The Sea Devil's Eye - Mel Odom [113]
Pacys silently accepted that, his fingers never betraying the musical weave he worked on.
"The Great Whale Bard was my friend;* Qos went on. "He chose you. I chose to honor both his request and his memory"
"What am I supposed to do?"
"What you normally do, bard. Tell the tale of what goes on around you." The storm giant gestured at the surrounding city. "This is history in the making. The legend of the Taker is true. If we don't remove him from Seros, he will destroy everything."
"Everything?"
"The rebirth of Myth Nantar. A second beginning, one that will be of even more import to those below and above." Qos turned and pointed back to the Dukarn Academy off the Promenade of Kupav. "The weapon we need to accomplish that is there."
"What is it?" Pacys stopped playing for a moment and turned to look. It was the first anything had been said of a weapon.
"The Great Gate," Qos said. "Once it's activated, it will pull the Taker and his army through it and exile him from Seros."
"Where will he go?"
"It won't matter. Anywhere but here." Qos locked his emerald eyes on the bard's and said, "Song That Brings Bright Waters believed that you were the Taleweaver, the one destined to touch the heart of the young hero who would slay the Ravager."
"How am I supposed to accomplish that?"
Qos shook his head. These are legends, bard. As familiar with them as you are, you should know that legends never tell everything."
"My song will," Pacys declared. "When it's ready, and when I sing it, the listener will know all." He stretched, adjusting himself on the coral. "When will you open the Great Barrier?"
"As soon as Serosian races can come to an alliance."
"I believe the sea elves would be interested," Pacys said. "As well as the shalarin, but the mermen remain adamant about staying apart."
They won't," Qos said, "once Voalidru falls."
I've overheard the sea elf warriors talking about that. The locathah keep information coming to us. The warriors believe the Taker has stretched his alliances too thin and that he doesn't have the power to challenge Eadraal at this point."
"The Taker is mustering his next army even as we speak."
A cold chill raced through the old bard. "How?''
Qos held up his right hand. Green coral suddenly emerged from his palm and flattened, covering his huge hand.
"The Taker has surrounded the Whamite Isles," Qos told him, "with an evil and ancient kelpie that sings its listeners to their deaths. He wracks the islands with massive earthquakes that will drive the people to the shore so they can hear the kelpie songs. Few, if any, will survive. When enough have died, the Taker will call the victims back as drowned ones in his service."
Horror filled Pacys, stilling his fingers. He gazed at Qos's palm where images formed. Pie saw the pallid figures hanging from kelpie beds in the black water, their arms and legs limp, their dead eyes red and blank, mouths hanging open. A few of them were drowning even as he watched, thrashing slightly as their lives left them.
"No," the old bard cried hoarsely. "We can't let this happen."
"It already has," Qos stated. "It must happen to make way for the only chance Seros has at peace."
Unable to look away. Pacys watched as more people dropped into the black water, immediately tended to by the kelpie beds. No matter how great his skill nor the fact that Oghma himself had set his present course before him, he would never be able to capture the abomination being played out before his eyes.
* * * * *
Blasted by the lightning bolt that should have killed him, Jherek hit the ground hard, so hard that the breath was driven from his lungs and he almost blacked out. He clung to his senses, though, thinking of Sabyna, Glawinn, and Azla trapped like rats in the cave. Rolling over on his side, he felt blood trickle down the side of his face.
The journey that had taken only days before had extended to two restless months. A sahuagin attack had cost them their rudder. Replacing the rudder had taken ten-days after Steadfast had finally made a friendly port. Despite the time, the