Realms of Shadow - Lizz Baldwin [96]
"Priestly? Our shaman's spells are a gift from Uthgar.Your magic is not the same."
He was right, in a sense. Clerical magic did not come from the Weave like my spells.
"Magic isn't just a tool of destruction," I said. "It can be helpful, beneficial. This amulet is a good example. Without it, we couldn't be talking to each other like this."
"Were it not for your magic object, we would have to learn to communicate on our own level. We'd be forced to accomplish something. Instead, the amulet does it for us. Magic does not make your life better, only easier."
"Magic is an Art. It's a gift of Mystra."
"Mystra," said Thluna. "We are aware of this goddess, though we do not think of her often. When we do, it is of a trickster who lures men with offers of tremendous power, power without restrictions. These powers grow and grow and eventually become impossible to control. She is a miner of men and tribes alike."
My anger rose, but I knew this was Thluna's way of getting me back for what I had said a moment ago. Things were settled between us, so I didn't dare to say what we thought of his god.
It was later that day that one of the Uthgardt pointed out a plume of smoke rising to the sky in the distance.
"Could be orcs," said Sungar. "But there are so few trees. Where are they getting the wood for a fire?"
He had a point. Orcs ate raw meat but preferred it cooked. "It's probably magical fire," I reasoned. "A gift from their new masters."
One of the older barbarians chimed in with his advice. "We should attack now, while there's still light. In darkness they will have the advantage."
"I'd like to know what we're up against first," said Sungar.
"I have a spell for that."
Some of them began to object, but Sungar silenced them with a glance.
"I’ll need silence for a minute or two," I said and crouched on the ground, facing the direction of the smoke.
I cast my spell and felt my consciousness propelled over the fields of the Fallen Lands with increasing speed. There was a large plain ahead of us, featureless but for a small ruin rising maybe eight feet above, like the tip of something mostly buried under the ground. But for that, there was little cover in any direction. Surrounding the ruin was an impressive force made up mostly of orcs, with a few stray bugbears and gnolls in the mix, probably acquired somewhere between there and Evereska. A lot of them were tending to their mounts, those ugly bipedal birds, and some were cooking meat over a series of magic bonfires. Still, they looked like they were ready to fight at a moment's notice. I estimated at least ten of them for every one of the barbarians.
My mind slipped between a set of orcs and continued toward the ruin, barely more than a few cracked walls and broken columns. A few huge and bulky masses were standing nearby like statues, and on the ruin itself was a long, thin serpentine body, a dark blue-purple in color, ending with a human face that was buried in the belly of its meal, a dead orc.
How do we know this civilized is not warning our enemies?
He is luring us into a trap!
The voices shot through my mind and sent me hurling back to my body so hard that I fell backward.
"Silence!" shouted Sungar at the offending Uthgardt, who slunk away in submission.
Sungar was a strong ruler but smart enough to know that some of the ill-tempered barbarians would not tolerate my presence much longer. Barbarians lived for battle. It was the only pleasure in their harsh lives, and battle was the only thing that would protect me. These Uthgardt would much rather fight beside me than ride with me.
"It's all right," I said, pulling myself to my feet. "I saw enough. There are maybe four or five hundred orcs in the army, and a few other humanoids as well, but I did not see any phaerimm. We can be relieved at that. They're being led by a dark naga."
"A dark what?"
"A naga. They're snakelike beings who hoard magic items and knowledge. They're born collaborators. This one probably works for the phaerimm in exchange for new spells, including the