Son of Thunder - Murray J. D. Leeder [128]
Geildarr turned to them from his position kneeling in front of Moritz. "Join me and fight him," he said. "He's not a wizard… not the wizard he appears to be. He's just a gnome… a gnome named Moritz wearing Sememmon's face. He's an illusion-a weakling gnome! We can defeat him! A gnome!"
Sungar, Kellin, Lanaal, and Thluna frowned, exchanging puzzled looks. Was this true?
This brought a chuckle to Moritz, a perfect replication of Sememmon. "You see the desperate scheming I was talking about?" He looked down at the mayor of Llorkh. "Geildarr, did I ever tell you what happened when one of Manshoon's clones attacked me during the Manshoon Wars? I plucked his beating heart from his chest!"
"Sememmon did that, Moritz," said Geildarr. "Not you."
"Good-bye, Geildarr. Give my best to Fzoul. For that matter, give my best to Cyric." He finished with a smug look and a slight wave.
A moment later, confusion crossed his face. Moritz's illusionary brow furrowed as he found himself unable to teleport out of the Lord's Keep.
"Sememmon isn't the only one who can toy with magic," spat Geildarr. He thrust the dagger at the image of Sememmon, driving it into his abdomen. The illusion flickered and fell, and the stately wizard was replaced by a red-garbed gnome, a blackwood cane in one hand and the Heart of Runlatha in the other. He howled at the dagger, embedded in his shoulder and now sending a cascade of blood down his crimson clothing.
"Attack!" shouted Geildarr.
All looked to Sungar. The chief took one step forward and swung his battle-axe down on Moritz. Moritz lifted his cane to deflect the blow. The blackwood repelled the assault, but snapped in two under the impact.
Sungar felt a strange new energy flowing from the axe. The ancient weapon was closer to the Heart of Runlatha than it had been in many centuries.
With Sungar charging at him, Moritz hopped backward through the doorway and ducked. Muttering an arcane syllable, he vanished on the spot, along with the Heart. His red tricorn hat fluttered to the ground. Sungar stopped, puzzled.
"He cannot teleport from inside the Lord's Keep," shouted Geildarr. "He's invisible."
Faint footfalls were audible from down the hallway as small, unseen feet jumped over the fallen pedestals. Thluna and Sungar bolted after their quarry.
"Where will he go?" asked Kellin.
"He'll try to get outside, especially since he's hurt," said Geildarr, pulling himself to his feet. "He'll try for my balcony or a secret door behind the bookcase down the hall."
"Look after him, Lanaal," said Kellin, running down the hallway after them.
Lanaal raised her sword and rested the curve of its blade against Geildarr's neck. "Not a word, not an incantation, or I take your head," Lanaal promised.
"Fair enough," said Geildarr. He asked her, "How did an elf maid like yourself come to be fighting alongside barbarians?"
"Strange times," Lanaal answered.
"You remind me of another elf woman I met once," he said. "Her name was Ashemmi. Have you heard of her?"
Lanaal said nothing, but raked her short sword against Geildarr's throat, drawing a line of blood.
Geildarr's eyes turned down toward the dark spot on the carpet, stained by the disintegrating shadowstuff of Ardeth's body. If he were truly brave, he thought, why shouldn't he let the elf kill him here and now?
Shaquintar, wizard tyrant of Runlatha, died in the fall of Netheril.
Lucky fool.
* * * * *
Something drove Sungar on as he raced down the hallway, hopping over debris. It was the axe, pushing him forward with its will and giving him a wild new strength. Sungar had wielded the axe hundreds of times before and had never known anything like this. It invigorated him, inspired him. His will and that of the axe were merged, fighting as one. He fancied that he could feel Berun, and Uthgar, and the imprints of all who had ever touched the axe, and that they