Elminster's Daughter - Ed Greenwood [106]
Seven sparks winked, just for a moment, as if amused… and that was all.
* * * * *
Something like a wavering shadow appeared in the air of the room Rauthur had first brought him to, thickened, and grew an arm and an alertly peering head.
"I come from Suzail with urgent news for the Lord Vangerda-hast," it announced excitedly, and then waited. Silence was the reply.
The head smiled, and surged forward, growing a body. It did not look like the customary handsome form Harnrim Starangh was wont to wear, but then he wasn't called Darkspells for nothing.
Aside from himself, the dim room was deserted. He cast a swift spell and nodded in satisfaction. "Off that way, where the shield-spells grow strongest," he murmured, "I must not go… but here, these shields I can work with…"
That fool Rauthur's mind had been fearfully a-bubble with rushing memories during their visit together, wherefore the boldest Red Wizard in Cormyr now knew there were scrolls in plenty beyond that door down this passage and also that one, which also led to a closet that held some wands and a rod or two better left undisturbed because hidden tracer-enchantments could well have been built into them. The really powerful-and experimental-magics Vangerdahast kept hidden behind shields that could slay, shields attuned only to him, but there'd be chances enough to gain those later. First, the-
"Blaedron? Is that you?"
Starangh sent a slaying-snake spell through the air even before he melted his body back into a shadow flickering among the pulsing shields. The War Wizard coming around with the corner with a frown on his face and a wand in his hand walked right into the fangserpent and managed only the choked beginnings of a scream before his face was sucked away by the magic-eyes, breath, flesh, and all.
Blood-drenched bone stared with empty sockets at Starangh for a moment ere the man toppled.
Darkspells smiled and cast another magic that made the body a flickering shield-shadow like himself. It'd reappear when the shields were banished, of course, but until then…
He left the wand lying right where it had fallen and hastened on.
There was a flash of blue-white fire, and Vangerdahast laughed aloud.
"Yes!" he spat in delight, hands spread wide in the last flourish of his casting. "Done-and perfect!"
He chuckled in triumph, scribbled a note on his parchments with some panache, and rolled his eyes when Myrmeen asked from behind him, "Time for a break, Master of All Magic? Just a few moments to sip water, stretch, and wipe noses?"
Vangerdahast whirled around, robe swirling grandly, and made a very rude gesture he'd seen Purple Dragons present enthusiastically to each other on several occasions.
Myrmeen decided it was her turn to roll her eyes.
Rauthur's mind held very clear directions on how to open the armory shields for someone not keyed to them. Merely mutter the right phrase, make the correct gesture, and step forward.
Into a chamber where two War Wizards turned startled faces toward him.
"Laspeera sent me!" Starangh told them anxiously. "There's-"
By then he was close enough to touch one of the men, releasing a spell that twisted the man's only active enchantment-a personal shield; by the kisses of Loviatar and of Shar, these Cormyrean mages lived like scared rabbits!-into a quivering paralysis field.
The other man gaped at him, hands flashing up to shape a spell. The Red Wizard reached into his sleeve, plucked a poisoned dart from a forearm sheath that held two of them, and tossed it into the man's face.
The man shouted and clutched at his eye. Starangh lunged forward and punched him hard in the throat. The War Wizard went down gargling, and by the time he hit the floor the foam was coming to his mouth and the spasms had begun.
Starangh stepped clear and let him thrash. He'd deal with these two after he'd snatched what he'd come for.
The closet door had no lock. He used a daggerpoint to draw it open and moved aside with it, just in case, but no doom lashed out. Inside were dozens of