The Dragon's Doom - Ed Greenwood [155]
"Yes. Remember it; that's what you need to be seeking. Now I'll need to do something more to you. Sit on the floor, cradle the Stone in your lap with one hand, and sit on your other hand, fingers spread on the floor. Don't move it when you start to feel power flowing up into it."
"Magic?"
"Yes, from Flowfoam itself: my Living Castle enchantments."
"Impressive," Tshamarra remarked, as Craer setded himself. "And my part?"
"When I wave to Hawkril and he unleashes his spell, ensnare it with one of your own. Both magics will lose their original effects and become raw, entwined power. Will that force into me, and I'll feed it to Craer. He won't have long to seek, but will have quite an impressive thrust of magic behind him-which may cause him some discomfort. As long as he holds the link together, all should be well."
Embra gave Craer a wry smile, and added, "Until we find another Dwaer, that is. When that happens, try to picture-in your mind-your eyes flying to it, and then look down as you speed straight toward it; you'll see the countryside where you're headed. Don't try to see who's holding the Dwaer and what's right around them, for that will surely alert them. We'll need you to hold the link to that other Dwaer, unless you see more than one, or anyone strikes at you with their Dwaer. In both cases, turn away, and throw mists between you and them."
Craer raised skeptical eyebrows. " 'Throw mists'? I do that… how?"
Embra smiled. "Try 'flying' your eyes toward me now-and when you reach me, veer away and mentally throw up some mist, by plucking at the mists that will seem to be all around you. Try it."
After a moment, the procurer grinned. "Easily done. I've just smoothed the mists away again."
Embra nodded. "I felt you do so. We're ready. So here's my scheme: If we find one Stone, we jump to it and do battle. When we get there, Craer, I'll need you to get our Dwaer to where Tash or I can touch it as fast as you know how. If we see multiple Stones, we trace where they are and then stop to decide whither we go. In all cases, of course, ignore the Dwaer my father's holding."
She looked at Hawkril, who nodded, and glanced at Craer. The procurer also nodded, wiped sweat from his brow that hadn't been there a few breaths before, and turned his head to look at Tshamarra, mouthing some silent words that might have been "I love you." She gave him a fond smile, and then turned to Embra and inclined her head once.
Four overdukes drew in deep breaths together, and Embra closed her eyes and flung up her hand in a wave to Hawkril. He said his remembered word, Tshamarra hissed a swift incantation, Embra quivered-and the Stone in Craer's hands suddenly glowed like an evening star.
Craer found himself hanging in glowing mists, lit from behind him by a growing radiance that was cradled in Blackgult's reassuring presence. He turned his attention away from it, looking out into the endless mists elsewhere, and-therel Over there!
He could feel Hawkril's ragged wonder, Tshamarra's cool calm, and Embra's strength and slight pain at the power roiling through her. They were with him, were aware of what he'd found, were flying with him…
… to a cavern, in damp Aglirtan earth and stone nigh the Silverflow, where a Dwaer was awake and alive in the hands of someone unaware of them, someone whose attention was bent elsewhere, someone against a wall far from a glowing web of magic, a shielding around a lazily turning cage of force-lines…
Craer forced himself to stop looking at those fascinating flows of power!-Three Above, no wonder mages grew so hungry for power; 'twas the greatest ecstasy imaginable!-and back at the Dwaer. It was in the hands of an armored man, no mage… Phelinndar!
He was conscious of Embra taking power from him now, of the flow that had been racing up through the numbed hand he was sitting on now reversing to drain back the other way. Even as he wavered in confusion, not wanting to lose any of that thrilling force, he felt her mind-voice: Hold to him, Craer. Hold to him!
Determinedly he did