Dragons of the Highlord Skies dc-2

by Margaret Weis

  Derek bowed in acknowledgement, then headed for the back of the library. Aran and Brian accompanied him, and Lillith soon lost sight of them among the shelves. The sound of their footfalls grew muffled and faint, though she could still hear Aran’s laughter, resounding through the building, shaking the dust from the books.

  “Come, sit down,” said Lillith, guiding Tas to a chair. She sat down beside him and drew her chair close to his. “I have a very important question to ask you. The answer is very important to me and to many other people, Tasslehoff, so I want you to think very carefully before you reply. I want to know-do you have with you the Glasses of Arcanist?”

  “The what of who?” Tasslehoff asked, puzzled.

  “The Glasses of Arcanist.”

  “Did this Arcanist say I took them?” Tas demanded, indignant at the accusation. “Because I didn’t! I never take anything that’s not mine.”

  “I have a friend, a very good friend named Evenstar, who says that you found the glasses in the floating tomb of King Duncan in Thorbardin. He says you dropped them, and he picked them up and gave them back to you-”

  “Oh!” Tas leaped up in excitement. “You mean my Special Magical Glasses for Reading Stuff! Why didn’t you say so in the first place? Yes, I think I have them somewhere. Would you like me to look?”

  “Yes, please,” said Lillith, alarmed at the kender’s cavalier attitude, but she reminded herself, he is a kender, and the gold dragon knew that when he allowed him to keep the glasses.

  “I hope you haven’t told anyone about Evenstar,” said Lillith, watching in growing concern as Tas started upending his pouches and dumping their contents onto the floor. She knew kender picked up all manner of various and assorted trinkets and treasures, ranging from the valuable to the ridiculous and everything in between. But she hadn’t quite realized the vast extent of a kender’s holdings until she saw it piling up on the floor. “Our friend could get into a lot of trouble if anyone knew he was helping us.”

  “I haven’t said a word about meeting a golden… woolly mammoth,” Tasslehoff replied. “You see, we were in Duncan’s tomb-my friend, Flint, and I and there was this dwarf who said he was Kharas, only then we found the real Kharas and he was dead-extremely dead. So we wondered who the dwarf was really and I’d found these glasses inside the tomb and I put them on and when I looked through the lenses at the dwarf, he wasn’t a dwarf, he was a golden… woolly mammoth.”

  He gave her a pitiful glance. “You see how it is? When I tried to tell anyone that I met a golden… woolly mammoth… it always comes out… woolly mammoth. I can’t say… woolly mammoth.”

  “Ah, I see,” said Lillith in understanding.

  The golden dragon had apparently found a way to keep even a kender’s lips sealed on his secret, a secret he had since revealed, but only to the Aesthetics.

  Many years ago, the good dragons had awakened to find their eggs had been stolen away from them by the dragons of Queen Takhisis. Using their eggs as hostages, the Queen forced the good dragons to promise they would not take part in the upcoming war. Fearing for the fate of their young, the good dragons agreed, though there were some among their number who advocated strongly that this was the wrong course. Evenstar had been one of these. He had spoken out forcefully against such appeasement and had vowed that he would not feel bound by any such oath. He had been punished for his rebellion. He had been banished to the Floating Tomb of King Duncan in Thorbardin, there to guard the Hammer of Kharas.

  Two dwarves, Flint Fireforge and Arman Kharas, accompanied by Tasslehoff, had recently discovered the sacred hammer and restored it to the dwarves, freeing Evenstar from his prison. While in the tomb, Tasslehoff had encountered Evenstar, who questioned the kender about the situation in the world. What he heard greatly disturbed Evenstar, especially when he learned that an evil new race known as draconians had appeared on Krynn. A terrible suspicion was growing in his mind as to the fate of the young metallic dragons. Evenstar did not yet dare reveal himself. If the forces of darkness knew that a golden dragon was awake and watching the doings of the dark Queen, she would send her evil dragons after him, and, because he was isolated and alone, he would be no match for them. Thus he had found this magical method to make a kender keep a secret.

  “The next time I looked through the glasses we were in a great big hall I can’t recall the name of and the dwarves were fighting Dragon Highlord Verminaard, only he was supposed to be dead, so I looked at him through the glasses and he wasn’t Verminaard at all. He was a draconian!”

  Tas had plopped himself down on the floor and was sorting through his valuable possessions as he talked, searching for the glasses. Lillith realized in dismay that this search could take a considerable amount of time, since the kender could not pick up anything without examining it and showing it to her and telling her all about how he’d come by it and what it did and what he planned to do with it.

  “Tas,” said Lillith, “there are some very dangerous people in the city who would give a great deal to find these magical glasses. If you think you might have left them back in the inn-”

  “Ah! I know!” Tasslehoff smacked himself in the forehead. “I’m such a doorknob, as Flint is always telling me.” Tas reached his hand into one of the pockets in his bright colored trousers. He pulled out an assortment of objects-a prune pit, a petrified beetle, a bent spoon which he said was to be used for turning any undead he might be lucky enough to encounter, and finally, wrapped in a handkerchief embroidered with the name C. Majere, was a pair of spectacles made of clear glass with wire rim frames.

  “They’re truly remarkable.” Tas regarded them with fond pride. “That’s why I’m so careful of them.”

  “Uh, yes,” said Lillith, vastly relieved.

  “Does your friend want them back?” Tas asked wistfully.

  Lillith didn’t know how to answer. Evenstar had told Astinus, the Master of the Great Library, to seek out the kender and make certain Tas had the glasses in his possession. The dragon had said nothing about taking the glasses away from the kender, nor had he said anything about the kender using them to help the knights or anyone seeking knowledge.

  As the follower of a neutral god, one who maintained the balance between the gods of Light and those of darkness, Lillith was not supposed to take sides in any war. Her assigned task was to guard the knowledge. If this was done, if the knowledge of the ages was preserved, then no matter whether good or evil prevailed, wisdom’s flame would continue to light the way for future generations.

  The Kingpriest, though he had revered Paladine, God of Light, had feared knowledge. He feared that if people were permitted to learn about gods other than Paladine and the gods of Light, they would cease to worship those gods and turn to others. That was why Paladine and the other gods of Light had turned against him.

  Now Takhisis, Queen of Darkness, was trying to conquer the world. She also feared knowledge, knowing that those who live in ignorance will not ask questions, but will slavishly do what they are told. Takhisis was trying to stamp out knowledge, and Gilean and his followers were determined to oppose her.

  Where were the gods of Light in this battle? Had they returned with Gilean? Did Paladine and the other gods of Light have their champions, and if so, would they be like the Kingpriest? Would they want to destroy the books? If they did, Lillith would fight them as she would fight draconians or anyone else who threatened her library.

  Perhaps this was the reason Evenstar had turned to Astinus for help and not to Paladine, assuming Paladine was around. Evenstar distrusted Takhisis and her minions, yet he was not certain he could trust the gods of Light.

  Now Lillith was confronted with the kender, and although she considered herself open-minded and free from prejudice, she couldn’t help but think the dragon might have chosen a more responsible guardian for such a valuable artifact. She considered it a major miracle the kender had kept hold of the glasses all during the long journey from Thorbardin to Tarsis. It was not her place t
o judge, however, especially when she didn’t know all the facts. She had been told to find the kender and ascertain that he had the spectacles on him. She could report back that he did. Her job was done, but should she allow him to help the knights?

  “No, Evenstar doesn’t want them back,” Lillith said to Tas. “You can keep them.”

  “I can?” Tas was thrilled. “That’s wonderful! Thank you!”

  “You can thank your friend the golden woolly mammoth,” said Lillith, smiling. She took out a small book and began to take notes. “Now, tell me what you see this time when you look through the lenses…”

  In the back portion of the library, the knights had not resumed their search but were embroiled in an argument.

  “You did what?” Derek demanded, scowling at Brian.

  “I gave the kender my word of honor as a knight that I would help rescue Sturm and the others,” Brian repeated calmly.

  “You had no right to make such a promise!” Derek returned angrily. “You know the importance of our mission to recover this dragon orb and take it back to Solamnia! You could put it all in peril-”

  “I didn’t say anything about you assisting them, Derek,” Brian told him. “You and Aran can continue with your search for the dragon orb. Brightblade is a fellow Solamnic, and though I only knew him a short time, I consider him a friend. Even if I didn’t know him, I would do everything in my power to keep him and his companions from falling into the hands of the enemy. Besides,” he added stubbornly, “I have now given my word.”

  “The Measure says it’s our duty to thwart and confound our foes,” Aran pointed out, tilting his flask to his mouth, then wiping his lips with the back of his hand.

  “Tell me how we confound our foes by rescuing a half-elf and a dwarf and a counterfeit knight?” Derek retorted, but Brian could see that his argument was having some effect. Derek was at least considering his proposal.

  Brian went back to work, giving Derek time to think things through. Their studies were interrupted by Lillith, who came marching the kender along, her hand on his shoulder, giving his hand an occasional slap-in a friendly manner-when he tried to pluck a book off the shelves.

  All three knights rose politely to their feet. “Yes, Mistress, how may we serve you?” Derek asked.

  “It’s how I can serve you, or rather, how Tasslehoff can serve you.” Lillith reached for one of the books in the stack dealing with dragons. Opening the book to a page at random, she moved it near the lantern. “Tas, can you read this?”

  Tasslehoff climbed onto a tall stool. He settled himself comfortably and peered at the page. He wrinkled his forehead. “You mean all those squiggly lines? No, sorry.”

  Derek grunted. “I’d be surprised if he can read at all!”

  Lillith said softly, “Tas, I meant for you to put on the special glasses when you read. What we talked about.”

  “Oh, yeah! Right!” Tasslehoff reached his hand into his pocket and fumbled about.

  “I think they’re in the other pocket,” Lillith whispered. “Mistress, we are wasting valuable time-” Tasslehoff dove into the correct pocket and came up, glasses in hand. He placed them on his small nose, pinched the nosepieces together to help them stay on, and looked down at the page.

  “It says, ‘The red dragons are the largest of the chro… chrom… “-he stumbled over the word-“chromatic dragons and the most feared. Although they disdain humanoids, red dragons may occasionally ally themselves with those who have the same goals and ambitions, which include a lust for power. Red dragons revere Queen Takhisis-’”

  “Let me see that!” Derek snatched the book away from Tasslehoff. He stared at it, then shoved it back. “He’s lying. I can’t read a word.”

  “But he can,” said Lillith triumphantly, “with the magical Glasses of Arcanist.”

  “How do you know he’s not making it up?” “Oh, come now, Derek,” said Aran, laughing, “would a kender or anyone else for that matter make up the word ‘chromatic’?”

  Derek eyed Tas dubiously. He held out his hand. “Let me see those glasses.”

  Tasslehoff glanced at Lillith. She nodded her head and Tas handed him the glasses, though with obvious reluctance.

  “They’re mine,” he said pointedly, “given to me by a golden woolly mammoth.”

  Derek attempted to put the glasses on his nose, but they were much too small. He peered at the book through the lenses, practically going cross-eyed to try to focus on the words. Lowering the glasses, he rubbed his eyes and regarded the kender with more respect.

  “He’s telling the truth,” Derek admitted, sounding astonished beyond belief. “I can read the words with those glasses, though I have no idea how.”

  “They’re magical,” said Tas proudly. He quickly plucked the glasses out of Derek’s hand. “They used to belong to some guy named Arachnid.”

  “Arcanist,” said Lillith. “He was a half-elf sage who lived before the Cataclysm. He made several pairs of these glasses and gave them to the Aesthetics to use in research.”

  “How do they work?” Brian asked.

  “We don’t really know for certain. It’s thought-”

  But she didn’t have a chance to finish. A shout interrupted her. “Lillith, it’s me, Marcus!”

  “Excuse me,” she said. “I sent Marcus to find out about your friends, Tas. This is probably important news.”

  “I’ll come, too,” Tas jumped off his stool.

  “You will sit and read, kender,” said Derek.

  Tas bristled with indignation. “Now, see here, Sir Shinguard, my friends may be in danger and if they are, they need me, so you can take your book and-”

  “Please, Master Burrfoot,” Brian hastily intervened, “we really need your help. We can’t read these books and you can. If you could look through them and find anything at all about dragon orbs, we would be deeply in your debt. You remember that I have pledged to help your friends and I give you my word as a knight that I will do my utmost.”

  “You can be of vital service to these knights, Tas,” Lillith added gravely. “I think the golden woolly mammoth would take it as a personal favor.”

  “Well… I guess,” said Tas.

  He eyed Derek balefully, then climbed back up on the stool and, putting his elbows on the table, began to read, his lips moving with the words.

  Lillith started back to the front of the library to meet with her friend. She had taken only a few steps when she paused, turned back, and gave Brian a dimpled smile. “You can come with me, if you like. Just to make sure I’m not selling your secrets to the enemy.”

  Brian glanced at Derek, who looked very annoyed, but gave a nod.

  “I’m sorry about the way Derek’s acting,” he said in a low voice as he trailed Lillith. “I hope you know that I don’t suspect you-”

  “I am deeply offended, sir,” said Lillith, stopping. “I may never get over it.”

  “Please, Mistress.” Brian took hold of her hand. “I am truly sorry…”

  Lillith burst out laughing. “I was teasing! Do you knights always take everything so seriously?”

  Brian flushed deeply. He let go of her hand and started to turn away.

  “Now I’m the one who is sorry,” Lillith said. “I didn’t mean to make sport of you, sir.”

  She found his hand in the shadowy darkness and squeezed it tightly.

  “I’m not ‘sir’,” he said. “I’m Brian.”

  “I’m Lillith,” she said softly, pulling him nearer.

  Tall bookshelves surrounded them, fenced them in and cut them off, separating them from everyone else in the world. Dust clung to them. They had only Lillith’s lantern for light, and she set it on the floor in order to take both his hands in both of hers. The two seemed to stand in a pool of candle-lit radiance, even as they remained hidden in sweet darkness.

  Neither was ever sure quite how it happened, but their lips met and touched and kissed and parted and touched again and kissed again.

  “Lillit
h!” Marcus again called out for her. “It’s important!”

  “Just a minute!” she called breathlessly, then added softly, “We should go… Brian…” “Yes, we should, Lillith…” But neither moved.

  They kissed again, and then Lillith, with a little sigh, picked up the lantern. Holding hands, they wended their way through the bookshelves, taking their time, warmed by each other’s touch. When they neared the front, they paused for one last, quick kiss.

  Brian smoothed his mustaches, Lillith smoothed her tousled hair, and both tried very hard to look perfectly innocent. Rounding a corner of a shelf, they came suddenly upon Marcus, who had grown tired of waiting and started down an aisle in search of her.

  “Oh, there you are,” Marcus said, raising his lantern.

  Marcus was not at all what Brian had come to expect of an Aesthetic. His head wasn’t shaved and he wore ordinary breeches, shirt and coat, not robes and sandals. He wore a sword and he had the look of a soldier, not a scholar. Still, Lillith wasn’t what Brian had expected in an Aesthetic either.

  “Did the knights rescue the kender?” Marcus asked.

  “Yes,” said Lillith, “we have him safe and sound. What about his friends, the others on the bounty list?”

  “The half-elf, the dwarf, the elf, and the knight have been taken before the lord in the Hall of Justice. I stayed to listen to some of the trial. The lord seemed surprised to see a Solamnic knight, but I think he was pleased as well. He tried to do what he could to help them, but that strange fellow-the one in the cloak-intervened, and started whispering in the Lord’s ear.”

  “You say they’re on trial? What crime are Sturm and the others supposed to have committed?” Brian asked curiously.

  “Remember the bounty list,” said Lillith.

  “Ah, right,” said Brian. “Killing Highlord Verminaard.”

  “No one’s supposed to know that, of course,” Marcus said. “But a couple of bounty hunters got drunk in a bar down by the old docks and told the tale and now the story’s all over town. There’s other news, too.”

  “Not good, I take it,” said Lillith.