“Thank you so much for your help with the scrying,” she smiled. “It made all the difference.”
“We could stay,” Borgland offered, glancing eagerly back into the room, where the tension was palpable. "I'm sure we could—"
Prael pushed him forward, but Lynthalsea could hear his entreaties even as she quietly shut the door. Turning around, she steeled herself for the upcoming confrontation that she knew there was no way to avoid.
Avari was pacing again, weaving her way between the racks of bottles, casks and kegs like a caged animal. The tall woman’s half-full glass of apple wine sat forgotten on the table in the center of the room where Shay and DoHeney sat, drinking from tankards of ale, glaring at each other over the rims. Brok sat in the shadows behind Lynthalsea’s chair, lending her his quiet strength. As soon as the door closed, the argument started.
"I don't understand you, Shay. You've never been afraid of a fight before. Why are you against an attempt to rescue Jundag?"
"I am not afraid, Avari," he snapped. "I am being pragmatic. The chances of success are virtually nil and the danger is enormous, not only to those involved, but to the entire realm. An incursion into the nations of the Dark Gods could end in war."
"Slim chances didn't stop you from going into Zellohar to try and retrieve the gems," she said accusingly.
"In that instance we were risking only ourselves, and were trying to stop a war," Shay pointed out. "What you propose here is to risk the lives of hundreds or thousands to save one man. How do you think Jundag would feel if we started a war just to rescue him?"
"I'm not talking about a war, Shay." Avari stopped behind a cask and clutched the top edge. Probably to keep herself from wrapping them around Shay’s throat, Lynthalsea thought. "All I propose is that a small group try to find and rescue Jundag. These dark worshipers; they can’t be so paranoid that they think of a few intruders as an attack on their nation! Maybe...we could go in disguise!"
“Did you not see the scrying? With our suntanned skin, we would stand out like orcs at an imperial ball.” He clenched his jaw and stared at them each in turn. Heaving a sigh, he said, "I can see I have no hope of talking you out of this, so I will wish you all well and offer whatever aid I can give from here."
Avari looked as if Shay had slapped her across the face, and DoHeney choked on a mouthful of ale. Lynthalsea had barely known Jundag, only spoken with him once, but she understood her friends’ reactions. Her hackles rose.
"I can supply you with healing potions, food, magical assistance, whatever you need. I can even scry ahead of your party and warn you of impending danger."
"I thought you’d come along, Shay." Avari’s bluster was gone; only the pain of his refusal remained. “We need you.”
"I have no desire to commit suicide, Avari," he answered, his face a stony mask. "I am too busy here to go traipsing off into the midst of a nation of dark-god worshipers and get killed, or worse yet, taken prisoner. As I said before, I will aid your effort in any way I can before you leave. Now if you will all excuse me, I have studies that require my attention."
Lynthalsea could take no more; she didn’t even recognize the person sitting there as her beloved half-brother. She surged to her feet, leaning over the table to glare at him. "How dare you!" she spat. "What do you mean, you’re too busy here? All you do is sit in your workshop, studying your magic and playing with those damned gems! These are your friends, Shay, not guests you can turn away when they fail to pay the rent! They asked for your help, and you’re turning your back on them!"
"I am not turning my back on them!" he snapped. "I simply refuse to be pulled into a hopeless situation. Why, they do not even know where they are going or how to get there!"
"An’ that’s one reason I'm askin’ for that there magical emerald back from ye, Shay," DoHeney said, his eyes dark but calm as he drained his tankard and hoisted himself from his seat.
"What?" Shay gasped; now it was his turn to look shocked.
"I'm thinkin' yer right that we don't know exactly where we're headed," the dwarf explained, "and I'm thinkin' that them scummy Darkmist sisters still got the other gems with 'em. So naturally I aim ta use the emerald ta track 'em down and find Jundag that way."
"Of course!" Avari said, striding over with a grin to give her friend a clap on the back. "The gem will lead us right to them! Then we can kill that slimy bitch and rescue Jundag!"
"Aye, lass," DoHeney smiled crookedly, then returned his attention to Shay. "But I'll be needin' the gem first, ye understand."
"Taking the emerald into a city of the Dark Gods is madness, DoHeney!" Shay slipped a hand into his robe, but didn’t pull out the gem.
Lynthalsea caught her breath as she saw a dagger slip into the dwarf's hand, carefully blocked from Shay’s view. She clenched her jaw; surely DoHeney didn't think Shay would become violent? She opened her mouth to protest, then realized that she honestly didn’t know what Shay might do to keep the gems. Her worst fears were coming to a head. She tensed, prepared to leap between Shay and DoHeney should the situation escalate. Shay looked at the faces around him, then for a brief moment, his eyes widened, before the expression on his face blanked. Slowly, he pulled the velvet-wrapped bundle from his pocket.
"The gem is yours to do with as you please," he said as he held it out to DoHeney. "But consider that the emerald is just a magical direction finder in your hand, whereas in mine it is a powerful weapon. Although it is against my better judgment, I will come along to safeguard the stones. After all, I am the most learned in their properties, and can best wield their power."
Avari’s jaw sagged and her eyes reflected her confusion. "You'll come along?" Her tone was skeptical but hopeful.
"I will come along, Avari, to prevent the two cornerstones from falling into evil hands. There is presently a delicate balance of power in place; we have two gems and they have two. If they get ours, they will undoubtedly press their advantage. That we cannot allow. And who knows; if the opportunity presents itself, we may be able to recapture the ruby and sapphire!"
"I thought ya might see it that way," DoHeney said heavily. "It’ll be good ta have ye along, Shay. But there's one more thing ta do before breakin' up this party."
He plucked the velvet bag from Shay’s hand and withdrew the emerald. Turning his back on Shay and the diamond, he moved his hands in a slow arc, first side to side, then up and down. He stopped when the gem glowed most brightly: toward the east and at a downward angle.
"Yep, that’s what I thought. It points in the general direction o’ Zellohar. Makes sense. That Nekdukarr probably attacked Zellohar ‘cause it was near ta his city. I betcha there’re tunnels under the Keep that’ll lead us there. It might not be easy, but nothin’ is. Tomorrow we can talk with DoHurley about gettin’ some guides, dwarves who’ve traveled the deep passages and maybe knows the whereabouts of a dark-gods-worshipin’ city." He rewrapped the stone and handed it back to Shay, who quickly deposited it in his pocket.
"Well!" Shay said, "we have a great deal of preparation to do, so I suggest we get right to it. Let us plan to see the dwarves early in the morning, shall we?"
He swept from the room, followed by Avari. Lynthalsea looked at DoHeney and saw her own suspicions reflected in his eyes.
“That was a rather abrupt change of heart,” Brok said as he laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“Too abrupt,” DoHeney said, “but I couldn’t see him passin’ up a chance ta get them other two gems. That boy bears watchin’.”
“Yes,” Lynthalsea agreed with a sinking heart. Just how far, she wondered, will Shay go in this foolish quest for power?
“I know you don’t want to do this, Voncellia,” Feldspar whispered harshly. “Neither do I, but it’s the only way, unless you’ve got a scrying mirror hidden in your robes somewhere.”
“On our salaries!” she protested. “How could I afford a scrying mirror?”
“Then we have to ask Belregash.” Feldspar was already in a foul mo
od at the thought of having to consult with the archmage, and Voncellia’s whining wasn’t helping. “And we have to act together—we’re the Royal Retinue, for the gods sakes! We should have some rights.” He ignored Voncellia’s snort of derision and banged on the door.
They waited several minutes before Belregash opened the door, obviously agitated, delicately patting the corners of his mouth with a silk napkin. The archmage was tall and well-built, with long, curly blond hair and a comely face. Feldspar knew that the archmage was older—much older—than he looked, and wondered what spells he used to maintain his youthful appearance. Too bad you didn’t use Void essence, too, he thought.
"I am dining," Belregash said irritably as he eyed the group of mages. “What business could you possibly have that cannot wait until morning?”
"Master Belregash,” Feldspar began, “our need is great. Braelen is assailed by a disturbance in The Void. We need to use your scrying mirror to inspect the borders of The Void to determine where the disturbance originates.”
The archmage looked at him incredulously as he shifted his stance slightly to block the entrance into his suite of rooms. "You need to use my mirror? Why don’t you call the temples for healing? Since when does one use a priceless relic to find cures for what is probably a bout of flatulence from venerable Master Braelen’s breakfast!"
"Why you pompous piece of maggot-eaten—"
"Voncellia..." Feldspar warned, waving her down. It galled him to kowtow to Belregash, but Braelen’s life was at stake, so he swallowed his pride and good sense and continued.
"Braelen is in a coma and near death; the cause is a disturbance in The Void and cannot be cured by any priest. Our plan is to view the disturbance, discern who or what is responsible, and decide if we can do anything to alleviate its effect on Braelen."
“Using my mirror,” the archmage repeated. “Do you understand, can you even comprehend, the value of my mirror? Do you—“
Feldspar’s patience snapped. “It’s a tool for working magic, gods damn it, not some precious crystal doodad to be stuck away and only admired on holidays! As the Royal Retinue of the emperor, we are charged with using our magical skills to protect the realm, and...”—the wily mage paused for a moment as a thought occurred to him—“...and we fear that this disturbance may portend great peril for the realm. We must take all reasonable precautions!”
Belregash narrowed his eyes, recognizing the ploy. Feldspar curtailed a smile. Denying the Royal Retinue the means to investigate a potential threat to the realm was a good way for Belregash to lose his position of power.
"So you feel the realm may be at risk," he said slowly. With great reluctance, he backed away from the door to allow them access. "Very well, you may use the mirror, but you will use it here in my chambers so I can corroborate the outcome."
"Of course, Master Belregash," Feldspar agreed with a smile. "We welcome your opinion."
"Spare me the pleasantries, Feldspar," the archmage scowled. "Just get on with it so I can get back to my dinner."
Belregash's chambers were elegant, with sumptuous furnishings, beautiful silk throw pillows, expensive objects d'art and a balcony overlooking the city's richest quarter. But the arch mage’s pride and joy was his collection of artifacts that he kept on gold stands under leaded glass jars. What a waste, Feldspar sighed. What a fool to keep tools that might aid the realm in a thousand ways locked away...
"Stay here and don't touch anything. Everything is magically protected."
The archmage strode from the room and quickly returned bearing a foot-high mirror on a golden stand. He placed it on a low table before a red-velvet divan and motioned the others to come near, though he did not offer anyone a seat. Once they had gathered around, he activated the magical item with a word that Feldspar made sure to commit to memory. Crellington sat on the divan before the mirror; the retinue had previously decided that his skills were most apt to produce a successful scrying.
"The development of this style of mirror,” Belregash intoned didactically, “provided an improvement on the old-fashioned scrying mirror, which required an admixture of spell components and a full incantation to invoke. After speaking the word of activation, which I have done”—he briefly glared at Feldspar—“you merely concentrate on your subject and it should appear."
"We know how the thing works, Belregash," Voncellia sneered. The others ignored him as they turned their attentions to the limitless depths of the mirror.
“Let’s look at the border with Lair first, Crellington,” Feldspar said softly. The view swirled, but the image quickly cleared. A desolate landscape resolved: vast plains of broken rock, hills littered with scree, and deep chasms that cut across the ground like ragged scars. Overhead loomed The Void, black as the night sky, but completely starless. An ogre lumbered into sight. Kenrah cringed.
“Let’s hope we don’t have to go there,” she whispered.
Crellington shifted the view, covering what seemed to be miles and miles of distance, but they saw nothing that might be intersecting the two planes.
"Well!” Belregash said to Feldspar with a smile. “I guess your hunch was wrong! The Void looks quite quiescent from here, so if you are done, I—"
“We’re not done,” Feldspar said, not bothering to look at the archmage as he waved his hand at the mirror. “Let’s look at Pytt now, Crellington.”
This view was more pleasant—clear skies close at hand, towering clouds shot through with lightening in the distance—though The Void still hung heavily above. Just at the edge of sight and near the interface of the planes, flocks of birds circled.
“Move closer,” Feldspar said, but Crellington was already hurtling toward the distant spectacle. As they closed on it, the presumed birds resolved into dragons, and they all leaned away.
"By the Gods! What is that?" Voncellia gasped as an enormous dark structure loomed into view.
"It's a fortress," said Crellington. "And look at the spires; they appear to actually be touching The Void!"
"That's impossible!" Belregash protested, peering over their shoulders. His mien changed quickly from disinterest to professional curiosity. "It must have a shield to keep the structure intact."
“And to keep the dragons away,” Feldspar said dryly as he watched attack after attack thwarted on the barely visible barrier. “They don’t seem to like it. Let’s see how close we can get.”
Crellington moved closer until the he could go no farther.
"What's wrong? Why did we stop?" Voncellia snapped, glancing over her shoulder at Belregash.
"As I suspected," the archmage said in an annoyingly self-assured tone, "the structure is shielded. The spires seem to pierce the barrier between the planes. Likely some mad wizard is trying to tap the power of The Void, much like our esteemed colleague Master Braelen has done in the past."
“Braelen took only tiny samples of the essence,” Feldspar countered. “This is on a massive scale.”
"Feldspar’s right!" Kenrah said as she peered more closely. "I think I can see... Yes! Look! There are hundreds of workers climbing all over the structure. Isn't that a rock troll?"
"Whoever is doing this certainly has a lot of resources at their disposal," Zerchia said in awe.
"All right then!" Feldspar said as he clapped his hands together. "We know where the problem originates. Now we need some discreet surveillance to determine the enemy’s express strength and purpose, and—"
"What are you babbling about?" Belregash cried, snatching the mirror from the table and stepping away from the group with a curt laugh of disgust. "Enemy? Surveillance? So what if some stupid wizards are trying to tap into The Void? They’ll undoubtedly be destroyed and—ta da!—end of disturbance."
"Knowledge is the best defense!" Feldspar argued. "We’ve got to know what they’re up to, which means someone has to travel there and at least discern their intentions, if not intervene. This may have far-reaching implications, Belregash. What if an adversarial nation is using the power
of The Void for conquest?”
The archmage sneered at him. “You have been on too many battlefields, Feldspar. You’ve got battle-shock. An interplanar trip would take more than a month to accomplish, given the spells you would have to learn and the intermediate planes you would have to travel through to—”
"Not necessarily," Feldspar interrupted as he stood and stepped up to the archmage.
"What? How else would you propose to—"
"You,” Feldspar said as he pushed his face up to Belregash’s, “have a means for quick interplanar travel."
"If you mean the Starstone, forget it!" Belregash spat as he threw open his door and ushered them into the corridor. "As archmage, I have the ultimate say in how our resources are used in defense of the realm, and there is no way I am going to let a bunch of worrywarts use my most prized artifact for a pointless trip to The Void on an implausible suspicion, and that’s final!"
Belregash slammed the door to his chamber, and they all sensed the spells of locking that he cast.
"What burns my butt is that he probably hasn't used the thing in a hundred years!" Voncellia scowled at the door as if she wanted to blast it to smithereens. "He wouldn't know the difference if we put a rotten egg in its pla—"
“That’s it!” Kenrah said, only to be silenced as Crellington put his hand over her mouth. Slowly, they looked around at each other as the implication of her suggestion sunk in.
"Well, nothing can be done about it!" Feldspar said loudly; there was no knowing if the archmage might be listening in. "Let’s wait it out in the study. Come on, I'll treat you all to a glass of wine."
Following Feldspar, the Royal Retinue made for the magical security of the study. Once sequestered where no spell could spy on them, they all sat down to plan how they would steal Belregash's Starstone.
CHAPTER 16
HAIL THE LIBERATORS OF ZELLOHAR!"
The great hall resonated with the roar that followed the dwarven herald's announcement. DoHurley, King of Zellohar, sat on his throne of polished dragon bones, smiling broadly as DoHeney, Shay, Avari, and Lynthalsea slowly walked toward him between the masses of cheering dwarves. DoHeney had requested an audience, and DoHurley had hurried to organize this reception. The four knelt when they reached the dais.
Jundag Page 14
