The Coral Kingdom - Douglas Niles [135]
"Too many," came the sad reply. "But not without some gain. I think it will be many years before the scrags decide to make war against Deepvale again."
"And the Moonshaes, too-we can hope," replied the king.
"Farewell, Tristan Kendrick!" offered the merman then. He pushed himself from the hull, arcing his back and splitting the water in a clean backward dive.
Keane came to Alicia as she rose and leaned against the gunwale, looking across the sun-dappled expanse of sea. For once, he found his voice when he needed to.
"When you were in the water," he began seriously, "it seemed as though my own life was hanging by a mere shred. I understood something then, Princess. Without you, my life would have no meaning; I would have no reason to exist." The tall magic-user cleared his throat, the familiar awkwardness returning.
"I guess what I'm trying to say," he continued hesitantly, "is that if you want me, I'll be-"
"Ho? What a ride!" boomed Brandon, coming up between the pair and wrapping a brawny arm around each. Keane squirmed uncomfortably while Alicia laughingly disengaged herself.
"Yes… yes, it was that and more," she agreed softly. She looked at Brandon, and then back to Keane, offering each a warm smile. Then she slipped between them and walked by herself to the bow.
A fresh breeze rose from the south, bulging the longship's sail and propelling her smoothly northward, across seas that lay smooth and inviting, a clear path beckoning them toward the Moonshaes.
Toward home.
Epilogue
Talos and Malar had no mirror now to observe the progress of their mortal servants. That artifact had been a necessary sacrifice in order to conclude the transformation they desired. But that fact bothered the Destructor little. Most of those servants, after all, had perished violently within the last day.
The loss of Sinioth seemed a minor thing to him now, and the deaths of Sythissal and Krell-Bane mattered even less, given the way things had been resolved. After all, the power of the avatar was not gone… it had merely been converted into a new form. That form would rest for a while, of course. Even the chaotic Talos knew the value of conserving his assets. Yet sometime not too far in the future, his new servant would be ready to serve.
All in all, Talos the Destructor and Malar the Beastlord were not displeased.
About the Author
Douglas Niles is a former high-school teacher who is now a free-lance author and game designer. He has written and designed many books and games for TSR, Inc. He lives and works at his home in the woods of southern Wisconsin. He and his wife, Christine, have two children, Allison and David, and two large dogs.
Niles is the author or designer of over fifty titles, including his first three novels, the best-selling Moonshae Trilogy, and the Maztica Trilogy and games for the FORGOTTEN REALMS® game world. His game design credits include numerous DRAGONLANCE® modules, the TOP SECRET/S.I.™ game, and board games based on two Tom Clancy novels, The Hunt for Red October and Red Storm Rising.
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Table of Contents
A Forgotten Realms novel
9876543
PART I: SYNNORIA
2
3
4
5
6
7
PART II: EVERMEET
9
10
11
12
13
PART III: THE UNDERDEEP
15
16
17
18
19
Epilogue