Lady of Poison_ The Priests - Bruce R. Cordell [111]
Before the Rotting Man's throne was an altar of rough-cut stone upon which sat a crystal vase. The vase held a slender stem to which a single bone-white petal clung.
To the Talontyr's right stood Damanda, glowering. She had reacquired her swarm aura.
Surrounding the Talontyr and Damanda were various creatures, all disfigured with lesions, pustules, and other outward signs of sickness, though of course in the Court of the Rotting Man, these creatures obviously drew strength from their condition. Unfortunately, the Rotting Man's forces created a buffer too wide for Marrec's special gaze to touch directly upon the author of all their misfortune. Among the creatures arrayed around the throne, Marrec recognized a green-tinged unicorn, a satyr whose eyes were gone but for oozing sores, a score of nixies-or perhaps pixies-each the color of night, a dryad whose ongoing wide-mouthed scream of pain was too raw to be heard any longer, some diseased wolves and bears, plus a few monstrous insects the size of men…
"Ash!"
Marrec glanced back. The child he had so long shepherded was gazing with apparent interest at the large ash tree. Recognizing it. Naming it. Ash and ash…
Before Marrec could comment or question the potential enormity of Ash's pronouncement, movement drew his eye back to the front.
A bone-slender hand slothfully extended from the rotting garments that clung to the Talontyr. The pointing finger selected Marrec as its target.
A voice, hoarse and phlegmy yet resonant, issued forth. The Rotting Man said, "The game has been amusing, but it is over. I will take the child. Now."
A beam of virulent power pulsed forth from the Rotting Man's entire body, washing over Marrec and his friends before any could do much more than blink and draw a breath in surprise.
Marrec fumbled with his spear as his vision cleared, expecting pain, wounds, or worse, but he was fine. Looking around, he saw that his friends were unharmed, too. Of them all, only Ash seemed unsurprised. In fact, she had somewhere acquired a golden glow, a glow of health, vitality, and promise.
"So," said the Rotting Man, executing a look so sour that Marrec's stomach threatened to turn.
Struggling for breath, the cleric finally managed to find his voice. He said, "We've come too far to fail now."
The unicorn warrior didn't know exactly why the Rotting Man's assault had drained away so ineffectually, though he guessed that already Ash's nature was beginning to assert itself. He needed to seize the moment, salvage some time for Ash to discover the missing portion of herself. That, after all, was the reason they had come so far.
Marrec continued, his voice gaining in strength and authority, "We've brought Ash, the Child of Light here, against all the obstacles you've set. We know the girl is but part of the Aspect promised by the Green Powers, among which my goddess Lurue numbers, the Aspect that was sent to end your reign here in Dun-Tharos."
The cleric knew his speech was too short, but he didn't quite know where to go from there. Ash was not taking any special action or initiative, unlike what he had imagined, except, of course, her mere presence may have been the only reason he and her other companions yet drew breath following the Rotting Man's initial assault.
The Rotting Man hacked out laughter. Chuckling wet gasps of amusement, he finally said, "You have brought her to me, haven't you? All my effort to bring her here, yet where all my servants have failed, you succeed. Marvelous!"
"Not true… you were trying to kill Ash. Kill her so the Aspect could never take full shape."
"No, I'm afraid not, young simpleton."
"You fought us hard enough just outside the ring of your fortress," replied Marrec, confused.
"It is true I expended many of my servitors, many more than I thought I would, truth be told. I did not foresee that you would make common cause with a demon. If I had not thrown my forces against you, you would have begun to wonder why I offered no resistance here at the heart of my