The Dragon's Doom - Ed Greenwood [142]
Craer grinned. "Well, that's one more sharp difference of opinion between you and the Snake-lovers, to be sure. I-"
His face changed, and he clutched at the saddlebag slung over his shoulder. It was rising, the worn leather shifting, and as he caught at it, a sudden glow spilled from under its flaps.
"What have you there?" a guard growled, hefting his blade.
"A Dwaer-Stone, and its doings right now tell me another Dwaer's being used close by."
"Somewhere on Flowfoam?" Flaeros asked sharply.
"Somewhere within a few chambers of right here," Blackgult answered. "Have you a spyhole, or the like, looking in this direction?" He waved at the barred, bolted, and chained door behind him.
"No," Raulin replied. "Why?"
The Golden Griffon smiled. "I'm fairly sure the Lady Silvertree is coming up the same steps we did, but I'd rather not fling the door wide to see if that's so-just in case I end up welcoming someone else who can casually flatten overdukes and palaces alike with a Dwaer."
"There's no need," Embra's voice said crisply from the empty air beside him, causing Craer's saddlebag to tremble wildly and light to flare from it as if a whirling inferno of flame spun within. "The enchantments of my childhood are still useful for some things-and finding known sources of mighty magic is one of them. We're all here; open the door."
Blackgult turned to do so, and Greatsarn moved to help him, but a guard barred their way, sword raised, and said coldly, "I don't recall hearing the King give his permission regarding any use of this door-'tis barred for a reason, y'know."
"Either we open it," Blackgult told the armsman, reaching for the first doorbolt as if there wasn't a swordtip in his face, "or she'll blast it down and all of us with it. Unless, of course, she gets irritated."
The sword drew back a little. "And if she is, what then?"
The Golden Griffon shot two bolts and reached for a third. "Then," he told the guard, "she'll do something much worse."
The guard regarded Blackgult expressionlessly for a moment, as the oldest Overduke of Aglirta went on tossing aside bars, lifting pins, and unhooking chains, and then silently stepped back, taking his sword with him.
"No," Blackgult said to the king not much later, as they watched one of Tshamarra's spells cook a roast from the kitchens without need of hearthfire or spit, "I'd best remain here on Flowfoam with you, to defend and advise.
Tshamarra can take my place in the Four whilst they go forth to strike down Serpent-priests the length of the Vale-and, I suppose, the usual mercenary warlords or nobles who're taking advantage of the plague to set themselves up as war leaders against you."
King Castlecloaks spread his hands. "I never wanted this crown, you know. Any of you would be so much better as Aglirta's king-even if you sat there hating it. But you're also the realm's best defenders; no matter what's unfolding, I can never see a better way forward than what you propose. So you'll get no argument from me. I'm right glad to have you here, Old Lion, while the rest of you hunt the Serpents. What now?"
"What must come first, Raulin," Embra said from across the room, "is the breaking of the spells laid on the second Dwaer, so my father can wield it. Then we go hunting… and I believe our first quarry should be the missing Baron Phelinndar, or whoever's taken his Dwaer from him. We must assume the Serpents have the fourth, and I'd prefer that we be able to muster three against their one when they make their usual bid to openly and grandly snatch Aglirta."
Raulin nodded. "You'll break these spells, of course?"
"If we're not actually fighting Serpent-priests and I can spare the time and attention to work freely, it shouldn't take long. Here on Flowfoam, I can call on the Living Castle enchantments to source more power, protecting me as I strip away the trap-spells. Tash and my father can help me."
"Right after we've