Fistandantilus Reborn - Douglas Niles [119]
At the same time, vibrations of power continued to seethe and to rumble in the ground itself. Spatters of gravel tumbled from the ceiling, and tongues of flame flared upward, breaking through the crust of the floor. The cavern rocked back and forth, filling with smoke and dust, thundering with the violent noise of collapse and destruction.
And Danyal knew that Flayze’s mountain was dying.
CHAPTER 46
Departures, Alive and Dead Third Bakukal, Reapember
374 AC
The green vortex of magic still hung over the hourglass, swirling like a liquid mirror. Now, instead of a pure reflection, the companions caught glimpses of actual places. Dan saw a forest, and then a swath of smooth, wave-swept beach. The two wizards grappled magically, taut within the web of green magic.
Another convulsion shook the lair of Flayzeranyx, and Danyal nearly lost his balance as a piece of the ceiling smashed to the floor nearby.
Already the corridor by which the companions had entered was gone, vanished beneath a crushing barrier of rubble.
“Go!” Foryth Teel cried amid the chaos, pointing toward the glowing aperture. “This place is doomed! It’s your only chance!”
Dan saw the diamondlike sand still sparkling magically as it tumbled through the narrow neck of the hourglass. The gray-robed man had lowered his pen, and his eyes were fixed upon the companions. He would write, Danyal sensed, when they acted.
But what should they do?
A hiss of energy crackled loudly as the Fistandantilus-lich tried to pull his counterpart to the side. The human version of the archmage set his feet and spread his fingers, summoning a roaring spiral of greenish fire that flared high and momentarily blocked the two figures from view. The screams that emerged from within the cocoon of magic were chilling and unnatural, each sound intense with unchained fury and violence.
The vortex to the worlds wheeled like a kaleidoscopic image, and the kender stared into the space, obviously fascinated. “What a place to wander-so many places,” he declared in amazement. “There’s a range of blue mountains-and look! A city, the whole thing crammed into one big tower!”
“Go, then. See all those places!” urged the historian. “Escape while you can, to survive and wander!”
“My friends, I shall do just that!” declared Emilo, suddenly decisive.
Mirabeth clasped her arms around him in a crushing hug. “Go now!” she demanded through her tears.
“Farewell, then, all of you-and thank you!” cried Emilo Haversack, turning to wave a jaunty farewell to the three humans. The two mages, still enshrouded by magic, took no note of the companions.
Before Dan could shout any kind of reply, the kender dived into-and through-the mirror. The lad caught a glimpse of a crowded street, a city with strange, lofty walls, and then the image had moved on to display a vault of cold, starry sky.
The visions in the arcane window continued to change. The next place was familiar-a mountain valley, scored by a small, babbling stream. Dan recognized the road they had followed near Loreloch, and then he saw the blackened ruin itself. In another moment he saw something moving, a familiar equine shape.
“There’s the horse!” he cried as the image of the black mare, cantering gracefully along the road, came into view.
“Nightmare!” Mirabeth shouted. “Can you hear us? Come here!”
Suddenly the scene shifted, whirling closer in a dizzying rush, and then the horse was right before them. With a kicking, plunging jump, the animal leaped, and abruptly Nightmare passed through the shimmering window and was in the cave alongside them, rearing amidst the crumbling stone.
“She will carry the two of you to safety. You must go after the kender!”
Foryth declared sternly, taking Mirabeth and Danyal firmly by their arms.
“Leave Fistandan-tilus to me!”
“No!” Dan shouted. “I’m not leaving you!” Though he sensed it was foolish to remain in the collapsing mountain, he felt a fierce loyalty to the historian, who had so