Crown of Fire - Ed Greenwood [34]
"At the same time, all of our agents in Cormyr, Tilverton, and the Stonelands were warned of Shandril's coming. One of our forces in the Stonelands, under the command of Warcaptain Karkul Memrimmon, was ordered south into the Hullack Forest. With the aid of one of my upperpriests, they managed to cross the Moonsea Ride unobserved, east of Gnoll Pass, and rode by night to the headwaters of the Immer-here. "
"By then, your warriors had slaughtered the garrison at Thundarlun and set some of it afire, but Shandril slew them all," the beholder added.
Fzoul sighed. "Aye. Either she recovers her powers very rapidly, or she found some sort of aid in Thundarlun that ah, renewed her spellfire energies."
He paused, cleared his throat again, and went on. "When the swordmaster of the force from Tossril did not answer magical queries, we assumed he was dead and his force defeated. Spies riding foulwings from Semberhome were sent to overfly easternmost Cormyr, and return before they could provoke any response in force from Azoun's war wizards. They found no sign of Shandril or her companions and concluded she must have gone into the Hullack Forest, seeking cover."
"Your spies in the court at Suzail and among the war wizards?"
"Reported nothing," Fzoul replied. "So far as we know, Shandril does not have the backing of Azounnor is he trying to gain spellfire for himself. He may not-even know that it is within his borders.'
There was a faint shriek from outside the chamber, and then another, louder one. The eye tyrant turned.
"Sacrifices? At this time, Fzoul?"
"No," the priest replied. "We understand it is customary for you to feed about now, each day."
The beholder's eyestalks began to whip and coil sinuously in evident pleasure. "My thanks for this courtesy," it said, drifting eagerly forward.
An instant later, they heard curses, sobs, and struggling noises just outside the chamber-and then a naked man was hurled into the sanctum, cartwheeling in the air. In the doorway, they saw a flash of moving metal from the staff that had struck him. It was still trailing motes of magical light as it withdrew.
Some of those same sparkling points of light clung to the body of the terrified man, who did not fall to the ground, but drifted to a halt in the air close to Fzoul.
The man saw the beholder looming over him, shrieked in terror, and lunged away, soaring through the air toward the doorway he had come in by.
"Sporting," said the beholder, as the man flew away, into the light spilling from the passage beyond.
An instant later, he struck an invisible barrier with a crash. The snapping of bones could be clearly heard, and the man sagged limply, drifting toward the ground.
"Not too sporting," Fzoul replied with amusement. At his words, the captive's head snapped up. His eyes narrowed with hatred, and he dived through the air, snarling as he swooped down at the unmoving high priest.
He never got there. An eye flared, and he was dragged inexorably sideways toward the waiting maw of the eye tyrant. Its jaws snapped; fine droplets of blood rained down, and the legless body jerked and spasmed in midair.
Xarlraun eyed the limp, hanging man disappointedly, then drifted in to gulp him whole. "I expected a better fight," it said between crunching noises.
"The next one may be better," Fzoul said smoothly. The beholder belched, shaking the chamber and making Fzoul's stomach churn and his eyes sting. It licked its lips, considering. "That one had drunk much sherry, not long ago." Then it leaned toward the priest, and said in silky warning, "You won't be foolish enough to try poisoning any of these morsels, will you?"
"Of course not," said Fzoul. "That sort of behavior is beneath me." His tones were calm, even scornful, but a sudden dampness glistened on his forehead.
Outside the chamber, the screaming began again. The beholder listened and then said, "I'll eat again when we're done. Please give the necessary orders-and have all the priests who are listening just outside withdraw, as well."