Stormlight - Ed Greenwood [96]
"Prudence would walk with you if you went back," the boldshield told him, "not reproach. Yet I will stay. The Lady Storm should not be alone here."
"She has the wizards to look after her," one of the armsmen said in the darkness.
"The wizards," another said in tones of disgust. "The Happy Dancing Mages-what use have they been so far? And just when will we see the tiniest flame of courage in any of their eyes?"
"Warrior, I saw who stood closest back there when that light burst forth, and the great eye appeared," Ergluth snapped. "It was the worried-looking one you lot have laughed so much about-the leader of the war wizards.
We fled back to greater safety, and even the shapeshifter ran, screaming; Broglan stood like a statue. I saw him. Sneer no more at wizards in my hearing."
"So because this willful half-goddess has to prove herself as much a man as any of us," a Purple Dragon veteran growled, "we must stay here, and get slaughtered."
"Aye," another agreed from beside him. "What odds that if she falls, Mystra reclaims her, and sets her back alive again to wiggle her hips at poor fools in some other realm? Mystra won't come down to succor the likes of us!"
The faintly glowing head of a phantom-the shade of a smiling court lady-rose out of the stones at the armsman's feet just then, and he jumped back with an oath. She went on smiling as she rose up, up into the ceiling above, and was gone.
"Still so sure you know every last detail of the doings of gods?" Ergluth Rowanmantle growled. "I say again: we are no men if we leave a lady in distress, nor Cormyreans if we let Harpers do our duty for us. I will stay, in case the Lady Storm needs me."
"Then I'll stay with you, to keep you awake," Erlandar Summerstar muttered.
"I'll stay, too," Thalance added quickly. I'd rather die trying to rid our vale of this evil one than be struck down afraid, and hiding, and alone."
"Tarry it is, then," a young Purple Dragon said briskly. "Leave to snore, sir?"
There were snorts of amusement at this sally, and a few chuckles when their boldshield replied, "Only to windward, warrior."
The mirth stopped quickly when Thalance Summerstar asked the commander, “That eye-what do you think it is?”
Ergluth raised and lowered his shoulders in a slow, heavy shrug. “In truth, I know not. Some being of great wisdom and power… and yet not a godling or divine sending, I think. I've no proof, mind-just a feeling."
"And I think we're all going to die here," one of the older armsmen said sourly. "I can't prove that yet, mind… it's just a feeling."
*****
Something moved in the lonely darkness. Slowly and stiffly, it rolled over. A single hoarse gasp of pain sounded in the chamber beyond the shattered door. A tentacle rose and flexed with a weary air, and then another uncurled slowly and tentatively. A face that had flowed like syrup rose up in dripping tatters, red eyes gleaming in the gloom. A jaw of wet fangs rose at the end of a fleshy tendril and retreated back into the face; a talon as long as a rack of swords wavered, shrank, and became a humanlike hand.
It was joined by another, and together the two hands traced a gesture in the air. And then another.
"Yes," a voice above them said in sudden, fierce determination. "So, let me…" The voice sank into mutterings and a short, rising chant.
Sudden radiance spilled out of one of those two hands, and the other suddenly held a scepter-a scepter topped by an eye. The swirling radiance formed an image of the astonished Broglan staring at his suddenly empty hand.
The scepter remained. Above it two eyes burst into sudden flame and bent forward greedily. Twin jets of flame lashed out, entwining the scepter. Around the immobile, intent head and hands, other tentacles grew claws that grabbed excitedly