The City of Splendors_ A Waterdeep Novel - Ed Greenwood [141]
Two of the men who'd come to slay him skidded to frantic halts, wide-eyed, and started to shout in fear.
Ghosts were all around them, half-seen and chilling, all skull-faces and wasted limbs and horrible battle-wounds gaping. Naoni was sobbing on her knees with long-fingered phantoms clawing at her. Korvaun ran to her, waving his sword.
A horrible boneless thing-the phantom of someone who'd been crushed by something heavy-reared up before him, mouth working horribly. It melted away into tatters as Korvaun and his talisman rushed right through it.
He fell again and skidded to a halt on his knees, his arms around a weeping, quivering Naoni Dyre. The ghosts melted away from them.
"Easy, love," he murmured awkwardly. "All will be well, I swear!"
She turned and sobbed into his chest but then went stiff and silent, pulled herself away, and looked toward the tomb-mouth, eyes wide and wild.
Korvaun followed her gaze. It was almost night outside the tomb now, and he could see distant figures running frantically and hear a great chorus of iron clangings, followed by terrified howls of "The gates! They've closed the gates on us!"
In the deeper, closer darkness of the tomb, a silent host was gathering in a pale ring close around Korvaun and Naoni. Not all the ghosts tarried: phantom after phantom slid out through the arch into the falling night, but ever more were seeping out of burial runes and rising up from the flagstones to join the silently staring throng.
Korvaun stared at them, and they stared back, their eyes so many cruel, patient points of light. Coldly menacing. Waiting.
He shivered despite himself, as Naoni whispered, "They've closed the gates. We're shut in here until morning, aren't we?"
"It seems so."
The lass in his arms hadn't yet seen the ghosts gathered all around them, but she was trying to turn around now, pushing firmly against him. "Are those men gone?"
"They are," Korvaun replied nervously, watching the ghosts drift a little closer. One got too close and melted into tatters, its darkly furious eyes vanishing last of all. They were testing the strength of his talisman, seeking to wear it down or find some weakness…
"Lord Helmfast," Naoni said more calmly, "I thank you for your timely aid, but if you don't mind, I'd like to get up now, and-"
"Keep still," Korvaun hissed. "Please."
She froze, and peered up sharply. "Why?"
Korvaun drew a deep breath. "The ghosts are all around us, lass. My-all my talisman does is keep them a little at bay. If you stand away from me, I can't stop them from… from…"
Naoni shuddered. "So cold," she whispered, remembering. "Like searing frost."
There was a sudden commotion outside, the thudding footfalls of a large, booted man running as fast as he could. He panted past, then someone else screamed suddenly, "No! Noooo! Take them away!"
"Are-" Naoni started to ask, voice rising in fear, and Korvaun held her tightly, wincing. Outside, something pale glowed and flashed-and the screaming man fell silent and toppled, staring forever at nothing.
The ghost whirled away from its victim, giving Lord Helmfast a grin of coldly savage glee. Lifting skeletal hands, it moved bony digits in a brief, complicated dance.
Korvaun was no wizard, but he knew a spell when he saw one. So, apparently, did the watchful ghosts. They drifted closer, well within the range of the talisman's power.
He glanced down at his belt buckle. The faint, silvery glow of its holy power was fading away.
Korvaun's heart started to pound. This shouldn't be possible! The talisman was no wizard's charm but a blessed object. No ghost-not even that of a great wizard-could undo a holy blessing.
Or could it?
Torm preserve us… what if the ghostly spell had been cast on him, not the talisman? A magic to make him afraid…
"The presence of fear does not mean the absence of faith," he said fiercely, his voice almost steady. "I believe. Torm's blessing will protect us from the angry dead."
The ghosts did not retreat. "Protect you," came a hollow, mocking voice from deep in the tomb-shadows. "You."