and resolve pounded it into the base of the reptile's neck spoiling his aim quel sandus twisted his head around to snap at his rider but the posture was plainly awkward for him and perhaps that was what gave rangrim time to block out the attack with his kite shield when the dragon's teeth slammed against the barrier they scored and dented the steel defacing the painted coat of arms the impact jolted the paladin backward and made the segments of his plate armor clash together but the shield must have carried powerful enchantments for both it and its wielder survived rangrim reposted with a full blow to quel sandus's snout meanwhile tegan finished his spell creating the same defense he'd used the night gorstag died quel sandus would see him in a slightly different position than the one he actually occupied it might help protect him if the drake's keen senses of scent and hearing didn't pinpoint his location even so it was a start anyway he charged quel sandus whose long lashing tail and stamping earth-shaking feet posed a deadly threat even when the worm wasn't actually assaulting him and he cut at the creature's belly simultaneously commencing another charm he gashed the dragon's torso twice before raking claws drove him backward he finished the spell and quel sandus appeared to slow as his own perceptions and reactions quickened he attacked furiously when the bronze oriented on rangrim and fought defensively when the worm returned his attention to him and the paladin adopted the corresponding strategy tagan drove his sword between quel sandus's ribs when he yanked it out again blood spurted and kept rhythmically pumping forth a moment later rangrim bellowed ill-mater and smashed the warhammer down a vertebra audibly cracked and the bronze thrashed in pain it was hard to believe but tegan thought that he and rangrim might actually be on the brink of winning quel sandus started to pivot and the fencing master scrambled to stay on the dragon's flank away from the jaws and four feet the bronze flung himself sideways and down if not for the spell of quickness tagan would surely have been crushed as it was he had just enough time to recognize that his only chance of survival lay in diving toward the dragon inside the ark of the creatures fall he darted under quel sandus and the bronze's vast toppling bulk crashed to earth behind him the avario whirled and saw that rangram had been less fortunate the lord was still in the saddle his feet hooked in the stirrups and quail sandus rolled like a gigantic hound smearing itself with some enticing scent discovered on the ground grinding his longtime human friend beneath him when the bronze heaved himself to his feet rangrum flopped atop him like a rag doll his suit of plate flattened out of shape kwelsandis wheeled toward tagan snarled and pounced perhaps not quite as nimbly as before the elf lunged beneath the dragon's snapping jaws and thrust his sword through the scales armoring the throat the blade drove in deep and he heaved on the hilt tearing the wound wider quelsanda snatched his head away from the pain and that too served to enlarge the hurt before he ripped himself free blood gushed and splashed on the ground kwelsandis poised himself for another attack then faltered his sides heaved rapidly and air whistled in and out of a breach that hadn't existed a moment before tagan recognized the signs of a punctured windpipe the dragon couldn't catch his breath the elf sprang in avoided a relatively clumsy talon strike and rammed his sword into the worm's belly sparks sizzled and popped around quel sandus's wet glistening fangs and the bronze crumpled to the ground tegan rushed around the enormous corpse to reach rangrim up close a look suffice to dispel any lingering doubt that the paladin was dead the avario supposed he'd already known that but he had hoped he was mistaken nor was that the worst of it when he surveyed the battlefield as a whole he saw three other dead bronzes slain in self-defense by their human comrades as he and rangrim had needed to kill quel sandus the other two had evidently run off possibly chasing fleeing prey so that particular threat was over but it had done all the damage necessary to turn the day into a disaster the war swords had sustained heavy casualties and were in general disarray whereas since they'd had the good sense to keep their distance from the frenzied bronzes contending themselves with shooting arrows and casting spells at the queen's men as targets of opportunity presented themselves the cultists and their minions were still fresh and relatively unscathed the dracolich and its rider leaped forward leading a wave of loping werewolves hooting hobgoblins human fanatics and black and green worms their foes no longer had any hope of withstanding some of rangram's warriors simply threw away their shields weapons and any other object whose weight might slow them down turned tail and bolted others tried to retreat in good order a night with a crimson scarf a lady's favor evidently nodded to his helmet bellowed for his retainers to keep together as they galloped into the trees a wizard cast a spell that made a band of archers fade from view through blasts of fire and frost to hold back the advancing foe then blinked from sight himself an instant before a skull dragon's acidic spew splashed over the patch of ground where he'd been standing but it was hard to believe that the cool-headed bravery of such folk actually mattered the expedition was still routing in a few minutes the survivors assuming there were any would be scattered far and wide a javelin plunged into the earth beside tagan's foot reminding him that he needed to route just as much as the next fellow his wounded useless wing throbbing he ran the charm of haste wouldn't last much longer but for the moment it enabled him to stay ahead of the charging foes well most of them coarse gray black fur bristling slover foaming from its jaws a female werewolf leaped in on his flank and clawed at him he pivoted blocked the stroke with a cut that half severed the beast woman's misshapen hand finished her with the thrust to the heart and dashed on dorne and his companions had rode most of the way toward the war galley that was their destination before the yellow flame flowered back on shore the blaze constituted a fairly desperate diversion the folk of elmwood sacrificing one of their own houses to draw the gents attention but at least it was a decrepit ramshackle structure unoccupied toyana said since the spinster who dwelled there died of old age and influenza two months before assuming the fire didn't spread the loss would be relatively insignificant those gents who were still awake gathered in the bow of their vessel to gawk at the flickering light in the darkness they didn't seem particularly alarmed and that was as dorn had expected a fire on land didn't look like an attack against a ship floating at anchor in the harbor still with several of the invaders peering out across the black rippling surface of the inlet dorne had to resist an impulse to duck down even though they weren't actually looking in his direction and probably couldn't make him out in the murk even if they did just as importantly even he could hear his sweeps creaking in the orlox or swishing through the water pavel's magic muffled any noise that might otherwise have sounded from the rowboat in theory the launch should be virtually indetectable but the zhentarim had spell casters too and it was impossible to be sure he and his companions guided their craft into proximity with the galley's elevated stern while the hulls bumped together will took a sturdy hemp line tied to a fisherman's heavy lead sinker and tossed the weight upward it was a deft throw the sinker looped the rope up over the rail and dropped back down into the halfling's outstretched hand will climbed the rope as agiley as a spider ascending a strand of webbing peeked over the gun whale then scrambled onto the galley stern out of his comrade's view after a moment he peered back down at the row boat and beckoned for the others to ascend dorne hauled himself up next as he clambered aboard the warship he exited the bubble of silence pavel had created around the launch he could hear the faint groan of stressed timber that attended any large floating vessel even when it rest the snorting of the gents still wrapped in their blankets on deck and the conversation of the men at the far end of the craft one of them expressed the hope that the entire village and all its inhabitants would burn then the black network could bring in its own folk and build the kind of outpost it truly needed from the ground up dorne glanced over the side alamorane appeared to be having trouble scaling the rope so he pulled it in hand over hand and dragged her up he hoped the moon priestess fought better than she climbed he was by no means certain of it not every cleric possessed pavel's courage and combat skills but she like the other village elders had insisted on taking part in the raid ezreal and toyana had accompanied pavel and raron to the next galley over once he helped alimorane over the rail the two of them hunkered down in their dark cloaks they hoped to go unnoticed in the gloom or failing that be mistaken for black-clad gents bundled up against the chill night air muffled in his own inky garments dagger in hand but hidden inside his cape will crept forward through the shadows to peer closely at the sleepers the gents were all human with narya halfling among them if any of them so much as caught a glimpse of will he'd surely cry out a warning to his fellows but the former guild thief maintained no one would spot him and dorne shared his confidence his partner had a talent for stealth that bordered on the uncanny will was looking for mages and bainite priests all three war galleys likely carried spellcasters and such folk posed the greatest threat to the success of the raid accordingly the hunters hoped to neutralize them before the gents even realized anything was amiss they might have managed it too except that they ran out of time with their small force divided into three contingents none able to communicate with the other it was impossible to coordinate their actions precisely and from dorne's perspective anyway cara attacked too soon he couldn't yet see her she'd presumably flown in from the north while the gents looked at the burning house to the south as per the plan but her song throbbed through the night to cast a spell a crashing clattering noise drummed from the war galley at the far end of the line as conjured chunks of ice pounded the vessel and the folk thereon men cried out a moment later a plume of kara's bright crackling lightning-laden breath swept across the deck if she'd caught the crew by surprise she'd quite possibly wiped them out already but the gents aboard the other ships realized they were in danger such being the case their archers or crossbowmen might be lucky enough to shoot the dragon down but considering that they'd be losing their shafts at a target possessed of natural armor hurtling through the dark it seemed unlikely left to their own devices however wizards and priests were likely to fare much better accordingly as one of the reavers cried for everyone to wake up and slumbering men threw off their covers and reared up from the deck dorne squinted against the gloom looking for some sign to tell him which of his enemies was a spellcaster after a moment he spotted a long-legged man bearing a morning star the gent had been wearing a steel gauntlet too even as he slept he was almost certainly a cleric of the black hand unfortunately he was most of the way forward maybe will was maneuvering close to the priest working his way into position to strike him down but if so dorne couldn't tell it he'd lost sight of his small comrade when everyone started jumping up and scurrying about doran thought he had to try for the bainite himself keeping his head down and his cloak wrapped around the iron half of his body he shoved his way toward the bow the confusion aided him the gents were too intent on arming themselves and peering at the war galley already under attack to pay much attention to one more dark figure pushing his way through the press then however one of the reavers stooped to retrieve his conical helmet from the deck chance to glance up and evidently discerned dorne's metal half mask despite the obscurement provided by his hood the gent cried out in surprise dorne sprang and smashed the fella's head in with a sweep of his iron fist at least he'd made it almost within reach of the priest before being spotted he took another stride and a warrior rushed at him swinging an axe at his head dorne caught the blow on his artificial arm reposted with a punch that drove his knuckle spikes into his foe's chest and charged on two more gents came at him with broadswords he shifted so they couldn't both cut him at once parried a slash from the one that still could hitched forward caught hold of the reaver's extended arm jerked it out its socket and flung him aside the other swordsman lifted his blade then froze thanks to his years with pavel dorne recognized the effect of that particular sort of clerical magic when he saw it evidently alamorane was useful in a fight for wherever she was at the moment she'd paralyzed the gent hoping she was taking care to protect herself as well dorne smashed the warrior out of his way before his mobility could return that brought the half golem face to face with the bainite unfortunately the soldiers had delayed him long enough for the priest a thin man with a sly foxy face to use his magic he swept a talisman shaped like a clenched fist through a mystic pass and dorne's guts twisted in pain and nausea even as his muscles cramped at once the bainite lashed out with his morning star which had blue white sparks jumping and crackling along the chain and massive spiked bulb of a head dorne tried to block it but his sudden illness hampered him the morning star slammed into the ribs on the human side of his body his brigandine cushioned the blow but it could do little to stop the essence of lightning contained in the weapon from burning into his body he jerked with the pain of it and the priest whirled the morning star back for another swing dorne made a desperate grab and despite the sickness and dizziness caught hold of the chain before the end of the morning star could strike him unfortunately that contact alone suffice to send more lightning blazing down his metal arm and into the vulnerable flesh beyond still much as he needed to he didn't let go lest the cleric continue bashing him instead forcing his twitching spasming muscles to obey him he jerked the bainite close and drove his knife into his heart only then did doran drop the morning star that ended the shocks jolting along his nerves but not the weakness and queasiness with which the bainite had cursed him that would simply have to run its course and he'd just have to go on fighting in spite of it to his relief he didn't have another foe poised to attack him that very instant in the darkness and chaos some of the gents probably had yet to realize foes had boarded their vessel and thus he had a second to brace himself for the next fight as well as glance about and try to assess how the raid as a whole was going back toward the stern will faked a step to the right then darted left rolled and somersaulted to his feet the maneuver carried him safely past the fangs and fiery breath of a huge hound-like thing with glowing red eyes and into striking distance of the plump bearded man who had evidently conjured it will drove his short sword into the wizard's groin and the gent went down that didn't end the threat of the hellhound which still following its summoner's orders lunged after the halfling but before it could quite close the distance alimorane called out to selune the mace she brandished in the air its head studded with four crescent-shaped flanges blazed with silvery radiance pinpointing her location the demonic canine simply faded away dismissed evidently back to the layer of the abyss from which the magician had called it across the harbor cara her outstretched wings a slash of deeper black against the night sky dived at the galley in the center position no flares of magic rose to meet her evidently raron powell and the others had succeeded in eliminating the spell casters on board she scoured the deck with a burst of her dazzling breath when she finished killing the gents on that ship she'd move on to the last one dorne and his companions had to hold out until she did will and alamorane had the advantage of being in proximity to one another they could protect each other's flanks it was dorne's bad luck that he'd wound up too far away to make it practical for him to rejoin them sick or not he would have to fight alone he put his back to the water so the gents couldn't come at him from behind and his iron half forward to weather their blows judging he had ample room to swing it he drew his bastard sword he just had time to it into a proper guard before more reavers assaulted him he clawed one gent's face to shreds and hacked another's leg out from under him by sheer luck his iron arm deflected a sword thrust from an opponent he hadn't even noticed slinking up on his side he caught the blade in his metal fingers squeezed twisted and broke it the gents screamed dorne didn't have to look up to know what had terrified them cara was swooping at the galley and her approach was as much a threat to her allies as the enemy because the kind of attack she was using blasted an area and everybody caught inside it it was the only way to slaughter the gents as fast as the raiders needed to kill them dorne and his companions were supposed to protect themselves by diving for cover a glance around his immediate vicinity convinced the half gollum that for him the best option was to swing himself over the side he dropped his sword and did precisely that digging his talons into the gun whale to anchor himself but the wood was rotten and crumbled he plummeted he couldn't swim the weight of his iron limbs would drag him to the bottom when he splashed down in the cold water he raked frantically at the side of the galley his claws snagged in the hull and gasping he heaved his head above the surface over the deck the air flickered yellow and an explosion roared gents shrieked and their bodies burning tumbled overboard then some force or weight shoved the galley downward dunking dorn's head in the process for a second he was terrified that the vessel would continue to float that low and that he wouldn't be able to clamber back into the air before he drowned but then it bobbed upward once more as he coughed and spat a great sheet of something flopped down over the side to hang beside him at first with his eyes full of water he mistook it for a fallen sail then realized what it really was he hesitated briefly then making sure his talons didn't cut caught hold of one of the bony veins running through the leathery membrane cara pulled up her wing and heaved him out of the water from the looks of the deck the gents were all unconscious crippled or dead will and alamorane however were alive the latter had nasty gashes on her forearm and calf but presumably her prayers or failing that pavels would staunch the bleeding prevent infection and accelerate the healing process that was all dorne had time to observe before cara flipped her wing in some cunning way that broke his grip and sent him rolling and bouncing down the inclined surface to fetch up on her back hang on she cried and dorne barely had time to obey before she leaped off the deck and took flight once more her wings slashed up and down as she rapidly gained altitude her voice soared too in another fierce yet lovely song of battle dorne felt stupid with surprise it hadn't specifically been part of the plan that he'd help with this particular part of the raid and the gods knew he'd never in his life wanted to ride a foul cursed dragon yet once he collected himself he had to admit however grudgingly that it wasn't entirely unpleasant maybe it was even exhilarating to streak along high above the water his wet garments flapping in the wind or maybe it was kara's singing that lifted his spirits bardic music could do that he knew tamper with a man's emotions and make him feel things foreign to his nature when she reached the end of a stanza he shouted raring powell and the others everyone's all right she replied look we found a patrol boat it was true the vessel floated below them witnessing the fate of the war galleys the crew of the relatively small single-masted sailboat had decided to make a run for it but to no avail they couldn't out distance a dragon on the wing nor could the knight hide them from cara's senses they were watching for her and when she swooped out of the southern sky some coward blubbering or sprang overboard but others prepared to fight if they possessed any genuinely powerful spell casters they might have a chance but dorne was gambling they didn't he based his strategy on the notion that all such folk would be based aboard the larger more formidable and imposing galleys arrows streaked upward from the boat and so did a couple of shafts of crimson light cara jerked and dorne was sure that the sorceress missiles at least had struck her still it had been a relatively weak spell effect potent enough to kill many a human being but not enough to bulk her she proved it by blasting a sizzling flare of breath across the deck slaughtering the crew and setting sails lines and even timber ablaze cara climbed and rushed onward leaving the fiery hulk in her wake if we want a serviceable craft she cried we have to take the last one without burning it or smashing it to pieces i understand dorne answered it only took another couple of minutes to find the second boat singing cara plummeted through a hail of arrows a dart pierced her dorsal surface just in front of the place where dorne was riding then instantly liquefied becoming a steaming bubbling acid that ate away flesh around the initial puncture the pain must have been intense and dorne felt a pang of pity for her as well as the angry desire to make her attacker pay for the moment sympathy was all he could give he was no healer or priest and thus had no means of neutralizing the corrosive agent fortunately like the bolts of magical force the acid wasn't strong enough to stop cara nearly on top of the boat she spread and hammered her wings to slow her precipitous descent just a little she still slammed down on the bow so hard it nearly shoved the whole front of the boat underwater the slanted deck would make for treacherous footing but dorne figured he'd just have to cope lacking his bow or even his long hand and a half sword lost when he'd lowered himself over the side of the galley he had no way of reaching the enemy if he stayed perched on cara's back he scrambled down and aft gents advanced to meet him he parried a spear thrust with his iron arm then snapped his opponent's neck with a backhand blow to the jaw by that time a second soldier was cutting at his kidney he pivoted blocked that stroke shifted in close and drove his knife between the gents ribs the warrior collapsed and dorne stooped and appropriated his broadsword at which point the deck jerked nearly tossing the half golem off his feet the boat had leveled off he didn't have to glance around to guess why cara had returned to human form probably because she feared that otherwise her immensity would damage or even sink the craft she could still fight with her sorcery assuming she had any spells left yet even so she was far more vulnerable and it gave new hope to those gents who hadn't perished or jumped into the sea and dread howling battle cries they charged the bow and dorn scurried into their path he beheaded one with a rake of his talons and spitted another on the point of his sword cara's vibrant song became a melody that reminded him somehow of a lullaby and two more gents fell unconscious then dorne found himself face to face with a shaven-headed man in voluminous sigil bedizened robes who was surely the magician who'd conjured the arrow of acid he'd cast at least one more enchantment to prepare for fighting at close quarters a yard long length of crimson fire wavered from each of his hands though he'd never encountered that particular magic before dorne was certain the flames would do at least as much damage as ordinary blades should they strike their target he advanced as usual leading with his metal side the wizard took a retreat then instantly sprang forward again with a suddenness that would have done any warrior credit perhaps he'd used magic to heighten his agility the fire sword in his left hand slashed at dorne's eyes the hunter jerked up his iron arm just in time to block fortunately the solid metal stopped the seemingly insubstantial flare even though he didn't feel the usual shock of impact he reposted with a sword thrust at the gents guts it should have been a mortal blow but dorne's point glanced aside as if it had struck plate armor some protective spell one that didn't generate any telltale glimmer of light or swirl of shadow was evidently to blame the wizard hacked with the fireblade in his left hand payne seared dorne's ribs and he leaped backward his own speed together with the protection of his brigandine were all that kept the flame from burning into his vitals he let his guard drop trying to look as if the wound had crippled him and the gent took the bait he rushed in and the half golem pounced to meet him he knocked both fire swords aside with a sweep of his iron arm then struck hard with the broadsword dorne penetrated the magician's invisible armor the blade bit deep into the gent's neck and he dropped the half golem pivoted in time to see kara kill another reaver with her own azure darts of light that appeared to be the last of the gents are you all right the song dragon panted dorne was relieved to see that she showed no signs of frenzy teeth gritted against the smoldering pain of his burn he said near enough you the same she bore the ugly mark of the acid at the juncture of her neck and shoulder and tiny cuts dotted the rest of her body a number of arrows and quarrels littered the deck around her dainty feet he realized they must be shafts that had struck in her while she was in dragon shape fortunately they hadn't driven all the way through her scaly hide and had fallen out when she'd shifted to human form some of the gents aren't dead she continued a couple aren't even hurt just sleeping they can't go free to tell what happened i know it's just i'm used to slaying creatures that pose a threat to men i realize what the gents are what atrocities they commit but she shrugged i've had to kill a lot of people in my time some when they are already helpless said dorne seeing no point in mentioning that he didn't particularly relish it either i'll do it and we'll get the boat turned around he started chucking bodies overboard one of the sleepers woke in his grip and he had to stick his claws into the wretch's heart chapter 19 13 tarsack the year of rogue dragons the black sky blazed white and thunder boomed loud enough to rattle tegan's teeth in his jaw or so it seemed the rain hammered down it had been storming since early afternoon and he couldn't decide if that was bad or good the downpour blinded and generally hindered him but presumably it was doing the same thing to the creatures who were hunting him and the other survivors of rangrim's company trying to make certain that no one would escape to confirm that yes the cult of the dragon had indeed established an enclave in the heart of the grey forest perhaps the rain didn't matter one way or the other any more than tegan's efforts to remain alert stay low and keep moving except for the hot pulsing pain in his charred wing his entire body was numb with cold and fatigue he'd long since expended all his spells he was hungry alone and unable to see the moon or stars behind their veil of clouds blundering in circles as like as not it was virtually impossible to doubt that the enemy was going to catch him and he wondered why he didn't just sit down and wait for the inevitable at least it would be less work damn you gorstag he thought did you know quell sandus had turned traitor why didn't you warn me why didn't you do a better job of saving me if i hadn't bled out i could have told you all kinds of things tagan knew he was only imagining his students retort but it was as if he was actually hearing it which meant that in his exhaustion and perhaps fever-induced delirium he was hallucinating it was another bad sign another indication that his inglorious end was close at hand he hated the thought of dying like that stalked and slain by brutes in the wilderness it was a demise fit for the primitive elf he'd once been not the cultured quasi-human he'd worked so diligently to become a wolf or something akin to one howled on his right it sounded close but though he turned and peered he failed to spot it elsewhere in the wood the creature's packmates answered its call so did hobgoblins yelling or bladding away on bugles tegan couldn't even tell which way to run it sounded as if his foes were all around him he picked a direction at random took a stride then glimpsed motion from the corner of his eye he pivoted and raised his sword just as the beast sprang his stop thrust took the attacker in the center of its furry chest whereupon it fell to the ground dragging the deeply embedded blade down with it in the dark in the rain its looks were indistinguishable from those of a natural wolf but when it scrambled backward dragging itself off the sword tagan realized it must be a lycanthrope going on four legs no ordinary lupine could sustain such a hurt and continue fighting he wondered if he had any hope whatsoever of killing it before it ripped him apart in its slabbering jaws the enchantment had long since faded from his sword and for the present he had no way of casting another the weapon was just a piece of steel and at best of limited utility against phantoms shapeshifters and their ilk but it was all he had tegan yanked the weapon all the way free and cut at the werewolf's head before it could recover its balance the blade split skin and grated on bone but that didn't stop his foe the creature snarled and lunged at him the fencing master jumped backward and extended if the werewolf kept rushing in it would impale itself once more so it stopped short tegan fainted a thrust at its eyes then slashed at a four leg he had to believe he was hurting the werewolf at least a little the gory wounds taken inflicted remained after he pulled back his sword the creature's paw was half severed yet it was still game holding its maimed foot off the ground but scarcely less quick than before it started to circle right and he turned to keep it in front of him instantly it spun back to the left and pounced in on his flank he slashed but only gave it a shallow gash he knew wouldn't stop it the werewolf grabbed hagan's leg in its teeth the pressure was agonizing but the avario couldn't tell if the fangs had penetrated the sturdy leather of his boot to pierce his flesh the beast thing wrenched the limb out from under the winged elf and he fell hard on his back the werewolf scuttled forward over the top of him intent perhaps on biting out his throat tegan thrust his sword into the lycanthrope's chest gripped the hilt with both hands and shoved with all his rapidly dwindling strength the action served not merely to arrest the werewolf's advance but to lift its jaws out of striking range tegan's arms trembled with the strain of holding the creature aloft the werewolf thrashed furiously trying to shake itself loose and scrabbled at him with its nails it started to melt into its beast man shape evidently it realized clawed hands would be useful in its current situation most likely they'd enable it to slaughter tagan in short order but it never completed its transformation tegan's point slid out of the creatures back its gradual passage entirely through the torso must have done so much damage that even a lycanthrope couldn't endure it because the werewolf shuttered coughed blood and went limp gasping tegan dumped the corpse to the side relieving himself of its weight then he sat up to check his leg the werewolf's fangs had shredded his boot and the layers of cloth inside but hadn't broken his skin which meant he wouldn't become a shape-changer himself for a moment tegan felt relieved then grinned bitterly as he realized what a ridiculous concern that really was even if the werewolf had infected him it would take time for the disease to develop and time was one thing he most assuredly lacked his foe had called to his comrades before trying for the kill and he could hear them approaching despite the ceaseless sizzling sound of the rain they were drawing in all around him and in his current condition he had no hope of fighting so many at once he clambered to his feet and dragged his sword out of the werewolf it was conceivable that he might slay one or two more adversaries before the rest overwhelmed him it was worth a try off to his left lights appeared among the trees tegan assumed they were lanterns since the rain would quickly douse an open flame a hop goblin saw them too and shouted to its fellows whereupon the points of light rapidly receded behind hagen human voices jabbered then likewise drew away on his right several soaked bedraggled knights walked their destreers into view then evidently realizing they blundered into another encounter with the foes who'd routed them that morning wheeled the war horses around they shouted and dug in their spurs demanding speed of the exhausted mounts for a perilous gallop in the dark through low hanging branches and over uneven ground no doubt anticipating an easy chase werewolves bade and raced after them in the aftermath tegan stood alone beneath rattling storm-tossed branches and flaring thunderbolts as the seconds crawled by and no enemies slunk or charged into view he gradually realized they weren't going to they'd all dashed off in pursuit of more conspicuous prey he then waited for his benefactor to appear he was certain he had one it hadn't been mere coincidence that three separate diversions had occurred simultaneously just when he needed them most timora didn't send anyone that much luck yet even so the creature startled him for it popped into view immediately in front of him as if it had been invisible until that instant his nerves were so frazzled that he nearly stabbed at it before he caught himself it was a dragon or something resembling one no longer than his arm from its toothy lear to the tip of its serpentine tail he couldn't make out its color in the gloom but its scales had a sparkle to them that reminded him of kara's iridescent sheen as it hovered before him its wings were a glimmering blur as best he could determine they were shaped more like a butterflies than a bats all hail jivex the diminutive dragon piped king of the forest all right not really but i did save you so you should at least thank me i do thank you're an elf aren't you who are you what are you doing here i was born in a barrio and my name is tegan nightwind i came here with queen sambro's troops to destroy the hostile creatures in the wood jivex grinned even wider and said it doesn't seem like it's going very well why'd you bother humans and elves don't live in the gray forest anymore though it seemed entirely good-natured a product of simple curiosity the relentless interrogation made tagan feel even edgier if that was possible the dastards are plotting harm to the entire kingdom he said now shouldn't we move away from here before the goblins and wolves return jivex blinked and replied if they did come back i'd just fool them with more illusions that's how fairy dragons stay safe but pitiful as you look maybe i should take you someplace come on he flitted a few feet forward what kind of dastardly plot is it jumping from topic to topic as unpredictably as jivex darted about through the air the questions kept flying as the small worm led his new companion through the trees speaking softly lest some foe over here tegan gradually unfolded the tale of gorstag's murder and the subsequent struggle against the cult much as he'd related it to sambral and the paladins albeit in a more disjointed fashion once he'd seemingly absorbed the substance of it jivex made an angry spitting sound i don't want to rage tegan shifted his burned wing in a futile attempt to ease the pain and asked does the frenzy affect your kind as well we're dragons aren't we and i've had my own grumpiness and bad dreams spent feverish and half delirious as he was tegan had to stifle a hysterical laugh at the thought of fairy dragons trying to rampage like their gigantic kindred but really it wasn't funny no matter how tricky they were the small creatures would surely die by the score by the hundred should they seek to wage war on humanity if gibbex was any indication they were a harmless and even benevolent race undeserving of such a fate well said the ivarial some wise folk are trying to figure out how to avert the rage without going into specifics about sam esther's folio it was as much comfort as he had to offer meanwhile we who serve her majesty must find a way to keep the cultists hereabouts from birthing one dracolich after another until the land is overrun with them i doubt your phantasms would keep you safe from them you might be surprised jivek said he lit on a tree trunk clawed the bark pulled something from the gouge with his teeth gulped it down and flew on but it doesn't matter it doesn't some folk might say that since the hobgoblins and werewolves came the gray forest is already tainted but such creatures are a part of nature we fairy dragons don't mind sharing the woodlands with them unless they make themselves particularly obnoxious but the undead are unnatural just by existing they poison the earth and air corrupt a being as powerful and magical as a worm with undeath and it will become an especially nasty blight tegan thought of pavel and brimstone and said i have a friend who agrees with you and an acquaintance who wouldn't give x continued with his own chain of thought so it's a good thing you're an elf how so since the battle this morning i've watched a lot of human warriors fleeing for their lives but i didn't help them my folk are leery of men some are all right but some try to kill or cage us whereas the old stories say the elves were our friends until they went west which is why you decided to save me right and because i did perhaps we still have a chance to stop these cultists and wicked worms and such if i can make my way to lyrabar wouldn't it take a lot of time for you to reach there and fetch another army back assuming your queen and lords will even consent to it might the cult be even stronger by then maybe we can still quash it now if the other elves will help us tagan shook his head perhaps his weariness sickness and the clattering downpour were interfering with his hearing i thought you said the elves had departed the avario said he'd certainly never heard of any settlement in the gray forest they did and they didn't give x replied you'll see i just hope they'll talk to one of their own usually they ignore me it was such an opaque pronouncement that tegan wondered if the fairy dragon was not merely eccentric but genuinely mad but perhaps it didn't matter demented or not give x had rescued him and he had no better plan than to follow the reptile at least it seemed that their path had taken them far away from any pursuers though that would be scanned consolation if he dropped dead of exhaustion givex kept him trudging until the storm finally stopped and the first pale light of dawn filtered down through the canopy revealing that the fairy dragon's wings were a silvery color while his scales rippled with all the colors of the rainbow shortly thereafter the two companions reached a circle of towering deciduous trees with gray bark and a grayish cast to their foliage tegan wondered if they were the plants that had given the forest its name one thing was certain despite a youth spent in the heart of the earth wood he'd never seen their like elves jivex cried look here's one of your relatives tegan peered about perplexed whom are you addressing he asked we're the only ones here no they're all around us hiding invisible hovering his butterfly wings a smear of gleaming whitish blur the fairy dragon shook his head and replied they're the trees the fencing master sighed that settled it jivex was crazy and hagan himself should have known better than to believe he had any chance of receiving aid from his banished and inconsequential race evidently affronted by his skepticism jivek said they are when it was time to leave some couldn't bear to go they turned themselves into the gray trees instead how ingenious it just takes them a while to wake or notice visitors or stop thinking big slow tree thoughts and remember how to talk to quick little creatures like us if you say so tegan said while they collect themselves i'd very much like to rest are we relatively safe here yes no wicked creature can find these glades i am a wicked creature just ask lord orisius jivex cocked his head and asked what are you saying ah i'm too weary to know myself please if you're able stand the first watch tagan unbuckled his sword belt then lay down on the wet ground with the weapon ready to hand jivek spotted an insect in flight and flitted off in pursuit at first tegan's wing throbbed so badly that exhausted as he was he couldn't fall asleep a circumstance that nearly made him cry eventually though when he'd all but abandoned hope of it ever happening he slipped into slumber at first his dreams were a jumbled recapitulation of the ordeals and calamities of the previous day then he found himself standing in the center of the ring of gray trees once more his thoughts were more lucid clear enough to recognize he was dreaming jivex flew up perched on a low hanging branch and grinned i told you said the dragon told me what precisely this makes it easier for the old elves to talk to you i'm glad they pulled me in too i'm sorry my gallant friend tegan said but none of this is actually happening even you are a figment the real jivex is off chasing bugs for his breakfast hell of ariel someone said the voice seemed slow soft and deep even though tegan perceived that it wasn't sound so much as pure thought somehow resonating from one mind to another once we were moon elves and thus we claim you as our kin jivex we greet you as well much as you've often wearied us with your chatter and inexhaustible store of questions tegan belatedly realized that it was all indeed more than a simple dream though whether the grey trees were able and willing to help him remain to be seen he gave them an elegant bow though doing so hurt his wing considerably i'm pleased to meet you he said my name is tegan nightwind we rarely use our names for a moment a pale face wavered inside one of the tree trunks like a flame shining through thick pebbled glass it no longer seems necessary our essences have blended over the centuries even as our spreading roots and limbs have tangled i see he didn't really but didn't think it would do any harm to pretend otherwise it gives us joy to behold a winged elf we feared the artel quesor extinct another voice sounded and another visage female gleamed briefly behind a translucent shell of bark not quite tegan said a handful still survive by hiding from the rest of the world though contemptible as that existence was he supposed it had proved more successful than the way of the moon elves except for magical trees the latter really were gone from this part of faerun anyway for a time the ghosts if that was the right term for them just peered at him tegan could feel the pressure of their scrutiny then they said you speak of your people without pride if that gives offense you have my abject apologies i certainly didn't mean to imply disrespect for you or anyone with whom you share a bond of blood but truly we have more important matters to discuss than my manners are you aware of what's happening in the forest to some degree sometimes it takes us time to perceive we live at a different pace than you yet we're vigilant after our fashion that's why we remained behind to protect the wood even in the dream tagan was tired and miserable with pain and perhaps that was what made it difficult to curb his tongue well so far you're doing a splendid job of it the hobgoblins were a scourge to moon elves but neither they nor werewolves nor black and green drakes pose a threat to the forest itself more white faces glimmered inside the tree trunks we stayed here to shepherd our homeland through times of fire blight and drought to balance forces you cannot comprehend well jivek said these cult of the dragon humans are making undeath in the forest they've already killed one green worm then filled it with shadow to walk and fly again you care about that i hope once again the trees remained mute for a time perhaps conferring with one another finally they said tell us more tagan managed to relate his experiences despite frequent interruptions from jivex who evidently regarded himself as the central figure in the tale at the end the maestro said i still intend to oppose the cult if i can but i'm in urgent need of assistance if i don't receive it i don't know that i'll even survive this wound in my wing we have power said the trees but since our transformation we've never tried to direct it to heal a single small creature of flesh and bone it isn't well suited to that not anymore it could do harm instead but we're willing to try then please do tegan said faces glowed from the bowls of the trees the early morning sunlight brightened until he had to squint and jivex's scales fairly blazed with a hundred vivid colors abruptly agony stabbed through the avario's pinion he clenched his jaw to keep from crying out and all his discomforts disappeared so did give x and the circle of gray trees tegan found himself standing in the center of a habitation the like of which he'd never seen that was because it was a city and a forest at the same time instead of clearing the enormous trees to erect houses in their place the builders of the enclave had by power of enchantment coaxed them to grow into forms suitable for their needs with hollows in the heartwood for rooms apertures for doors and windows sculpted ridges for staircases and balconies and broad flat fused limbs to provide walkways from one spire to the next perhaps the city planners had even persuaded certain trees to pull up their roots and shift themselves a little for broad avenues ran between them to facilitate traffic at ground level welcome said a pleasant soprano voice startled taken pivoted beside him stood a female moon elf or the semblance of one a head shorter than himself with impish features that contrasted oddly with a palpable air of dignity she had azure tresses and slanted turquoise eyes flecked with gold her garments were predominantly blue as well this is our home as we remember it here i'm still omra discreet in some measure from the others tegan bowed and said it's a delight to make your acquaintance lady but i fear i don't understand the point of this we said we'd try to heal you amer replied you carry a wound of the spirit too a scar of ignorance and shame are you certain i'm told that if anything i'm prone to conceit yet you regret your blood and that diminishes you we'll try to relieve you of the burden that's kind but i assure you unnecessary i'm quite content with the person i am or i will be if you simply mend my wing we're trying meanwhile walk with me come see what your kin once accomplished it's our gift to you he supposed he might as well humor her particularly since he'd begged her and the other trees for sucker very well then lady he said as he offered her his arm i'm at your service it soon became clear they weren't really strolling or anyway not merely sauntering from place to place rather the magic engendering the dream within a dream whisked them from one vista to the next compressing space and time to impart a sense of the life of the city as rapidly as possible laughing children played tag around a gigantic oak a craftsman crooned charms and an emerald grew and branched on the table before him forming itself into an exquisite tiara ladies and gentlemen danced in a high-ceilinged hall lit by floating spheres of soft white light farmers hiked through the forest to gather a harvest as bountiful as any yielded by human fields provided one knew where to look a priest recited an invocation and a lamasu a divine emissary with the body of a winged lion and the face of a bearded saint swooped down from the sky to counsel him a chorus sang a lament so beautiful and poignantly sad that every listener wept lancers in silvery mail paraded on steeds slimmer and more delicate looking than any horses bred by men while warrior maidens cantered on unicorns it all really was rather marvelous tagan had never dreamed elves could create such grandeur if your people possessed all this he asked why would they abandon it the hobgoblins came amra replied for more than a hundred years we repelled them slaughtering horde after horde but over time they wore us down until we were too few to resist the survivors had to forsake their homeland or perish it's a great pity tagan said and he meant it yet it also occurred to him that it was additional proof that elves even ones as blessed with learning and grace as the folk of the gray forest had evidently been lacked some fundamental resiliency or essential worthiness the human race possessed perhaps omra sensed the tenor of his thoughts for she said everything has its season taken and every season passes one day this impilter you so admire will fade and die as well you may be right but it won't be anytime soon if i can help it that's why i'm fighting well he thought that and plunder and a second helping of revenge are you and your fellows healing my wing or are you crippling it permanently tegan asked himself or killing me outright she cocked her head and stood silently for a moment evidently communing with the other trees we've done what we can she said finally you can judge the results for yourself when we leave the realm of memory i implore you don't keep me in suspense return me now as you wish a moment later he was lying on the ground somehow he could tell that the trees had whisked him back to wakefulness and not just another level of dream jivex crouched on top of him peering at his face obviously the spirits had roused him as well avarials are big babies the fairy dragon sneered you were screaming and thrashing around all the time they worked on you since my mind was elsewhere i can honestly disclaim any responsibility for my deportment get off me please jivax sprang into the air pagan clambered to his feet and took stock of himself angling his wing forward to inspect the burn he was still tired hungry stiff and sore but the excruciating pain that had flared every time he shifted the pinion was gone the wound looked as if it had been healing for ten days and doing so cleanly he spread both wings beat them experimentally and found them strong enough to carry him aloft probably he couldn't yet fly as fast far or nimbly as before but at least he was no longer earthbound grinning jivex spiraled around him i told you they'd help the reptile said indeed you did and i thank all of you you're welcome said the trees even awake tegan could still hear them though their silent communal voice seemed much fainter like a mild breeze sighing through leaves did you likewise profit from your tour of our city landing tegan said it was very interesting the spirits contemplated him for a time then replied so be it everyone must decide for himself what to prize and what to cast away we merely hoped to plant a seed when i have the leisure i'll certainly reflect on what fair amra showed me meanwhile i have a military disaster to reverse you and jivex have already saved my life it's presumptuous of me to expect any further aid yet if you won't tender it the necromancers will continue polluting your forest what do you want us to do jivex asked the trees it was a good question one that brought home to tegan the difference between a teacher of individual combat and a war captain he struggled to assess the current dismal situation as rangrim would have as i can't do anything alone he said i have to assume a reasonable number of the war swords yet survive if i could reassemble them into an army perhaps we could still strike a telling blow the problem being that they're scattered through miles of woodland hiding from pursuit and no doubt intent on fleeing east as expeditiously as possible the other fairy dragons and i could try to find them jivek said grinning and shield them with our illusions as we heard them together how many of you are there tegan asked the small reptile hesitated before saying some the avario arched an eyebrow and asked could you be more specific no the little dragon replied i can't count that high i'm just as smart as you but my mind works differently i understand if you're so great let's see you make some illusions i said i understand and i assure you i regard you as an altogether sagacious and wondrous creature tagan turned to one of the grey trees selecting it at random it was difficult to know where to look when the former elves were all around him can you offer further help as well a little the spirits replied several circles of elven trees stand in the wood each can shelter some of your comrades until you're ready to march against the foe perhaps we can even call to them to lead them to safety if they'll heed our whispers that could be a problem tegan said getting them to trust you or the fairy dragons for that matter but we'll simply have to do our best perhaps if you invoke my name it will allay their misgivings or said give x leering we'll just trick them into heading where we want them to go he exuberantly flew through a vertical loop as if he thought the desperate venture they contemplated would prove a merry lark is that the plan then evidently tegan replied and the absurdity of the statement hit home what am i saying that can't be all because otherwise even if we succeed in reassembling the expedition with the casualties we endured and the bronzes slain or lost to frenzy we don't have a prayer of defeating the cult perhaps said the spirits we can help a bit more long before any of us was even born another chose to remain in the forest when by rights she should have departed to protect the total kessier who were her friends alas as the centuries passed her slumber deepened and it became increasingly difficult to rouse her in the end when the city fell she didn't hear our pleas but she's enjoyed a long rest since and maybe if another elf calls her she'll wake one final time [Music] chapter 20 15 tarsack the year of rogue dragons jivex and another of his kind it had turned out the gray forest was home to six fairy dragons each with its own extensive territory led tegan and a dozen of the queen's men skulking through the wood finally the reptiles wheeled and flew back to their bipedal companions here we are jivek said tagan surveyed the patch of ground ahead of him if it had ever been a carefully shaped intended burial mound that time had long since passed it had no discrete edges or discernible form and had seemingly fallen in on itself until it was scarcely higher than the surrounding earth it even had old maple trees growing out of it are you sure the maestro asked javex snorted and said who lives hereabouts you or i of course i'm sure sir corliss moved up beside tagan the cavaliers surcoat was torn and grimy his plate and shield battered his destrier slain but he still had his lady's crimson scarf nodded to his helmet i'll post centuries he said while you begin the ceremony though by no means servile corliss's manner was respectful it had been disconcerting to discover that with rangrum and his senior lieutenants either dead or at best still missing the war swords regarded the dualist responsible for their reunification as a de facto officer accordingly tagan tried to behave as if he merited their confidence and to ignore the inner voice whispering that a war leader of his meager qualifications was bound to fall well short of expectations it isn't a ceremony as such he replied apparently i simply talked to her but i have no idea how long it will take so pickets are a sound idea with jivex splitting along beside him tegan advanced until he was standing at the foot of the dilapidated mound he drew his sword and saluted the entity who theoretically lay sleeping before him vora sega he said my name is tegan nightwind your friends the moon elves sent me to ask you to come forth nothing answered except for a jay chattering in the meshed branches overhead well he hadn't expected it to be that easy the city is gone now he continued and the elves themselves much changed but they still revere your memory and pray you'll help them as you did before to cleanse the forest of corruption since your time a new evil has come into the world an insane wizard named sammaster invented a way of infusing dragons with the most virulent kind of undeath he pressed on spinning the tail of the cult of the dragon and of his own protracted duel with it looking for any subtle sign that something under the moist earth with its coating of slippery rotten leaves could hear him he couldn't discern one he concluded by once again imploring vor sega to reveal herself still nothing happened he felt a crushing disappointment louder jivek said i beg your pardon she has dirt in her ears and more of it piled between you and her maybe you need to yell tegan smiled riley and said an interesting conjecture but i doubt that's truly the problem he turned corliss was standing with a thread the wizard who'd protected the archer's retreat when the war swords routed like the night the latter was a relatively young man but affected long wheat-colored grandfatherly whiskers that he probably felt made him look more the learned and formidable battle mage it was plain from their glum expressions that both humans understood what had just occurred or failed to still tegan supposed he ought to say it anyway for form's sake i'm sorry the creature has apparently slipped too far from this world and its cares for us to summon her back the grey trees warned it might be so corliss unconsciously squared his shoulders bucking himself up well said the knight at least we're one army again maybe we can retreat in good order muster reinforcements in lyra bar and march back if everyone else isn't off fighting to the east athred said somberly still you're right it's the only way givex will you and your folk continue helping us conceal ourselves from the enemy that's it the fairy dragon shrilled you're just giving up my kin and i have been wasting our time on you we truly will return if we can tegan said and maybe we'll have a dozen dracoliches running around by then won't that be fun tegan looked at his human companions and said sunni knows i wouldn't choose to flee not if i could see any hope of avenging our fallen comrades and smashing the cult now in our present circumstances corliss said every minute we can use to distance ourselves from the enemy is precious but i suppose we can spare a few more a thread made a sour face but said why not tagan faced the mound then on impulse went down on his knees and set his sword on the ground as he might lay it at the feet of the queen who knew it might help he recited the same string of pleas and explanations he'd offered before by the end his mouth was dry and to all unaltered appearances that was the only thing he'd accomplished that's it then a thread said jivek splitted up to the wizard hovered at the right height to glow at him eye to eye and said you humans are a bunch of quitters i cast some divinations a thread said once something powerful lay in this ground but now only faint traces of its magic remain he looked at tagan maestro are you ready to go yes tegan said no i concede it makes little sense but give me one last chance i realize corliss said that jibbex saved your life we all owe him and the other fairy dragons a huge debt but we can't repay it by persisting in an effort that's manifestly futile i know tegan said i won't deliver my entire oration a third time i just need another minute the night shrugged do what you must which was what exactly at first tegan had no idea what to try that he hadn't attempted twice already then intuition or perhaps mere desperation prompted him i myself am an elf he said and it felt strange to proclaim it with such fervor i who summon you this is my elf blood feel it smell it taste it recognize it damn you tagan drew his dagger sliced to the heel of his palm and squeezed red droplets onto the ground they simply made a stain without glowing catching fire or doing anything else overtly supernatural they didn't even soak into the soil with unusual quickness nothing stirred we'll see you out of the wood safely the fairy dragon said an unaccustomed dullness in his voice thank you tegan replied he rose and inspected the gash in his hand he'd sliced it fairly deeply we brought along a priest or paladin didn't we if he has any healing left after tending the wounded perhaps he could look at this mistress stars a thread swore his eyes widening what is it tagan asked come away the wizard said tagan realized that the divinatory spells athred had mentioned must still have been altering his perceptions revealing phenomena other people couldn't see come away from the mound tegan beat his wings and leaped clear givex whizzed after him the slight hump in the ground began to shake as if experiencing its own private little earthquake the maples lashed back and forth in time the trees toppled crashing against each other an archer had to scramble to keep one from falling on him fissures snaked through the mound splitting it into pieces the fallen maples jolted upward and tumbled aside as the entity beneath them heaved herself into the light of day it occurred to tegan that the process was a bit like a hatchling struggling forth from an egg but everything else about borisega bespoke might and majesty she was at least as huge as any of the other drakes he'd encountered her gleaming bronze scales from which the dust slid as if it had no power to sully her were blue black along the edges while her eyes shone like luminous green pearls without visible pupils such details were marks of the extreme age that only made a dragon stronger still the awe she inspired in every trembling observer lay in more than her physical appearance while plainly as solid as metal vora sega nonetheless had an elusive but unmistakable uncanniness about her though her existence predated theirs by centuries she might almost have recreated herself specifically to battle dracoliches for she was their counterpart a worm who'd cheated death for benevolent reasons instead of selfish ones she turned her gigantic serpentine head toward tagan her radiant gaze was terrifying even though nothing about it conveyed hostility you called me she rumbled yes milady i didn't believe i'd ever walk this world again these are surely the final hours tegan took a deep breath to steady himself and said then we'd better make them count come here tegan walked to her she lowered her head and her forked tongue longer and thicker than his arm flicked forth to swipe across his hand its touch was rough and wet and afterward his cut was gone now said the dragon tell me what you need of me chapter 21 16 tarsack the year of rogue dragons it made dorne edgy simply to float at anchor with the sail lowered he glowered out across the purplish expanse of the moon sea and saw the same nothing as before to baitor with this he growled he promised he'd join us kara said with a sigh please give him a little longer just because we fooled the zhentarim up to now that doesn't mean they won't eventually figure out we stole one of their patrol boats besides we're wasting daylight and we'd have to be even stupider than we evidently are to do this after dark on the other hand said raron if we're going we might as well go as strong as possible his long hair and goatee shining particularly white in the sunlight the arctic dwarf sat on a coil of rope sharpening the point of his new harpoon with a hone upon reaching thencha the hunters had discovered that wonder of wonders their partners among the city's motley collection of wizards had been doing their jobs for a change instead of squandering all their time on bizarre experiments they'd actually enchanted some items to replace the gear the travelers tended to lose or damage in the course of fulfilling their commissions the mages had for example produced a new bastard sword and quiver of arrows for dorne and a new curved horn blade and pouch of skip rocks for will most of those weapons and pieces of armor were packed away they wouldn't help the hunters where they were headed fortunately by rummaging through the wizards storerooms and scouring the marketplace they'd managed to lay hands on a few implements that would i'm tired of waiting too said will from the top of the mast we could at least toss pavel overboard to see what happens then the rest of us will know what to expect i had a similar thought the priest replied wrapped in a garment that out of the water appeared to be nothing more than a leather cloak the gods know you've never been good for anything else but perhaps you could finally play a useful role as chum the patrol boat jolted as if it had run aground on a reef or sandbar though that was plainly impossible dorne and his companions staggered fighting for balance all around the sailboat beautiful mermaids leaped into view and somehow pirouetted along the surface of the lake with only the tips of their green piscine tails touching the waves then their comely faces warped into grotesque ugliness they puffed out their cheeks and spat prodigious jets of water though dorne tried to dodge the frigid spray soaked him anyway or at least it seemed to but the next instant he was dry and the mermaids vanished like popping soap bubbles cara sighed like a mother enduring the antics of a mischievous child and peered over the side we know it's you chitullio she said show yourself a dragon with scales the metallic orange of newly minted coppers swam out from under the boat and treading water with his feet and wings lifted his head to peer over the side his blue eyes shining he gave the bard a gap-toothed lear i just thought i'd show the small folk what i can do cara replied thus wasting magic we may soon need to save our lives if you can't have a laugh what's the use of living anyway introduce me to your friends that took a few moments then with chatulio looking on curiously it was time to make the final preparations essentially it was a matter of casting spells and drinking potions pavel prayed for lathander's blessing bolstering the party's vigor courage and luck cara sang a charm that would enable her to breathe underwater dorne gulped a lukewarm sour tasting elixir that was supposed to confer the same benefit and a sweeter one generally employed to give a person the power to float up into the air under water it would keep the weight of his iron limbs from dragging him helplessly to the bottom still when he picked up his long spear and joined his companions at the side he felt a pang of trepidation as a child he'd love to swim but that was long ago evidently sensing his anxiety kara touched him on the arm he didn't know how that made him feel or how to respond last one ends a three-legged tortoise said will he sprang high and somersaulted into the water and his comrades jumped after him dorne had to force himself to stop holding his breath the first inhalation of water was cool in his lungs more substantial than air but not unpleasantly so he experimentally willed his weight away then brought it back a bit at a time until he achieved the neutral buoyancy that served a swimmer best meanwhile kara swelled into dragon shape while pavel's cloak spread itself into the winged rippling shape of a manta ray dorne had to peer closely to make out the human form within the hunters hoped that if they had to fight the disguise would give the cleric a chance to weave his magic unnoticed by those who might otherwise do their utmost to disrupt the casting dorne pointed at the bottom and they all swam downward around the anchor line toward the spires of north keep a thousand years ago it had been the first human city on the moon sea until a dark alliance of giants chromatic dragons orcs and other hostile creatures sacked it then performed a magical right to sink the very aisle on which it sat as best as pavel carra and brimstone could guess it was the first location sammaster had visited and written about extensively and it certainly seemed a plausible sight to harbor ancient and forgotten lore about the madness of worms or anything else yet as dorne contemplated the devastation spread out below him he wondered if such a secret could possibly have survived the conflict that had broken the ramparts the upheaval that thrust them beneath the currents or all the centuries that had passed since wrapping the feet of the towers in weed and miring them in silt even if it had could seekers who lacked sandmaster's level of arcane power and knowledge find it in a sprawling ruinous underwater warren or recognize it if they did for that matter could they even survive the attempt because north keep though devoid of life was still inhabited dozens of grisly tavern tales agreed that the ghosts of those who'd perished in the fortress city's defense abided their still and had a brutal way with trespassers on moonless nights they rang the bells in the tallest towers perhaps to warn mortals away the sound was audible for miles across the water growing up in hillsfar dorne had heard it himself and wrapped his pillow around his ears to muffle the eerie tolling keeping a wary eye out for wraiths and other dangers dorne and his companions dived lower toward the imposing castle-like complex at the center of the ravaged city there stood the palace of the lord of north keep the residences of the dignitaries of his court the temples consecrated to the gods they'd worshipped it seemed the most likely place to hold the secret of the rage battle or the plunge to the bottom of the lake had opened breaches and fissures in many a wall and caved in sections of roof descending swimmers could enter the damaged buildings in a hundred different ways dorne chose to lead his allies down into the central courtyard and view the mansions fortifications and shrines somewhat as the living inhabitants of north keep must have experienced them he hoped it would give him a sense of the place and that in turn would help him guess precisely where to start the search it seemed worth a try anyway but when they'd swum so low that they could almost have planted their feet in the muck on the bottom and the high arched entryways to stone bastions and graceful spires yawned all around the world turned black in a single instant as if the water had changed to ink or the sun in the sky overhead had winked out fighting panic dorne thought he knew what was actually happening the phantoms of north keep had conjured the darkness to help them dispose of the intruders dorne's spear was enchanted and his iron arm was a magical weapon in its own right he had at least a slim chance of defending himself against the dead but only if he could see them floating blindly in the cold murk he prayed that one of his spell casting comrades possessed a magic sufficiently potent to wipe the darkness away time crawled by measured out by his racing heartbeats punctuated by uninterpretable little noises that jabbed at his nerves work hara pavel and chatulio trying but failing to make light or were they dead already had the spirits possessed the wit to strike at them first finally brightness glowed through the water spear leveled dorne turned arms of legend they weren't there but something else was malevolent dragons had given their lives to cast down north keep and their gigantic skeletons burst forth from their hiding places in the silt stirring dirt into the water in the process points of red light burning deep in the eye sockets of their naked skulls the entities oriented on the intruders dorne was reasonably certain it wasn't a haunting in the truest sense of the term necromancy had animated the worm skeletons as it had the human corpses serving the cult of the dragon in lyra bar conceivably sammaster himself had laid the trap to ensure that no one else would carry secrets out of north keep thanks to their own magic dorne and his companions were no longer sightless and helpless but they were in serious trouble nonetheless lacking vital organs the undead were notoriously difficult to destroy in the best of circumstances it was going to be even harder employing only such weapons and spells as were efficacious underwater wheeling in the cloak that among its other virtue let him swim as fast and as nimbly as a manta ray pavel dodged the raking talons of a rearing skeleton then brandished his sacred amulet a red gold beam of lathander's light blazed forth and burned the creature to powder another skeleton flung itself onto a copper dragon the metallic drake's body exploded into leering clown faces which then blinked out of existence wings stroking to propel him through the water the real tetulio appeared out of nowhere above the undead construct and seized hold of the length of vertebrae between the bony armature of its wings he tore at the creature with his jaws ducking and twisting avoiding gnashing fangs and scrabbling claws by inches raron thrust his harpoon at a skeletal worm's head the point only chipped and scratched the bone but while the dead thing was intent on the dwarf will squirmed between two of its ribs and safely ensconced inside its torso attacked the withered ligaments binding it together with his knife with her song eerily distorted by the water but still somehow as beautiful as ever kara conjured a block of ice into being within the rib cage of another skeletal drake the white expanding mass shattered the unnatural thing into fragments that was as much as dorne could take in before he found it necessary to focus on his own onrushing opponent the bony thing snapped at him and caught his iron arm in its jaws he simultaneously wrenched himself free breaking a couple of its fangs and drove his lance into an eye socket he hoped that if he could hit one of the points of crimson phosphorescence maybe that would kill it but when he pulled the spear back the light was still smoldering at the back of the cavity and the skeleton was as active as ever it reared and slashed at him with its talons he caught the stroke on his metal arm and so prevented it from ripping him apart but the sheer force slammed him down into the muck on the floor of the lake blindness swallowed him once more as the silt covered his face the undead worm clutched and squeezed him in its claws the left side of his body with its shell of iron could take the pressure it was obvious from the pain that the right side couldn't he tore frantically at the bony phalanges with his own claws until the members came apart then floundered upward out of the mud the undead drake bit at him through the murky water and he punched with his knuckle spikes the impact jolted him backward but likewise unhinged one side of the creature's jaw he assumed that mindless and lifeless the construct didn't feel pain any more than he felt it in his metal limbs but some reflex made it snatch its head back anyway that gave dorne an opening he flung himself in close and clawed at the base of its long fleshless neck the spinal column broke apart scattering loose vertebrae wide as dinner plates and the skeletal drake's head tumbled away from the rest of it the body collapsed more bones separating or twisting into awkward relationships to reduce it to an inert and meaningless jumble dorne turned seeking the next threat his first chaotic impression was that while they had more skeletons to dispatch he and his comrades were holding their own then cara's song swelled even if perchance she wasn't using some esoteric or occult language he had no hope of comprehending the words the water robbed them of sense but somehow they conveyed an urgency that made him cast frantically about the warning didn't help as much as kara must have hoped when dorne turned himself into the right attitude the creature was already striking at him the thing was huge as a worm and resembled the dragons he'd encountered in certain respects yet it was nothing he'd ever seen or even heard reports of hitherto in its essence it was a colossal serpent with dark slimy scales yet possessed of stunted wings and legs far too small to enable it to walk or fly but useful perhaps when it swam its long tail split into two writhing whip-like appendages which it lashed at its target a man couldn't effectively swing a flail or even a sword at the bottom of a lake the water offered too much resistance but the drake was so prodigiously strong that it suffered no such limitation dorne tried to dodge and shield flesh with iron but surprise and the water cost him a critical moment and he knew with a sickening certainty that the beast was going to strike him a solid perhaps lethal blow then cara lunged between the human and the aquatic worm its tail struck her instead evidently the tips of the appendage were as sharp as blades for they split her shimmering hide then sliced deeper as it pulled them along in a wicked drawing cut twin clouds of blood billowed forth mixing with the muddy water to make it even more difficult to see cara snapped at the water dragon it twisted clear of the attack then instantly lashed her again she convulsed at the shock the aquatic worm coiled around her like a python then proceeded to constrict bite and slash at her at the same time she kept trying to fight back but her foe clasped her so tightly that it was impossible for her to strike a telling blow enraged dorne kicked forward but the worm was cunning it had after all waited for the newcomers to focus their attention on the skeletons before attempting a surprise attack perhaps it had even manufactured the initial darkness at any rate it saw no reason to allow a second foe to jab and claw at it before it finished with the first a flick of the fork's tail sufficed to shoot it several yards out of reach wishing that he'd claimed the manta ray garment for himself dorne labored after the creature through water that tasted of dirt and cara's blood perhaps amused by his pursuit the dark-scaled worm let him close almost into spear range before widening the distance once again as far as the human could tell the trivial exertion in no way slackened the serpent's grip or otherwise hindered its efforts to kill the song dragon kara's struggles grew weaker by the second a wing and hind leg protruded from her adversary's slimy coils at odd angles manifestly dislocated or broken dorne realized he couldn't swim fast enough to overtake the huge yellow-eyed snake thing until the latter decided to permit it not without help anyway he peered through the cloudy filthy water his friends were still battling skeletons fighting so hard they might not even have noticed the water drake and surely couldn't break a way to confront it even if they had or so it seemed but then chatulio hard-pressed though he was by a pair of enormous undead worms spun away from their gnashing fangs and raking talons to peer across the battlefield at cara's captor a massive scuttling crabs abruptly appeared on the aquatic drake's head and the uppermost section of its body where they started pinching and picking away with their claws mad as a hound covered in stinging ants the dark drake convulsed and bent its body in a circle swatting at its own throat and skull to dislodge the crustaceans it maintained its death grip on its feebly squirming captive but evidently forgot about dorne for it finally let him swim close enough to strike the half golem drove his spear twice into the coils of scaly muscle gripping cara the dark worms body twisted whipping its head into position to bite though raw little pock marks freckled its mask it didn't have crabs worrying it anymore either the skeletons had shaken shitulio's concentration and so put an end to his magic or the aquatic dragon had rid itself of the harassment in some other way it struck dorne ducked under the attack then sank his talons into a patch of the slimy scaly hide behind its jaws whatever else happened the filthy thing wasn't going to retreat beyond his reach dorne drove his spear into the underside of its throat its neck swelled and its jaws opened wide evidently it truly was some sort of dragon for it was unleashing a breath weapon in air the exaltation might have leaped forth in the usual cone or streak underwater a dirty stain billowed in all directions its touch made dorne's mind turned slack and dull so that all its contents rage fear his very awareness of what was happening threatened to slip away he clamped down on them resisting the stupefying effect with all his will and at that same instant the worm snapped its head in an ark the sudden jerk nearly shook dorne loose it did make him fumble his grip on the spear which slipped from his grasp his iron hand was the best weapon remaining to him which meant he needed to hang on with the other one to free it up he prayed his human fingers were strong enough to keep him anchored dorne ripped at the serpent scales and the meat beneath it breathed and the murk diffusing through the water burned the half golem skin acid he thought clenching himself against the pain squinting in the hope that the stuff wouldn't sear his eyes out he found a spot that when attacked made the water worm convulse a vulnerable place maybe a particularly sensitive cluster of nerves dorne clawed it furiously and the huge creature slashed at him with its tailblades he twisted and caught the stroke on his iron half the impact jolted him but couldn't cut through the armor the dragon swung its tail back for another blow and though he couldn't have explained how dorne understood what could happen next if he was strong quick and skillful enough to make it happen it was a sort of fighter's intuition that sometimes spoke when he needed it most an instinct he'd first discovered in the arena he clawed some more the creature's pain needed to be constant and unbearable it whipped its tail at him and he flung himself clear of its body if his timing was off or he failed to push off with sufficient agility the blow would hit him and almost certainly cleave flesh even if he survived that by releasing his grip he'd given up the only advantage he possessed if his trick failed it was unlikely the worm would give him the chance to hurt it any further but the ploy worked frantic maybe with pain the serpent slashed the tailblades deep into its own throat half severing the amber eyed head its blood streaming upward like smoke from some great fire it drifted toward the bottom dorn pulled at its coils but couldn't loosen them then something cut off the sunlight shining down from the surface casting him into shadow certain some new horror had arrived to menace him he looked up bearing several bite and claw wounds along his flanks chitlio swam above him the copper used his talons to pry the motionless cara from her bonds by the time chitlio finished the rest of their comrades had gathered around each was wounded even pavel who in the manta cloak had seemed to have the best chance of escaping injury heedless of the blood leaking from his own gashed leg his handsome face grave and intent he set about the business of trying to save kara's life the water garbled his words in a way that in other circumstances might have seemed comical dorne could only hope lathander still understood the prayers the priest's hands shone with rich golden light then at the tops of the ravaged towers rising throughout the city bells began to toll strangely the water didn't muffle or warp that sound in the slightest no dorn thought it isn't fair that this should happen when we've just finished a fight when we're hurt and exhausted and have already expended a goodly portion of our magic it doesn't even make sense why is it the wraiths never attacked the skeletal dragons or that gigantic serpent maybe sammaster has a way of suppressing the phantoms he continued to muse a forbiddance that lost its power with the demise of his agents maybe the spirits had no objection to letting other entities defend their domain for them or perhaps those dead things reserve their spite for the living dorne supposed that ultimately the reason didn't matter the only thing that did was that at the worst possible moment the ghosts of north keep were coming forth tegan crept through the canopy stalking from one branch to the next peering jivex flew close at hand the fairy dragon was invisible but at certain moments taken could hear the flutter of his wings or catch the leathery tang of his reptilian scent they were hunting pickets while the queen's men regrouped tagan had managed to locate the cultists stronghold and he and his comrades hoped to take the enemy unaware as best they could judge san masters minions didn't expect an assault they imagined that any surviving war swords had fled the gray forest in disarray moreover the expedition spellcasters working in concert with the fairy dragons could mask the entire company in illusion thus a surprise attack seemed feasible but only if someone first eliminated the sentries the cult had posted around their citadel otherwise one of the guards was bound to discern something amiss tagan and jivex's ability to move stealthily through the foliage above the eye line of the average picket made them good choices for the task tagan spotted a pair of hobgoblin warriors on the ground ahead evidently their kind kept watch by day while the werewolves took over the duty after dark the goblin king with the thick russet hair on its hide stood idly fingering its bulbous blue nose the slate-colored one squatted staring at the ground after a moment tegan perceived that the creature had stirred an ant hill with the dirty dagger still in his hand and was watching the insects scurry around i'll take the red one tegan whispered you take the gray there are just the pair jivex replied his hushed reedy voice and tickling breath came right into the ivarial's ear tagan was so startled he nearly jumped and revealed his presence to the hobgoblins if you're going to deal with the red then of course i have the gray it's gratifying to discover you can at least count as high as two jivex gave in a fronted sniff and tegan skulked forward presumably give x was doing the same the fencing teacher maneuvered around behind the hobgoblins then sprang to the ground spreading his wings just enough to ensure a safe landing he was still trying to be quiet but the hulking goblin kin with the rust-colored hair sensed him anyway as it pivoted it poised its round wooden shield in a middle guard and lifted its spear for a thrust its defensive posture wasn't enough to save it tegan had used bladesong to heighten his strength and agility and sharpen his sword to a supernatural keenness and it was simplicity itself to stab over the top of the targe and drive his blade completely through the creature's skull the hobgoblin collapsed as he jerked his weapon free tagan looked around to see if jivex needed help evidently not his invisibility forfeited in the act of attacking scales rippling with rainbows the fairy dragon clung between the grey hobgoblin shoulder blades biting and tearing blood spurted from the torn arteries in the warrior's neck the goblin king tried to scream yet only managed a soft gurgling before it fell tegan smiled riley jivex's small size and impish almost childlike demeanor had initially led him to assume that fairy dragons were peaceful creatures dependent solely on trickery for self-protection it had been mildly disconcerting to find out they could fight as savagely as panthers when necessary jivek spat out a mouthful of gore and said that tastes disgusting i ought to get a sword should we look for more guards no we're only a stone's throw away from the stronghold itself i doubt they have pickets posted any closer in tegan dragged the corpses into a patch of brush and kicked old rotten leaves over the blood they'd shed with luck it would keep any casual passerby from discovering them then he and jivek skulked back to the place where many of their comrades waited once they reported their success they had nothing to do but wait for the others performing the same chore to do likewise tegan drifted over to vora sega who was turning her huge bronze head this way and that like a traveler in an exotic land the world seems so strange she rumbled like a dream i dwelled here for more than a thousand years but still i've been gone so long tegan mistrusted the fae abstracted note in the bronze's voice are you all right he asked her emerald eyes blinked and she said what yes fine i'm relieved to hear it because sunnay knows we need you perhaps borah sega said but in the old days the elves were mighty fighters in their own right a thread scurried up to them the mage's long yellow brown beard was matted and tangled after his days of living rough bereft apparently of a comb everyone's back he reported and we killed all the sentries are you ready lady yes vora sega said she jivex a thread and the others who commanded the proper magic assembled to collaborate on the ritual that would conceal the entire company meanwhile the men at arms gave their weapons and armor a final check and priests prayed for the blessing of ill mater celune and the rest of impilter's beneficent gods a subtle shimmer spread through the air when it passed tegan could still see his comrades perfectly well as was necessary if they were to advance in an orderly fashion but supposedly no hostile eye could glimpse them their officers formed them up then led them forward through the trees their progress made a certain amount of noise the wizards and clerics had deemed it best not to wrap the company in magical silence lest it hamper further spell casting once combat began and tegan winced at every creek of leather clink of mail or rattling branch still he felt they were advancing about as quietly as a sizeable force could and they reached their destination without incident spreading out to assault it on three sides the strongholds stood in a bare wound in the midst of the wood where either wizardry or the strength of dragons had torn the trees from the earth to make a space for it some of the uprooted giants still littered the ground perhaps to hinder the advance of an attacking force others had likely gone to feed the cultists fires or make them furniture at the center of the clearing roses citadel so rough and irregular in form that one could almost mistake it for a natural rock formation sammaster had evidently conjured masses of ruddy sandstone up out of the ground then crudely sculpted them into walls and keeps the result lacked any semblance of grace but looked dauntingly defensible tegan and his companions halted at the edge of the trees that were still standing archers knocked arrows a thread and another magician floated up into the air achieving the height necessary to hurl attack spells over the top of the ramparts at targets inside borisega stared at the stronghold and whispered under her breath while tegan shrouded his body in blur a paladin raised his sword then swept it toward the ground the arrows flew and hobgoblins on the battlements fell an instant later shafts hurtled from the east and west as well thunder cracked the streaks of lightning burned through the air blasts of fire exploded inside the citadel tongues of yellow flame leaping so high they showed above the top of the wall it seemed a promising beginning tegan reflected that in its essentials war truly did have a fair amount in common with a duel between single opponents if one army surprised the other the former enjoyed a considerable advantage still not everything was proceeding as the queen's men had hoped responding to vora sega's incantation a section of castle wall wavered and became semi-transparent revealing the murky shape of a worm on the other side a hobgoblin on the battlemen sank into the stone walkway beneath his feet as if it was quicksand then however the wall became opaque and solid again trapping and crushing the shrieking creature's legs sammaster's magic was evidently stronger than the guardian bronzes and she couldn't unmake an object he'd conjured into being vorasega roared and charged into the open toward the high gates that were likewise slabs of sandstone apparently intent on battering them down by brute force knights and men at arms charged in her wake some carrying crudely fashioned siege ladders tegan and jivex raced along with them the avario wasn't yet willing to fly he feared it would make him too conspicuous a target but by beating his wings he covered the ground in long leaps that kept him at the forefront of the charge meanwhile arcanists and archers shot over the heads of their comrades at their foes within the fortress roaring bat-like wings rattling and eclipsing broad swaths of sky black and green dragons soared up from within the castle and even paladins faltered at the terror of it vorasega reared spat lightning and engulfed in the dazzling flare a skull worm burned and crashed to the ground a wizard tegan didn't see who attacked a green with cold encrusting its flank in frost it wasn't enough to kill the reptile but it hissed in pain and wobbled crazily in flight hardened the war swords drove on into the abyss or a fair approximation of it in the mad confusion of the moment tegan couldn't even tell how many dragons the cult had left at least half a dozen he thought but several opted to defend the approach to the gate clawing biting squashing men with their sheer bulk spewing poison and casting spells individually none of the chromatic drakes was a match for vora sega but no matter how furiously she fought she couldn't aid all her allies at the same time some of them simply had to fend for themselves a green worm swooped and spat corrosive fumes tagan dived out of the way and the gas only stung his eyes and skin and made him cough gibbex also made it clear several men were less fortunate they collapsed skins blistered lungs rotting in their chests with a ground shaking thump the dragon set down to finish off anyone who still lived a paladin of ill mater lurched up from the earth and the charred dead horse he'd been riding rasped out the name of his god and hacked at the green's mask with his great sword the blade bit deep though still coughing painfully and uncontrollably clumsy with it tegan rushed forward to help the night the dragon clawed tore away part of the paladin's plate armor and ripped bloody furrows in the flesh beneath the knight reposted with another stroke that cut deeply and split the worms left eye the dragon roared and spewed greenish yellow vapor unable to weather a second such assault the human collapsed hating the green and himself for reaching it a heartbeat too late to aid the paladin tegan thrust his sword into its chest it started to whirl in his direction and he took a chance and stabbed again before leaping back the gamble paid off the paladin had already sorely wounded the worm and hagan's second thrust either killed it or at least stole the strength from its limbs it fell on its side and he gave it three more stabs trying to make sure it really was out of action jivex lit on its snout and clawed away its remaining eye tagan cast about trying to determine what to do next it was hard to tell dragons and humans were still fighting almost within swords reach but maybe just maybe vorasega and his other comrades were holding their own and their struggle was only one part of the battle to win the war swords needed to penetrate the castle and so far it didn't look as if that was happening though the queen's men had hit hard at the start of the fight the cult had plenty of minions and had succeeded in positioning many of them atop the walls there with the advantage of the high ground and the crudely shaped battlements to shield them they thus far succeeded in keeping any of samples troops from climbing up to their level and surviving for any length of time scrambling back from a black drake's lashing tail that might otherwise have broken his legs tegan wheezed his lungs were still sore cursed conjure more protection if you can he used bladesong to sheath his limbs in invisible armor weightless imperceptible to a casual touch yet resistant to cuts and blows and to make himself so unnaturally fast that the rest of the world seemed to slow to a crawl jivex faded from view tegan made sure no drake was hovering directly overhead ready to rip him to bits of bloody meat and loose feathers then he spread his pinions and flew at the top of the battlements presumably givex was speeding at his side arrows and javelins hurtled at the avarial but they either missed or glanced off his shell of enchantment two hobgoblins and a werewolf in beast man form poised themselves to repel him he knocked a pair of stabbing spear points aside with a sweeping parry then dispatched one of the hobgoblins with a chest cut snarling the shape-changer lunged and raked at him with its claws dodging the stroke he grabbed the lycanthrope by the wrist flew backward with a beat of his wings dragged it forward over the ramparts and let go the plummet to the ground might not kill a werewolf but at least it got the brute out of tegan's way the remaining hobgoblin aimed his lance for a second thrust and jivex appeared right in front of him and puffed sparkling vapor into his face the brutish warrior smiled blissfully stupidly and was still smiling when tegan shoved him off the wall walk to crash down in the castle courtyard the fencing master lit on the elevated path and pivoted to confront the foes already driving in from the right givex hovered at his back to meet the ones on the left tegan's adversaries pressed him hard still occasionally after he killed one it took the next a fraction of a second to scramble forward to engage him with his accelerated reactions that gave him enough time to glance over his shoulder and see how jivex was faring thus he glimpsed the second plume of euphoria-inducing breath that neutralized several foes at once the mind-altering charm that persuaded a werewolf to change sides until its own packmates ripped it apart and the gigantic eagle that flew down from the sky to harry the cultists both tegan and the fairy dragon were staying alive and holding their position the avario doubted they could do it for long but luckily that wasn't necessary some of the war swords had spotted them the humans planted their scaling ladders below the length of wall walk their allies had cleared of the enemy then scrambled upward once he thought that enough men had reached the battlements tegan shouted the gates without even glancing to see who besides jivex was ready to follow or if folk without wings yet had a clear path on which to descend he leaped down into the courtyard perhaps it was mad to charge on in advance of his comrades yet again but his blood was up and it felt right when he reached ground level a werewolf in its four-legged guys pounced at him and he spitted it on his sword his blade was still stuck in it when a tawny-haired hobgoblin bellowed and charged him with a spear he sidestepped the attack and tripped the brutish warrior as it blundered by it recovered its balance and whirled around just in time to receive a slash to the belly clutching the wound to keep its guts from spilling out it crumpled to its knees meanwhile jivex dazed a few of its fellows with another puff of sparkling breath the attackers scrambled onward toward the massive asymmetrical stone leaves the gigantic timber that barred them and the contrivance of wind glasses chains pulleys and counterweights evidently needed to swing them on their hinges then somehow tegan abruptly sensed a presence so vile so overwhelming that it stopped him in his tracks then dragged him around to face it silver white wings flickering jivex also wheeled prey to the same compulsion trembling heart pounding tegan belatedly recalled how the cultists in lyrabar had liked their underground crypts evidently their counterparts in the forest had dug out their own burrows where perhaps they wove their foulist magic in the perpetual dark in any case a ramp leading down into the earth descended into shadow in the middle of the courtyard maybe it had been there all along veiled an illusion or maybe a charm had just then opened it permitting the dracolich to slither forth into the light of day it stank like carrion and its withered green hide bore patches of black wet rot it was plainly a dead thing like the zombies tegan had fought in lyribar but infinitely more terrible where they had lurched and shambled awkwardly it for all its hugeness prowled like a hunting cat the zombie's ashen faces had been slack and mindless but the dracolich's sunken yellow eyes burned with an intelligence as keen as it was cruel tegan had known since the previous battle that the cult had already created a dracolich but he dared to hope that some of his allies had already engaged and destroyed the thing no such luck it had sat out the first minutes of the fight but evidently it meant to purge the fortress of intruders some of the humans on the ramparts moaned or wailed at the sight of it the hobgoblins and werewolves raised a savage cheer and hurled themselves at the queen's men with renewed ferocity the undead green took a stride toward tagan shouting he broke through the dread that had unmanned him not banishing it utterly for how could anyone look at the dracolich and not know fear but at least compressing it into something that didn't reach into and strangle the part of him that knew how to fight he came on guard and only then recalled rangrim's warning don't meet its gaze and you'll be all right the memory came back to him too late he already had looked into its luminous eyes and he froze once more but not out of fear some supernatural power made his muscles clench and lock at his side something thumped on the ground he couldn't turn his head to see what but after a moment realized it must have been give x the fairy dragon was paralyzed too and unable to beat his wings he had fallen from the air taking its time the dracolich stalked closer did you actually think you were winning it asked nothing you and your humans have done means anything you could kill every one of my slaves and it wouldn't matter i'm strong enough to wipe out the lot of you all by myself i'll show you just how easily small folk die it reared evidently preparing to breathe werewolves and hobgoblins scrambled distancing themselves from tagan and jivex then a shadow swept across the courtyard the dracolich looked up and spat its acidic fumes into the air an instant later a beam of scarlet light spat down and burned through the creature's torso it roared and vora sega dived out of the sky and plunged her talons into its body the two colossal worms grappled and intertwined rolled back and forth across the courtyard tearing at one another with fang and claw some of the werewolves hobgoblins and cultists failed to scurry out of the way in time and the dragons crushed them to jelly perhaps without even noticing they were there sometimes the reptiles slammed into one of the walls and the jolt knocked other folk toppling off the battlements tegan wondered how long it would be before the dragon smashed down on top of jivex and him the struggle between the two drakes so pounded at the senses that it took the avario a few seconds to notice the flying orb a thing like a disembodied eye flitting around the periphery of the battle it seemed to be something vora sega had conjured into existence for it assaulted the dracolich with one magical effect after another just as apparently it had first discharged the crimson lance of heat an orange beam spattered the undead's green flesh with steaming smoking acid a yellow one became jagged crackling lightning which seemed to do it no harm a blue beam made it falter for a second which allowed vora sega to score with a couple deep claw slashes and sent a grayness rippling through its scales then its natural color and agility returned as the fight proceeded both worms suffered enormous ghastly wounds but perhaps vora sega was faring better than her opponent she was even huger and presumably stronger and the floating eye gave her another advantage she broke free of the dracolich's coils slammed it onto its back and crouched on its torso her four feet pinned it in place while the hind ones raked away chunks of decaying flesh she opened her jaws to bite then the undead green laughed and she hesitated not paralyzed her wings were still flapping her hind talons ripping a little but rattled somehow without her will directing it the hovering orb stopped shooting magic i know you the dracolich said no she said but i do boris sega and you're even deader than i am you no longer belong in this world and you know it you feel the wrongness of it in every breath you take i return when the elves need me the elves are no more your pact is ended and the quarrels of this latter-day world are none of your affair return to your rightful place spirit return to your rest she won't do it tegan thought she doesn't have to the dracolich didn't throw a spell on her or anything it just talked to her certainly he had the feeling that borisega didn't want to abandon the fight she shook her head and gripped the undead green's hide as if to anchor herself to the world of the living yet she faded dwindled and finally shattered into a drift of dust and chips of bone the dracolich rolled to its feet and pivoted toward tegan now it said where were we chapter 22 16 to 22 tarsack the year of rogue dragons as the bells tolled the water darkened once more though the blackness wasn't absolute dorne could still see his exhausted wounded comrades and in fact it was easy to spot the ghosts of north keep stalking from doorways or simply materializing above the layer of silt fouling the courtyard the spectral men at arms glowed with their own pale inner light in those first moments dorne couldn't tell how many there were dozens certainly maybe hundreds he turned to pavel who wrapped in his manta ray cloak his hands shining with red gold light was still laboring to resuscitate the torn and mangled kara the priest shook his head signaling that though lathander granted his vicars special powers versus the undead he'd already expended his daily ration in the fight against the skeletal dragons he had nothing left to repel wraiths glimmering translucent swords and spears leveled the phantoms encircled the intruders chitlio jerked his head motioning for his comrades to swim upward the copper drake evidently meant to cover their retreat even if it would work it meant abandoning both tottulio and cara and dorne didn't think it would work anyway the ghosts would cut off those who sought to flee the explorers in their current depleted condition couldn't hope to stand against so many terrible foes dorne could only think of one thing that seemed worth trying he gestured for his comrades to stay where they were and do nothing then his hands raised to indicate peaceful intentions he swam away from his friends and toward the circle of phantoms on guard in the manner of living warriors their figures vague and blurry one moment and more sharply defined the next several of the wraiths advanced to meet him they walked as if moving through air instead of water he wondered how their ghostly blades would feel shearing into his flesh his intuition told him they'd be freezing cold one of the specters appeared right beside him clad in a coat of scale armor and a conical helmet with a nose guard it lifted its battle axe for a chop at dorne's head reflexes honed over decades of fighting demanded that dorne strike first or at least assume a defensive posture denying them he forced himself to remain perfectly still a second ghost lifted its hand that one wore a surcoat embroidered with a double-headed eagle the image spoiled by the blood-stained tear in the center and he had the look of a knight or captain heeding the silent forbiddance the wraith with the axe didn't swing after all though it still held the weapon ready the leader stepped forward and stared into dorne's eyes for a moment the phantom's lean melancholy face flickered into the fleshless visage of a naked skull then wavering put on something of the appearance of life once more that's right thought dorne look at me read my thoughts if you can i'm not like the others who came before me i don't want to loot your bodies and homes i'm only here to learn your city holds a secret i need to protect other folk as you defended your families and neighbors in your time as you defend them still in their final rests ghosts glided forward surrounding him their weapons poised to strike the sickly oozing sheen of them made him feel cold and ill he was certain he was a fool it couldn't possibly work even if they heard his silent pleas they wouldn't believe them because they wouldn't take him for human with his ugly freakish iron limbs and metal profile he surely resembled one of the ogres or trolls that had helped to destroy north keep yet he continued standing as he was allowing them to draw as close as they wished affording them every opportunity to strike him down if that was what they wanted it was too late for anything else look at me he begged look past the iron i'm the same as you i want what you wanted when you were alive the night gestured and his men stepped back apace the bells stopped their clanging and the ghosts faded from view the shadow melted out of the water permitting sunlight to filter down once more dorne slumped with relief felt a presence behind him and turned kara had swum after him pavel hadn't succeeded in healing all her wounds but he had saved her life and restored her to consciousness dorne realized he was glad even if she was a dragon he gave her an awkward pat on the side of her neck she pressed gently back as a cat might lean into a caress and feeling strange he snatched his hand away he waved for the rest of their companions to join them apparently the ghosts had decided to let them explore as they would provided they didn't despoil north keep he prayed will could resist the temptation to fill his pockets but that didn't mean it was going to be easy the place was big and ruinous sections of it collapsed buried in muck or otherwise impassable and he wondered just how long the search would take tegan lurched off balance as the rigidity left his muscles borisega had occupied the dracolich just long enough for the supernatural paralysis to lose its grip on him the undead green flapped its wings and pounced the charm of quickness no longer accelerating his reactions alas that too had run its course tegan simultaneously scooped up the fallen jivex and rattled off another spell the magic instantly transported him part way across the courtyard the dracolich slammed down on the spot he'd just vacated with an earth-shaking jolt underneath his arm jivek squirmed as he too shook off his immobility tegan released the fairy dragon who then took flight the avario assumed jivex would flee for his life if tegan had any sense he'd do the same but somebody had to try to slay the dracolich he was in the proper position to attempt it and it was conceivable that the undead worm was actually vulnerable borisega had nearly torn it limb from limb that didn't appear to have slowed it down any but still it seemed remotely possible that a swordsman might be able to finish it off tegan lunged and drove his blade into the dracolich's hind leg jivex streaked alongside him lit on the undead dragon's haunch and clawed away scales meanwhile the magical eye floated uselessly overhead snarling the dracolich wheeled and hagan sprinted along with it trying to keep away from the head and four feet attempting to stay in close too despite the constant threat of being trampled or rolled on even though his comrades had warned him that the mere fleeting brush of an undead drake's flesh could freeze him in place he hoped that if he hovered near to his enormous foe the creature would find it more awkward to strike at him jivex whirled up into the air the dracolich's serpentine head twisted toward him and a haze of bright golden sparks appeared around the dead thing's head givex had evidently conjured the glittering mist to blind the behemoth and perhaps it had but a worm's every sense was keen and the dracolich nonetheless blasted forth a plume of its roiling yellow green breath a chance shift of one of its wings blocked tagan's view a split second later and he couldn't see whether his small ally managed to avoid the toxic jet or not tegan sprang in and cut gigantic claws raked at him and he dodged encrusted with sparkling flecks of gold the dracolich's jaws arced down at the end of its long flexible neck to snap at the evariel and he evaded those as well he slashed to the side of its mask but his blade glanced off a protruding ridge of bone without doing any appreciable harm the dracolich tried to bite his legs out from under him he beat his wings flew above the threat and attempted to thrust at its neck unfortunately it was already compensating for his shift in position already renewing the attack and he had to abandon his own offensive action to twist frantically in the air the gigantic fangs clashed shut without catching his flesh but the dracolich's snout caught him a glancing blow his muscles spasmed and he floundered in the air trying to shake off the crippling effect of the dead reptile's touch its jaws gaped and he realized he'd never evade the next bite then patches of his rainbow hide raw and blistered jivek soared over the dracolich's head and a loud screech cut through the air taygan realized that his ally was attempting to block their foes senses one at a time the golden dust was supposed to blind it and with luck the ear splitting whale would definite at the very least it made the dracolich falter for an instant recovering his coordination tegan thrust his sword into its neck at the same time arrows and spears rained down on it from the battlements apparently the struggle up there was going well enough that some of the queen's men could turn their attention to the undead green though the barrage looked ineffectual maybe it would at least help confuse the creature the dracolich flapped its wings and bounded to the flat roof of one of the crudely fashioned sandstone keeps the screech followed it and so did tegan and jivex the dracolich snarled words of power the sound barely audible over the shrill wailing and magic shimmered through the air tagan realized he and jivex wouldn't reach the undead green in time to interrupt its spell casting then a blast of fire engulfed the corpse drake though to taken's disappointment the explosion seemed to do it no harm it did however prompt the worm to orient on a thread who at some point in the past couple of minutes had made his way onto the top of the west wall the dracolich broke off its conjuring to spew poison smoke the young wizard and three comrades standing nearby charred withered and fell it was horrible but tegan couldn't dwell on it he had to focus on the fight on exploiting the opportunity athred had bought for him at the cost of his life wings hammering he flew along the dracolich's flank thrusting and thrusting he realized he'd lost track of jivex again and could only hope his comrade was still alive and doing something useful instead of striking back the dracolich commenced another incantation that had its positive aspect but tegan suspected that it was on balance bad he attacked even more furiously striking to spoil the cadence or pronunciation of the kabbalistic rhymes but the green rumbled and hissed inexorably onward as if his sword caused it no discomfort whatsoever perhaps it didn't who knew what dead things truly felt waves of power pulsed outward from the dracolich the sparkling golden dust on its wedge-shaped head with its crest of horns vanished the disembodied shrieking died a shock ran through tegan's frame as all the enchantments that had bolstered his prowess abruptly ceased to be his strength and agility dropped to their normal levels while his shroud of blur and invisible armor winked out of existence no doubt his sword shed its magical enhancements as well the dracolich had wiped it all away with a counter spell devised to arrest every ongoing magical effect in its immediate vicinity all tagan had left was his own martial skill and innate capacities well so be it dracolich turned dodging the whipping tail and immense ragged wings that might otherwise have bashed him unconscious he flew around the creature trying to keep away from the head and four claws he cut and thrust into the putrid bulk of it from the corner of his eye he glimpsed a rainbow flash that told him jivex was still fighting too someone threw a javelin that narrowly missed tagan's pinion before glancing off the dracolich's shoulder then despite all the fencing masters evasions the worms swung into position to bring its gaze fangs and breath weapon to bear filthy vapor blasted from its jaws tegan dodged the worst of it but it still burned him set him coughing and flooded his stinging eyes with tears momentarily blind he couldn't see it when the dracolich followed up by striking at him like an adder rather he knew by pure instinct he spun aside and the huge teeth rasped shut on empty air perhaps surprised that even sightless its prey had avoided the attack the worm hesitated for a second taken flew down the length of its extended neck with its ridge of spikes along the top hacking savagely the dracolich decided that it too would fight on the wing it roared flexed its legs and leaped from the rooftop as it wheeled and climbed seeking to rise above its foe it snarled the opening words of another spell then one of its wings tore away from its torso the creature plummeted and hit the top of the wall the impact broke it into two pieces which when they struck the ground one outside the citadel and one within smashed into a number of smaller ones hovering coughing and gasping feeling the pain of his blisters more acutely than he had in the frenzy of combat tegan peered down at the wreckage he supposed victory shouldn't seem so unbelievable vora sega had done an amazing amount of damage to the corpse worm after which he'd slashed and stabbed it dozens of times himself yet he still knew in his bones that he and jivex had been very very lucky the fairy dragon flew up beside him i killed it jibbex crowed tegan smiled he knew the claim was inaccurate in more than one regard according to those who understood such things the dracolich's spirit had returned to its phylactery where it would abide until the talisman came into proximity with a draconic cadaver then the ghost would leap into the body and animate it except that it wouldn't get the chance once tegan and his allies took the stronghold they'd find the phylactery and destroy it he had no doubt they would take it below him appalled at the destruction of the creature they'd served as if it was a god werewolves hobgoblins and cultists babbled shrank from their foes and cast about for a way to escape their fortress which suddenly seemed more like a death trap though still outnumbered the queen's men attacked them ferociously can you continue fighting tegan or would you prefer to remove yourself from harm's way sunny knows you've done enough i can still fight jivek said then let's open those gates as it turned out the search took days days of groping through cold darkness days of waiting for gents to show up and attack them they soon ran out of the elixirs that enabled a person to breathe underwater and from that point forward were dependent on kara and chatulio's spells to accomplish the same effect that meant not everyone could dive all the time which made the hunt go even slower finally though dorne and pavel entered the apartments that had plainly once belonged to a scholar the golden glow pavel had conjured onto the head of a spear to light their way shown on the sudden swollen surely illegible remains of countless books shelf upon useless shelf of them the sight of so much lost knowledge made dorne feel angry and desperate then at the edge of the yellow light he glimpsed a section of wall that the long dead sage hadn't lined with shelves instead he'd hung slabs of marble there dorne pointed and he and pavel waited forward to inspect the display the irregular sheets of white stone looked as if the scholar had chiseled them from the walls of a palace or temple they had pictures on them and viewed in sequence the carving seemed to tell a kind of story pavel was the first to decipher it and when he did he grinned like a madman and threw his arms around his friend once everyone had had a chance to view the marbles the hunters clad in their dryer clothes after days of diving no one had any that were truly dry gathered in the bow of their stolen sailboat wearing human form cara sat with them chittulio perched on the stern his weight making it ride low in the purple blue water his coppery neck a gleam in the spring sunlight arcing to bring his head into proximity with his assembled comrades pavel looked at the two dragons and said perhaps one of you can explicate our discovery better than i can sitting her back against the mast kara shifted trying to get comfortable no doubt her wounds still pained her you're a learned man she said will snorted and in fact the tale touches on well matters that shame drakes of our kind subjects painful to discuss so please you start all right the days of exploration had left pavel weary yet he still succumbed to a restless urge to stand it was the way he'd instructed novices before he left his temple to wander long long ago before north keep before even the crown wars the witch will interrupted a series of catastrophic wars among the early elven peoples you ignoramus anyway before even those at the dawn of history dragons pretty much ruled the world and ruled it harshly other races were their slaves their cattle or at best lived in constant fear of them the first couple marbles show that age in all its horror we metal dragons chittulio said sounding entirely serious for once liked to think we ruled less brutally than the reds greens and their ilk but maybe that's just a lie to ease our guilt in any case we weren't the same creatures we are today we weren't merciful or gentle i guess we needed a comeuppance to temper our pride with wisdom which is what the rest of the carving show said will so it seems pavel said a gust of breeze chilled his lanky frame in its damp garments and he repressed a shiver in the third we see a circle of elf spellcasters gathered together collaborating on what surely must have been a prodigious work of high magic in the fourth we see what may be the climax of the ritual and the enchantment they created springing into existence around them the web of lines said raron dragging a wooden comb through his mane of long tangled hair sometimes the strokes tore white strands loose and he had to pause to pick them out of the teeth yes pavel said it's hard to know exactly what the image is supposed to represent in all its aspects but beginning in the fifth marble we see the effects worms running mad said dorne pavel said the elf mages cursed them with the rage that's where it came from it seems like a funny way to try to fix the problem said will we're scared of dragons dragons kill and eat us so let's make them meaner i suppose cara said it was the only way they could devise of striking a blow against my entire race at once you're right at first their fellow elves and the rest of the vassal races must have paid a terrible price but frenzy makes dragons reckless hence vulnerable to attack sometimes it impels us to smash our own eggs and devour our own wormlings and it probably prompted the tyrants to lash out at their own armies eventually their numbers diminished their kingdoms toppled and they lost their absolute dominion over faerun in the final carvings we see elves and giants founding their own extensive and independent realms today the willowy bard continued the wise know what happened but not why even the elves no longer recall how they brought about my people's downfall yet we can only infer that somewhere the enchantment the mythol endures still afflicting dragon kind with periodic bouts of madness like the wheel of an abandoned mill turning in the stream even though the miller is long gone my guess said dorne is that the wizards left the spell in place to make sure worms would never take over the world again it's what i would have done whether they left it going on purpose said will didn't know how to stop it or just forgot about it the important thing is that our friend sam esther found the place where the magic lives the place where a spellcaster can control it and figured out how to make it even stronger that's how it seems pavel said frowning though it's hard to understand by all accounts the magic of eld was somehow different than the power wizards command today and even now elven high magic is special unique to the race how then could sam esther born human trained only a few hundred years ago seize control of a myth all powerful enough to endure since the dawn of history and affect every dragon in the world that's one of the things we have to figure out said will as we keep following the trail he left us which is what we have to do isn't it if we want to stop the rage perhaps said pavel we should ask the whole world to help us look for answers no said doran who knows if we could persuade other folk to take us seriously even if we could it would take months years and we don't have the time nor do we want to attract more attention from the cult of the dragon or king loris flunkies i reckon that for better or worse this is still a job for cara chittulio and their circle our partner's invention and us pavel sighed and said in that case i pray we're up to the challenge it's a hunt raron said it's what we do epilogue green grass the year of rogue dragons metal banged and clattered in opara mindel's kitchen lounging on a stubby-legged divan in the parlor tagan winced he'd noticed the rotating rack of hanging pots and skillets korkowry's wife kept on the ceiling and it was all too easy to imagine a fairy dragon playing on it and somehow knocking the cookware down when he'd learned of tegan's intentions jivex had insisted on accompanying his new comrade back to lyrabar where never having seen a city or even houses before he kept poking his inquisitive nose into everything sure enough jivek shot out of the kitchen doorway streaking as fast as he'd flown to avoid the dracolich's jaws plump little opara scrambled after him upraised broom in hand out distancing her the reptile hurtled up the stairs to the second floor the halfling with her white curls stamped her foot in seeming exasperation but she had a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth she turned to resume the cooking that suffused the air with an enticing spicy aroma korkowry looked across the low table at his guest and said go on with your story as you wish tegan said i was just coming to the important part naturally it had occurred to me that once we won the battle the war swords might try to confiscate all the cultists wealth to fill sambrol's coffers or to return stolen articles to their original owners so i made a point of finding a treasure chest or two in advance of my human comrades he shifted a white porcelain vase of scarlet tulips ulpara had set out flowers in every room in observance of the spring festival to clear the center of the table he picked up a saddlebag from the rug beneath his boots and dumped out the sparkling clattering contents korkowry stared at the plentitude of star sapphires emeralds clear kings tears red pieces of tomb jade and other gems it seems you've solved your financial troubles said the halfling one would hope and are you more comfortable in your own skin now tegan cocked his head and replied what a curious question i suppose i don't even know why it occurred to me i just thought i mean you said that the city the gray trees showed you was grand so it was but it died a long time ago and in any case avarios didn't build it or anything else ever as best i can determine so i believe i'll continue thinking of myself simply as a loyal subject of impilter i assure you i'm blissfully happy that way that's good i didn't mean to suggest you shouldn't be with this wealth we can start tomorrow settling your debts and rebuilding the cell hold off on that for a while why as long as the rage continues tegan said impilter is still in danger people everywhere are in danger it sounds preposterous doesn't it like a declaration from some windy old saga but it's true and i have this nagging itch to continue trying to improve the situation i can't say why but it's so then you're going to join her majesty's army in the east tegan shook his head and replied they have a vital job to do so do the messengers the lords are sending to other lands to urge the rulers there to find and destroy the rest of the cult enclaves before the lunatics can churn out hordes of dracoliches but chance in the person of poor gorstag chose to plunge me into the secret heart of this affair and i intend to continue mucking about there which is to say i'm going to seek out dorne kara and their comrades in the north and aid them in their endeavors until i return i see no point in squandering this wealth on my creditors or on building a school either keep it safe for me and if i don't come back it's yours i don't know what to say don't get too excited i do intend to survive do you think you can even find your friends ask the halfling one nice thing about flying is you can cover a lot of ground but according to you the skies will be full of mad dragons attacking anyone they see tegan grinned and said that should make it interesting it was ghastly to behold the inert spill of shattered bone and scraps of corruption divided by the fortress wall it was infinitely worse to scramble down into the crypts find the vault plundered the phylactery missing and know that the dracolich magnificent above all other creatures as splendid and as terrible as a god could never be reborn sammaster clenched his skeletal hands and wailed with grief his desiccated eyes ached and would have streamed tears if they could the undead green slain his faithful followers likewise slaughtered their supposedly secret stronghold discovered and overthrown it was one more debacle in an endless chain his failure to win meestra's love or illustrials his accidental massacre of the innocence he'd tried to rescue the stripping away of the powers he'd wielded as one of the chosen humiliation on humiliation defeat on defeat he pummeled his own head and clawed at his own withered face in a frenzy of self-loathing he might have continued that way for a long while had it not abruptly occurred to him that if enemies had found his outpost they'd likely learned of the catacombs in lyrabar as well he rattled off words of power and between one instant and the next the magic transported him to his study in the tunnels beneath the royal city it only took another moment to confirm the worst his notes which he'd carelessly left there simply to save himself the bother of toting them about were missing once again self-hatred that feeling of being utterly despicable and unworthy threatened to overwhelm him but he found the strength to quash it for after all he wasn't really to blame for any of the tragedies and misfortunes of his long existence jealous spiteful deceitful mistress was the lady of mysteries and her countless groveling lackeys and they couldn't truly hurt or thwart him any longer because he finally understood his destiny if only he could quell his seething emotions and think clearly he'd see that all that had happened in impilter amounted to nothing more than a petty setback he reminded himself that he had other servants other spellcasters laboring in secret to create dracoliches and no one could decipher his journal even so he wished he destroyed the artifacts he discovered in the course of his investigations but like all true wizards he was a scholar with a respect for archival lore and antiquities such a desecration would have troubled him particularly since he'd believed no one else would ever even try to unravel the puzzle and surely that was still true certainly no one could do it in time to spoil his grand design but perhaps he should hunt down the thieves slaughter them and take his papers back if only to punish them for their effrontery unfortunately that could take time and his time was infinitely precious only he could rush about faerun temporarily quelling the frenzy in the minds of chromatic dragons convincing them to accept their eventual transformations into liches and to perform the essential tasks they must perform in the meantime so he'd let the thieves live for a while they couldn't follow where he'd gone and even if they did the traps he'd sewn in his wake like the styx dragon and skeletal worms in north keep would account for them or the other dangers the meddlers would encounter along the way even without knowing who they were he could make sure there were plenty of those he'd planned to do it all along simply because the lands to the north were the gateway to the heart of the power and thus it seemed a sensible precaution to throw them into chaos finally suppose that by some miracle the thieves did manage to follow the trail all the way to the end it would simply mean they'd stumble into the grip of sammaster himself for that at least was absolutely inevitable though it was both profoundly unlikely and utterly unimportant in the greater scheme of things he almost hoped they would deliver themselves up for his personal vengeance smiling at peace with himself once more he straightened his cloak then recited another spell of translocation this has been an audible frontier's production of the rage the year of rogue dragons book one written by richard lee byers narrated by melissa risian frank producer mike charzuk copyright 2004 by wizards of the coast inc production copyright 2012 by audible inc audible hopes you have enjoyed this program

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Length: 696min 3sec (41763 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 27 2021